BC Cancer senior scientist, Dr. Alexander Wyatt, has been appointed the UBC President’s Excellence Chair in Precision Oncology by the UBC Faculty of Medicine.
A leading cancer genomics researcher, Dr. Wyatt is an associate professor in the UBC Department of Urologic Sciences and a senior research scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. He is internationally recognized for his research examining how tumour DNA in the bloodstream can be used as a “liquid biopsy” to better understand and support the treatment of aggressive prostate and bladder cancers. This work has directly led to genomic biomarker tests now used in routine clinical practice to improve cancer care.
“It's wonderful to welcome Dr. Alexander Wyatt as the UBC President’s Excellence Chair in Precision Oncology,” said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “Cancer is one of the most devastating health challenges facing Canadians, and Dr. Wyatt has a proven track record of translating cutting-edge research into real patient impact. Through his leadership, we will accelerate the development of precision medicine approaches that promise to transform cancer care locally and globally.”
The UBC President’s Excellence Chairs were created to support world-class academic leaders in advancing solutions to society’s most urgent challenges.
As the UBC President’s Excellence Chair in Precision Oncology, Dr. Wyatt will lead a comprehensive research program to advance the use of precision diagnostics and treatments in cancer care. Precision oncology is a rapidly evolving field that applies advanced genomic and molecular tools to understand the unique characteristics of each patient’s cancer — enabling more effective and personalized treatment strategies.
Dr. Wyatt will work closely within a rich ecosystem of cancer researchers at the BC Cancer Research Institute UBC, and Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre — Canada’s largest cancer genomics facility, and other affiliated health research institutions across BC.
By combining UBC’s world-class research expertise and specialized clinical activities at BC Cancer and other research hospitals, Dr. Wyatt will help accelerate the translation of genomic advances into better cancer care for patients in BC.
“I am really grateful for this new opportunity to lead and connect precision oncology research efforts in BC. The UBC President’s Excellence Chair provides a strong platform to accelerate the development and uptake of patient-friendly cancer genomics tools across the major research and health care institutions in our province,” said Dr. Wyatt. “I am particularly excited to expand our work developing blood-based tests to help us understand the unique features of each person’s cancer, which could have a near-term impact on patients by allowing for more personalized care and informed use of the latest treatments.”
Since joining UBC as a faculty member in 2015, Dr. Wyatt has developed advanced laboratory and computational techniques to characterize the genetic and epigenetic features of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in blood plasma. Through clinical trials, Dr. Wyatt and his team have shown that ctDNA provides a highly representative view of metastatic cancer, can predict treatment resistance or response, and can reveal how cancers will evolve during therapy.
“Dr. Wyatt’s groundbreaking research exemplifies the impact that precision oncology can have in improving diagnostics, treatment and care for people with cancer,” said Dr. Mieke Koehoorn, Dean pro tem of the Faculty of Medicine and interim Vice President of Health at UBC. “As the UBC President’s Excellence Chair, Dr. Wyatt will expand research in this critical area and strengthen partnerships to translate precision oncology discoveries into better health outcomes for people here in BC and around the world.”
Dr. Wyatt received his PhD in genetics from the University of Oxford and conducted his postdoctoral research at UBC and the Vancouver Prostate Centre. He has been recognized with numerous honours, including a Coalition to Cure Prostate Cancer Young Investigator Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a Movember Rising Star in Prostate Cancer Research Award from Prostate Cancer Canada and an Early Career Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Nationally, Dr. Wyatt is the co-chair of correlative sciences and tumour biobanking for the Canadian Cancer Trial Group (CCTG) where he is involved in the design and execution of phase I-III clinical trial protocols across Canada. He is also scientific director of the Clinical Cancer Genomics Laboratory at BC Cancer where he helps develop and implement province-wide cancer genetics and genomics testing programs for patients with cancer in BC.
This article has been adapted from its original version. Read the UBC Faculty of Medicine story here.