Gariépy, Jean

Biography

Gariépy, Jean currently working as Professor, PhD, University of Alberta, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Room M7 434, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5. His research interest includes Cancer Immunology; Structural Biology & Proteomics; Imaging Modalities; Cell Signalling & Metabolism; Predictive Oncology & Therapeutics; Tumour Microenvironment; Epigenetics; Cell Biology & Cancer Models Gariépy, Jean currently working as Professor, PhD, University of Alberta, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Room M7 434, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5. His research interest includes Cancer Immunology; Structural Biology & Proteomics; Imaging Modalities; Cell Signalling & Metabolism; Predictive Oncology & Therapeutics; Tumour Microenvironment; Epigenetics; Cell Biology & Cancer Models

Research Interest

Our laboratory is interested in developing both in vivo imaging modalities and targeted therapies directed at epithelial cancers (breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, lung, pancreas). Our research program is a fine balance of both basic and applied research projects aimed at understanding how peptides, proteins and oligonucleotide templates work and how they can be engineered or utilized in developing directed therapies against tumor cells (either through the design of cancer vaccines, RNA/DNA/protein therapeutics or delivery vectors). The spectrum of approaches taken by our group to address our design and discovery programs ranges from peptide synthesis, combinatorial protein or DNA library design/screening, cell biology/microscopy techniques to yeast genetics and mouse models. We presently are designing and screening protein libraries as well as SELEX/DNA aptamer libraries with a view to discover new surface markers on epithelial cancer cells and in designing tumor-specific agents. We are also closely involved in constructing new imaging agents for the in vivo detection of millimeter –size tumor masses. Since marker discovery is a major part of our future work and is based on no a priori knowledge of such molecules (we are scanning the surface of cancer cells), we are developing strategies, in collaboration with mass spectrometrists at UHN to identify such novel markers. Because of the broad nature of our molecular engineering efforts, projects in our laboratory are usually tailored to a student’s expectations and aptitudes.