Sachin Katyal

• Member, CTRNet College of Advisors
• Member, TFRI MOHCCN Steering Committee
• Member, TFRI MOHCCN Canadian Spectrum Working Group (CSWG)
• Member, TFRI MOHCCN Hematology Subgroup
• Member, TFRI MOHCCN Biospecimens Working Group
• TFRI MOHCCN PR2C Institutional Leader (Manitoba)
• TFRI MOHCCN Project Leader and Researcher

My translational research program studies how normal and tumour cells repair DNA damage. I primarily work on understanding these mechanisms in brain tumours and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but my research findings impact other cancer subtypes and their treatment strategies.

I was the recipient of the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research 2014 Early Career Award in Cancer Research and a CIHR New Investigator award. I have also established industrial partnerships, which have facilitated the development of innovative methodological platforms to accelerate my DNA damage repair research program. These were instrumental in obtaining my CFI JELF award to develop an innovative high-throughput genotoxicity and drug screening facility to interrogate DNA repair biology and to identify new therapies against neurological and lymphoproliferative malignancy. With this platform in-hand and my research program maturing, I was awarded a TFRI Terry Fox New Investigator Award to study deficiency/hyperactivity of DNA damage repair pathways underpinning resistant/recurrent disease. In total, I have garnered over $5.4M in funding from various local and international funding agencies including CIHR, CFI, Research Manitoba, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation (CCMF) and the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI). I have published 52 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and/or reviews. This body of work has garnered over 1500 citations and accrued an h-index of 19.

My work involves varieties of local, national and international clinical and research collaborations which have have fostered translational team-based research approaches focused on understanding molecular mechanisms of treatment-resistance and tumour recurrence using primary patient-derived tumour materials/samples in fundamental and pre-clinical experimental studies.

In addition, in my role as the Director of the Manitoba Tumour Bank, I strive to expand the remit of this invaluable biorepository resource so as to link basic and clinical cancer researchers, engage in patient partners and the Manitoba public health system to create and expand translational research capacity and teams. A major initiative launched through my position is the “Manitoba Onco-Multiomics initiative” (MOMi). This new TFRI MOHCCN-supported study aims to profile solid tumours from Manitoban cancer patients with highly aggressive disease, that have poor prognoses, and alter patient treatment trajectories by matching patients onto clinical trials earlier in their disease progression through multiomics- and AI-mediated precision oncology methodologies.