Achievements

• The discovery of the SH2 domain, a vital cell signaling ingredient within a cell. This domain has been found to be altered during the process of a normal cell turning into a cancerous cell.
• The identification of a molecular genetic marker that is a predictor of prognosis for women with node-negative (cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes) breast cancer. Working with colleagues at the Robarts Institute in London, Ontario the identification of the gene responsible for the high incidence of diabetes in the First Nations Band at Sandy Lake.
• The discovery of a genetic maker for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (a fatal immune deficiency disorder) that resulted in genetic counselors from across North America contacting MSH for help inn prenatal diagnosis.
• The identification of a mutation in the colon cancer gene (the APC gene) that is present at a high incidence in Jews of Ashkenazi descent.
• A study finding that blood insulin levels appear to be a reliable predictor of whether a woman with breast cancer will survive long term, which women with breast cancer will respond well to treatment, and which are at high risk of losing their fights against this cancer.