Supervisor
Dr. Behzad Toosi, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Home Community
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Academic Credentials
- BSc, Mount Allison University, 2006
- DVM, University of Prince Edward Island, 2012
- MSc, University of Saskatchewan, 2023
Research
Sarcomas are invasive cancers in both humans and dogs. Despite aggressive treatment, the prognosis for many sarcoma patients remains poor, highlighting the need for better therapies. Sarcomas occur more frequently in dogs and share many biological similarities with human sarcomas. By using a comparative approach, we can gain insights into the driving biology of the cancer and potential therapies in both species. The Eph receptors regulate many cancer cell activities including proliferation, survival, migration, and invasion. Therefore, targeting these receptors can be harmful to cancer cells. This research aims to better understand how the Eph receptors contribute to sarcoma progression in dogs and humans and explore methods to target them. By using a comparative approach with dog and human sarcomas, we will obtain relevant information for developing treatments in future clinical trials, ultimately improving the outcomes for human and dog patients.