We are thrilled to recognize our graduate student, Sadaf Jafari, for her outstanding achievements in both cancer research and undergraduate education. She was recently awarded the Dr. J.R. Cunningham Graduate Fellowship in Cancer Research (Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto), a prestigious recognition named in honor of one of Canada’s most distinguished medical physicists. Dr. John…

We are proud to share that Dr. Niavarani (Postdoctoral Fellow) presented her research at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, held in Chicago, Illinois. This premier global event convenes leading cancer researchers, clinicians, and advocates to share the latest discoveries across the spectrum of cancer science. The meeting was chaired by…

Dr. Ralph DaCosta is featured in the Meet PMResearch story series, which features Princess Margaret researchers and aims to showcase “the research of world-class scientists, as well as their passions and interests in career and life—from hobbies and avocations to career trajectories and life philosophies.” In this story, Dr. DaCosta discusses his work towards transforming…

Congratulations to Lyndsey de Guzman for her successful defense of her Master’s thesis on August 28, 2025! Her thesis, titled, “Understanding the Relationship between Bone Marrow Hypoxia and the Cell Cycle of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Using Intravital Fluorescence Microscopy,” describes her investigation into the interactions between bone marrow hypoxia and cell cycle in vivo, using…

Sadaf Jafari presented a poster titled, “Capturing the Live Interactions Between T Cells and AML in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment Using Intravital Imaging” at the Medical Biophysics University of Toronto Symposium on May 1st, 2025. The MBP Symposium is an annual research and networking conference at which graduate students present their research to colleagues and…

Samridhi and Maryam were invited to present a poster at the University of Toronto Undergraduate Research Students’ Association (URSA) Multidisciplinary Cancer Research Conference that took place on February 1, 2025 at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. Their poster was titled, “Utilizing Fluorescence Intravital Imaging to Investigate Bone Marrow Microenvironment Remodeling in Acute Myeloid Leukemia,”…

We are pleased to announce a new publication, “Investigating the Effects of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy on Pancreatic Tumor Hypoxia and Microvasculature in an Orthotopic Mouse Model using Intravital Fluorescence Microscopy,” in Scientific Reports (December 2024). Authors: Timothy Samuel, Sara Rapic, Patricia Lindsay, Ralph S. Dacosta ABSTRACT Background and Aims: Despite decades of improvements in…

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Raheleh Niavarani as a new Postdoctoral Fellow into our lab! Raheleh completed her MSc and PhD in Immunology at the Université de Sherbrooke, QC, Canada. She worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Ludwig Institute at the University of Oxford (Oxford, United Kingdom) and then worked as a…

We are pleased to share that our grant submission to the Cancer Research Society 2024 Operating Grant Competition titled, “AML Dynamics in the Bone Marrow: Probing Treatment Impact Using Intravital Imaging,” has been awarded funding. The Cancer Research Society is a pan-Canadian not-for-profit organization that funds research on all types of cancer to help prevent,…

We are pleased to announce a new publication, “Glucagon-like-protein-2 stimulates lacteal contractility and enhances chylomicron transport in the presence of an intact enteric nervous system,” in Gastro Hep Advances (June 2024). Authors: Majid Mufaqam Syed-Abdul, Lili Tian, Timothy Samuel, Alex Wong, Young-Kwon Hong, Ralph S. Dacosta, Gary F. Lewis ABSTRACT Background and Aims: Secretion and…