2023 PRiME-Women’s College Hospital Clinical Catalyst Program Award Winner

Congratulations to the winner of the 2023 PRiME-Women's College Hospital Clinical Catalyst competition, Dr. Vasily Giannakeas! 

Dr. Giannakeas is a postdoctoral research fellow who will be co-supervised by Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos from Women’s College Hospital and Dr. Aaron Wheeler from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

In his high-risk, high-reward research, Dr. Giannakeas’ focus will be on: “Using Routine Blood Tests to Identify People at High Risk of Cancer”

Awardee Profile

Dr. Giannakeas recently completed his PhD in epidemiology from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

For his postdoctoral work, Dr. Giannakeas aims to identify individuals at a high risk of cancer using routine blood work in a primary care setting. His doctoral thesis focused on the association between platelet count and cancer incidence, and his postdoctoral work is an extension of this research. He will explore additional cancer biomarkers using routinely collected laboratory data in Ontario, which consists of over 4 billion tests performed among 12 million provincial residents since 2007. Dr. Giannakeas’ project work will involve identify novel biomarkers, evaluating their performance in a cancer prediction tool, and integrating them into a point-of-care device for testing in a clinical setting.

1. What excites you about your research project?

   I am excited to conduct this research because it has the potential to make a significant impact on people’s lives through early detection of cancer. Current cancer screening recommendations are largely based on age and genetic markers, which overlook other essential risk factors that could increase the likelihood of cancer. With the clinical tool that we aim to develop, we could identify individuals with an elevated risk of cancer and tailor cancer screening strategies, thereby leading to early detection and improved patient outcomes. Ultimately, this personalized approach could potentially save lives and improve quality of life for those affected by cancer.

2. What do you look forward to learning and achieving in the next year?

   Next year, I am eager to gain expertise in molecular epidemiology, machine learning, and microfluidics, and use them to enhance my research. Further, I am excited to work with the extensive electronic health databases in Ontario, and program in a high-performance computing environment.

3. How does your project bring together different disciplines?

   My interdisciplinary research project aims to develop a clinical tool that can effectively identify patients with an elevated risk of cancer in a primary care setting. To achieve this goal, my work draws on a wide range of academic disciplines, including traditional epidemiology and predictive modelling in the initial phase of my work, and molecular epidemiology and microfluidics in the later phases. With the guidance of my co-supervisors, I aim to integrate these diverse disciplines to create an effective tool for cancer risk assessment. 

4. How will the PRiME-UHN Clinical Catalyst program benefit your training experience?

   The PRiME Clinical Catalyst program will enhance my training experience in multiple ways; through the training opportunities I will have the chance to acquire new skills, develop my leadership abilities, and gain experience in translating my research findings. Additionally, I look forward to expanding my network of peers and receiving mentorship from renowned faculty researchers. Overall, the program will help me grow both personally and professionally, and will prepare me for a successful career in research.