The program has a stellar team of ~40 highly collaborative, multidisciplinary mentors. Their common goal is to provide the best training experience to help form the next generation of leaders in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics research.
Collectively, they offer a wide range of chronic disease research opportunities including cancers, cardiovascular, psychiatric and behavioural, neurological, metabolic and autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies, and normal growth and development.
All mentors have a strong record of successfully training graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and/or post-MD fellows.
Mentors by Discipline
Supervisory teams comprise mentors from each of the three STAGE targeted disciplines, set out below.
This diverse and structured training approach enables trainees to:
- achieve their full potential in their primary discipline or particular graduate program, and
- enrich their knowledge and skills in complementary, specialized disciplines required for advanced genetic epidemiologic research.
Collectively, they offer a wide range of chronic disease research opportunities including cancers, cardiovascular, psychiatric and behavioural, neurological, metabolic and autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies, and normal growth and development.
All mentors have a strong record of successfully training graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and/or post-MD fellows.
Mentorship Panels
Mentorship panels are composed of three mentors, one from each of the program’s three main disciplines, where at least one mentor belongs to subsections
1.1 Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology,
or
2.1 Statistical Genetics and Genomics.
1. Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology
1.1 Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology
Philip Awadalla
Director of Computational Biology, Senior Investigator, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Genetic Epidemiology, Population Health and Genomics, Gene x Environment Interactions, Chronic Diseases, Linkage and Association Studies, Quantitative Traits
Jennifer Brooks
Associate Professor, Program Director MPH Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Executive Director, CanPath (Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health | Partenariat canadien pour la santé de demain)
Research Keywords: Breast Cancer Epidemiology, Genetic Epidemiology, Contalateral Breast Cancer, Survivorship, Imaging Biomarkers of Breast Cancer Risk and Response to Treatment, Risk Prediction, Breast Cancer Screening, Pharmacogenetics, Maternal Exposures and Neurodevelopment, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD
Daniel Felsky
Independent Scientist, Head of Whole Person & Population Modeling, Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
Reseach Keywords: Mental Health, Multi-'omics, Population Modelling, Polygenic Risk, Gene-Environment Interaction, Lifespan, Neuroimaging, Machine Learning
France Gagnon
Associate Dean of Research, Professor, Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Genetic Epidemiology, Biomedical Sciences, Population Health, Chronic Diseases, Hemostasis, Thrombosis, Cardiovascular Diseases, Linkage and Association Studies, Quantitative Traits, Genome-Wide Studies, Meta-analysis
Linda Hiraki
Staff Physician, Division of Rheumatology; Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children; Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Genetics of Complex Diseases/Phenotypes, Paediatric Rheumatic Diseases, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Disease Outcomes Over Time
Rayjean J. Hung
Associate Director of Population Health, Head of the Prosserman Centre for Population Health Research, Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health; Professor, Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Population Studies, Cancer Epidemiology, Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Cancer Etiology, Methodology Development, Genomewide Association Studies, Post-genomewide Association Research
Steven A. Narod
Director, Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit; Senior Scientist, Women's College Research Institute; Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Breast Cancer Research
Guillaume Paré
Professor, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Joint Member, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics, Director, Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, McMaster University; Visiting Scientist, Harvard Medical School
Research Keywords: Human Genetics, Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology, Genome-Wide Association Studies, Bioinformatics, Cardiovascular Diseases, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Clinical Chemistry
Esteban J. Parra
Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga
Research Keywords: Population Genetics, Genetic Variation, Molecular Anthropology, Complex Diseases, Vitamin D, Type 2 Diabetes, Skin Pigmentation, Adaptation, Human Genetics, Admixed Populations, Admixture Mapping, Genomewide Association
Andrew D. Paterson
Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children; Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Biostatistics Division, Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Human Genetics, Genome-Wide Association, Quantitative Traits, Diabetes Complications, Type 1 Diabetes
1.2 Epidemiology
Michelle Cotterchio
Senior Scientist, Prevention & Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario; Professor, Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Heath, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Epidemiology, Cancer Etiology, Gene Environment Interactions, Nutritional Epidemiology
2. Data Sciences, Statistical Genetics and Genomics, and Computational Genetics and Genomics
2.1 Statistical Genetics and Genomics
Joseph Beyene
Professor, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, & Impact, Faculty of Heath Sciences, McMaster University
Research Keywords: Statistical Genomics, Statistical Genetics, Genomic Data Integration Methods, Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis
Laurent Briollais
Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health; Associate Professor, Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Statistical Genetics, Biostatistics, Statistical Genomics, Cancer, GWAS
Shelley B. Bull
Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Professor, Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Statistical Genetics, Statistical Genomics, Statistical Modeling and Analysis, Genome-Wide Association, Analysis of Family Data, Categorical Data Analysis, Molecular Prognosis
Angelo Canty
Associate Professor, Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Science; Associate Member, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, & Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
Research Keywords: Computational Statistics
Osvaldo Espin-Garcia
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University; Assistant Professor (status-only), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto; Principal Biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Research Keywords: Statistical Genetics, Design and Analysis of Multi-phase Studies, Integrative Multi-omics Studies, Deep Phenotyping, Latent Class/Variable Models, Microbiome Data Analysis, Genetic Epidemiology
