Michael Fraser Email & Phone Number

Toronto, On, Ca

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I direct all cancer-related programs funded by Movember Canada. This includes biomedical research, clinical trials, survivorship programs, cancer awareness, and advocacy.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Academic appointment to the Division of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Led an independent research program focused on identifying prognostic and predictive biomarkers in urological cancers using multi-omics, computational and molecular biology, and machine learning.As part of this role, I served as the Scientific Director of the Canadian Prostate Cancer Genome Network (CPC-GENE) - the world's largest prostate cancer whole genome sequencing program. This included oversight of a 500-patient cohort with associated clinical, pathological, and multi-omic datasets as well as biological specimens. I successfully leveraged these samples and datasets to drive outside collaborations with both local investigators and, through the Pan-Prostate Cancer Group (www.panprostate.org) - which I co-founded in 2017 - large international teams of researchers and clinicians.I also served as the co-Director of the McCain Family GU BioBank at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where I helped to direct biobanking efforts of tissues and clinical data for patients presenting with urological cancers at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

Toronto, Canada Area

I directed a large program portfolio of research projects in multiple areas of prostate cancer research at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. This includes cancer genomics, outcomes research and biomarkers, molecular and cellular biology, and health economics.Wrote numerous successful operating grant applications to large funding agencies such as Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.Co-founded the international Pan-Prostate Cancer Group (PPCG; www.panprostate.org) - an international consortium of researchers and clinicians from nine countries with a focus on leveraging genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, pathological, and clinical data from over 3,000 men with prostate cancer to identify novel drivers of the disease and develop prognostic and predictive biomarkers to improve clinical outcomes for these men. Member of the PPCG Steering Committee and co-Chair of the Clinical Translation Working Group

Toronto, Canada Area

I oversee the day-to-day operations of the $20-million dollar Canadian Prostate Cancer Genome Network (CPC-GENE), the largest prostate cancer genomics project in the world.CPC-GENE is a pan-Canadian, outcomes-based initiative that is performing whole-genome sequencing on tumour specimens from 400 patients who underwent surgery or radiotherapy for localized, intermediate risk prostate cancer. The goal of the study is to identify prognostic and predictive genetic signatures for local treatment failure, and to assess the genetic heterogeneity of intermediate risk disease.I coordinate diverse research teams (pathology, tissue processing, DNA and RNA sequencing, bioinformatics), located in Toronto, Vancouver, and Quebec City. I manage all administrative, budgetary, and logistical matters pertaining to CPC-GENE, and oversee a team of scientists, technicians, and research trainees working on the program.

Toronto

My post-PhD research focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of recognition and repair of DNA double strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation, and on the pre-clinical assessment of novel anti-cancer agents targeting the DNA repair pathways (e.g. ATM, DNA-PKcs, and PARP inhibitors). My basic science research work focused on the role and regulation of the PI3K/Akt signalling axis downstream of DNA damage induced by clinically-relevant doses of ionizing radiation. I also led a translational research project focused on the assessment of the PTEN tumour suppressor gene as a determinant of PARP inhibitor sensitivity in prostate cancer.

Ph.D., Cellular And Molecular Biology

Bachelor Of Science (B.Sc.), Physiology, Pathology And Related Sciences, 3.76 Gpa