News

Fluorescence-Guided Breast Cancer Surgery: International Pivotal Phase III RCT receives FDA IND Clearance
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Today, SBI ALApharma Canada Inc., a subsidiary of photonamic GmbH & Co. KG ( Pinneberg, Germany), a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo); received FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance for its Pivotal Phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the safety and efficacy of PD G 506 A (5-ALA HCl) in intraoperative margin assessment during breast conserving surgery. This multicenter trial involves over 400 patients across 20 centers across the US and Canada and will use SBI Canada’s patented intraoperative handheld Eagle Fluorescence Imaging SystemTM to visualize 5-ALA-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence in real-time in breast cancer tissues during surgery.…

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In Vivo Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Dynamics: Dr. Niloufar Khosravi publishes in Biomaterials
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Niloufar Khosravi, a DaCosta Lab PhD student alumna, published in Biomaterials today: “New insights into spatio-temporal dynamics of mesenchymal progenitor cell ingress during peri implant wound healing: Provided by intravital imaging”. Abstract Surface topography drives the success of orthopedic and dental implants placed in bone, by directing the biology occurring at the tissue-implant interface. Over the last few decades, striking advancements have been made in the development of novel implant surfaces that enhance bone anchorage to their surfaces through contact osteogenesis: the combination of the two phenomena of recruitment and migration of mesenchymal progenitor cells to the implant surface, and…

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Arcturus Phoon Promoted To Research Analyst
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We would like to congratulate Arcturus Phoon on his recent promotion to Clinical Research Analyst! His hard work and eagerness to take on responsibility is demonstrated every day, and helps propel the DaCosta Lab to new heights. We hope to see Mr. Phoon around the lab for years to come and wish him all the best in his new role!

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Dr. DaCosta discusses the origins of the lab and his serendipitous invention in UHN’s latest Behind the Breakthrough podcast episode
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Behind the Breakthrough, a podcast about the people behind the world-leading research at UHN, features Dr. Ralph DaCosta in Episode 7 of its second season. In this episode, Dr. DaCosta recollects his family’s immigration to Canada, his career path and serendipitous discovery that could revolutionize wound care. Hear about his groundbreaking work in visualizing cancer, his adventure becoming an inventor and entrepreneur, and how Terry Fox was the inspiration for his drive to enter cancer research.

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Dr. Ralph DaCosta joins UHN’s DORA Advisory Group
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In January, the Research Institutes at UHN signed the  San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), joining more than 1,500 institutions worldwide. DORA is a set of recommendations developed in 2012 by a group of editors and publishers of scholarly journals and is aimed at creating an improved and robust evaluation of the science and research impact of individuals and institutions. The UHN DORA Advisory Group was assembled to guide the implementation of these principles at the Research Institutes. This group is composed of a diverse group of PIs from across the seven UHN Research Institutes and will develop guidance…

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DaCosta Lab presents at MBP’s Virtual Open House
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Even through a pandemic, the DaCosta Lab is always looking to recruit new students! On November 7th, the Department of Medical Biophysics (University of Toronto) held a Virtual Open House to students looking to enrol in a Masters or PhD program. Faculty and students across the department showcased their amazing research to over 730 prospective students. If you are a student interested in joining our lab, check out our Voice Thread to learn more about ongoing projects.

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Welcome Stephen Petropoulos!
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We would like to welcome Stephen Petropoulos to the DaCosta Lab. He has joined the lab as part of the clinical research team and will be assisting with the ongoing breast cancer clinical trial. He completed his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University in 2020.

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Helen Jin awarded best abstract at the Virtual EuroLeuk 2020 conference
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MSc candidate, Helen Jin, attended the 2020 Euroleuk Conference on behalf of the DaCosta lab this October 28-29. The meeting provided clinicians and biologists with state-of-the-art recommendations regarding patient care and insights into controversies and new therapeutic perspectives in the field of leukemia. Helen presented a poster and an oral presentation entitled “Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Cell-Based IL12 Immunotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”. Her outstanding abstract was judged to be one of the top three best abstracts submitted!

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DaCosta Lab attends WMIC 2020 virtually
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The DaCosta lab attended this year’s World Molecular Imaging Conference from October 6-9, 2020, held virtually. Each year, the WMIC bridges a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics and engineering. This year WMIC focused on bridging the core disciplines of Molecular Imaging and Biology. The outcome was a cutting-edge program that merged early discovery with clinical translation. Albeit virtual, the program included not only presentations from scientists around the world showcasing how their programs pushed the boundaries of science to advance new discoveries in healthcare (with Plenary Sessions, Spotlight Sessions, Workshops and over 400 poster presentation), but also several…

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Helen Jin receives the Women in Molecular Imaging Network (WIMIN) Scholar’s Award
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Master’s student Helen Jin takes home the Women in Molecular Imaging Network (WIMIN) Scholar’s Award this year at the World Molecular Imaging Congress. She was selected for this award based on the scientific merit of her submitted abstract on “Elucidating the Role of Hypoxia and CXCR4 on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Pathogenicity Using Intravital Imaging“. Well done, Helen!

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