Leading researchers from Brazil, Toronto share expertise

Some of the world's leading researchers in cancer presented their latest findings at a conference November 15 co-hosted by the University of Toronto, its partner hospitals and the Universidade de São Paulo (USP).

The event, part of significant ongoing collaborations between U of T and USP, took place at the MaRS Auditorium in the heart of Toronto's Discovery District. Among the renowned scholars from U of T taking part were: head and neck cancer expert Professor Fei-Fei Liu, chair of the department of radiation oncology; Assistant Professor Stanley Liu, whose research into microRNAs and prostate cancer received a Movember discovery grant from Prostate Cancer Canada; Professor Pam Ohashi, director of the Immune Therapy Program at the Ontario Cancer Institute; and Professor Kelly Metcalfe of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, a leading expert in cancer prevention and treatment  for high-risk patients.

Experts from USP included: immunology professor Maria Carolina de Oliveira Rodrigues; leukemia expert and professor of hematology/oncology Eduardo Magalhães Rego; and bioinformatics expert Joao Carlos Setubal from USP's Institute of Chemistry.

“This joint conference is a great opportunity for the world-renowned cancer experts at U of T and our partner hospitals to form research collaborations with our peers at Universidade de São Paulo,” said Professor Peter Lewis, associate vice-president of global research partnerships. “Together, our research teams will be stronger than the sum of their parts.”

The conference culminated in a public lecture by U of T's Dr. Steven Narod: “Cancer Prevention in the Era of Personalized Medicine.” A global leader in breast and ovarian cancer research, Narod is recognized for shaping current knowledge of how to assess cancer risk and reduce mortality among carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. A professor in U of T's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the department of medicine, Narod is also a senior scientist and director of the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit, Women's College Research Institute.

“This is an important start because it increases the mobility of post-graduate and undergraduate students to collaborate on projects,” said Raul Machado Neto, vice-president of the international relations board with the Universidade de São Paulo. “Both sides can gain and learn from each other.”

The collaboration between U of T and USP is a multi-faceted one. While the onocology conference was underway, leading experts in international relations from USP joined their U of T colleagues at the Munk School of Global Affairs for a workshop called “The Role of Middle Powers in the 21st Century Global Arena.” Co-organized with USP's Institute of International Relations, the workshop marked the initiation of important conversations about future collaborations between the two research-intensive universities.

The November 15 events are the latest examples of U of T's commitment to strengthening its research partnerships in Brazil, Lewis said. Last year, USP hosted colleagues from U of T in São Paulo at an important conference on neuroscience and held significant discussions on global cities. The University of Toronto and the Universidade de São Paulo have each made investments to support research collaborations that emerge from these joint conferences.

Dominic Ali is a writer with University Relations at the University of Toronto.