Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Cancer is a genetic disease. One notable characteristic of cancer is its high rate of DNA mutation. Mutations can range from small changes in the genetic sequence to duplications and deletions of large segments of DNA, known as copy number alterations. Recently, there have been a large number of studies published outlining the many different types of mutations, including copy number changes present in various types of cancer. However, these studies have focused on cancer which has not spread beyond its initial location, known as the primary site. While these studies are informative, they fail to describe the landscape of mutations that may be present in cancer which has spread beyond its primary site and become metastatic. While primary cancer represents the initial development of the disease, metastatic cancer represents the vast majority of cancer that causes death. We propose to investigate the types of copy number variations that occur in metastatic cancer. We hope to identify mutations that might help to explain why a patient's cancer has spread beyond the primary site. We will also investigate the ways in which metastatic tumours differ from primary tumours from the perspective of copy number changes. We will also investigate ways in which we might be able to target a patient's specific cancer with personalised medicine. This project will provide valuable insights into the genetic landscape of metastatic cancer and identify treatment strategies to better combat this disease.