Dr. Singh, pediatric neurosurgeon and scientist, will receive $450,000 over three years to seek to determine the role of the Bmi1 signaling pathway in brain tumour development and identify molecular events that uniquely drive the brain tumour initiating cell (BTIC). This could help explain why brain tumours are often unresponsive to traditional therapies.
“Ultimately, our research may generate selective therapies that specifically target the BTIC, thereby improving the survival and prognosis of adults and children with brain tumours,” said Dr. Singh.
Dr. Singh will be mentored by Dr. Rob Rottapel, leader of the TFRI Selective Therapies Program. “By elucidating molecular pathways that BTICs specifically employ, Dr. Singh’s program may ultimately provide novel opportunities to develop BTIC specific therapeutics, which would be an invaluable resource to brain tumor patients,” he says.
Mentoring Program: TFRI Selective Therapies Program
Mentors/PIs: Dr. Rob Rottapel