Celia Greenwood
Senior Investigator, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital; James McGill Professor, Department of Oncology, Department of Human Genetics, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Occupational Health, Division of Cancer Epidemiology, School of Population & Global Health, McGill University; Co-Director, Ludmer Center for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health
Research Keywords: Genetic Epidemiology, Microarray Analysis, Statistical Genetics, GWAS, Statistical Modeling, Asthma, Cancer, Methodology Development
Jun Young Park
Assistant Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Neuroimaging, Statistical Genetics, Imaging Genetics, Cancer
Michael Wainberg
Investigator, Prosserman Centre for Population Health Research, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Genetics of Brain Diseases, Psychiatric Genetics, Neurodegenerative Disease Genetics, Genetics of Functional Disorders, Human Genetics, Complex Trait Genetics, Statistical Genetics, Statistical Genomics, Genetic Association Studies, Genome-Wide Association Studies, Case-Control Studies, Genetic Epidemiology, Gene-Environment Interaction, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, Network Biology, Single-Cell, CRISPR screens, Multi-omics, Differential Expression, Disease Subtyping, Therapeutic Target Discovery
Lisa J. Strug
Director, CANSSI Ontario; Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, Department of Computer Science, Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Director, Data Sciences Institute, University of Toronto; Associate Director, The Centre for Applied Genomics; Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children
Research Keywords: Statistical Analyses, Genetic Statistics, Genetic Epidemiology, Research Methods, Statistical Computing, Methods Development, Study Design
Lei Sun
Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Applied Statistics, Statistical Genetics, High-Dimensional Data, Robust Methods, Linkage and Association, Pedigree Analysis, Software Development
Wei Xu
Clinician Scientist, Principal Biostatistician, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network; Professor, Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Genetic Statistics, Genetic Epidemiology, Clinic Trial Design and Analysis, Research Methods, Statistical Modeling
2.2 Statistics
Patrick E. Brown
Associate Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto; Scientist, Centre for Global Health Research, St. Michael's Hospital
Research Keywords: Spatial Statistics, Longitudinal Data Analysis, Spatio-Temporal Models
Radu V. Craiu
Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Computational Algorithms, Multiple Comparisons, Competing Risks, Model Selection, Statistical Genetics
Jesse Gronsbell
Assistant Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, Department of Computer Science, Department of Family & Community Medicine, Faculty Affiliate, Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence Lead, UTOPIAN Data Safe Haven, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Electronic Health Records, Method Development, Semi-Supervised Learning, Weakly Supervised Learning, Meta-Analysis, Measurement Error, Misclassification
Dehan Kong
Assistant Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, Department of Mathematical & Computational Sciences, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Neuroimaging Data Analysis, Functional Data Analysis, Causal Inference, High Dimensional Data Analysis, Statistical Genetics and Genomics
Jerry F. Lawless
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo
Research Keywords: Methods Development; Survival Analysis; Event History Analysis; Selective Sampling Designs; Cancer Epidemiology; Clinical Trials; Chronic Diseases; Infectious Diseases
Linbo Wang
Associate Professor, Department of Statistical Sciences, Department of Computer & Mathematical Sciences, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Causal Inference, Genetic Epidemiology, Mendelian Randomization
2.3 Computational Biology
Gary Bader
Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Department of Computer Science, Collaborative Graduate Program in Genome Biology & Bioinformatics, University of Toronto; Principal Investigator, Donnelly Centre; Associate Member, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System; Affiliate Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Research Keywords: Cancer Etiology (particularly Breast Cancer), Case-Control Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Genetic Association Studies, Family Registries, Gene-Environment Interaction
Kieran Campbell
Canada Research Chair, Machine Learning for Translational Biomedicine; Principal Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute; Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Bayesian Models, Machine Learning, High Dimensional Biomedical Data, Single-Cell, Cancer Genomics, Tumour Clonal Identity, Gene Expression
Anna Goldenberg
Senior Scientist, Genetic & Genome Biology Program; Co-Chair, AI in Medicine Initiative, Varma Family Chair in Biomedical Informatics & Artificial Intelligence, The Hospital for Sick Children; Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Machine Learning, Computational Medicine, Disease Heterogeneity, Data Aggregation, Statistical Network Methods
Michael Hoffman
Senior Scientist, Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network; Associate Professor, Cellular & Molecular Biology Stream, Department of Medical Biophysics,
Associate Professor (status-only), Computational Biology Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Associate Professor (status-only), Computational Biology Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Epigenomics, Machine Learning, Chromatin, Functional Genomics, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Chip-Seq, Dnase-Seq, Graphical Models, Dynamic Bayesian Networks, 3D Genome Organization, Hydroxymethylation, Transcription Factors, DNA Methylation
Igor Jurisica
Senior Scientist, Krembil Research Institute; Professor, Department of Computer Science, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto; Adjunct Professor, School of Computing, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Queen's University; Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer Science, York University; Honorary Professor, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Visiting Scientist, IBM Centre for Advance Studies, IBM Toronto Lab
Research Keywords: Bioinformatics, Integrative Computational Biology, Cancer Informatics, Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers, Maternal Fetal Effect, Infertility, System Biology
3. Biomedical Genetics
3.1 Biomedical Genetics (wet-lab)
Mohammad Reza Akbari
Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Faculty Member, Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; Scientist, Women's College Research Institute; Director, Molecular Genetics Research Laboratory, Women's College Hospital
Research Keywords: Genetic Susceptibility to Breast, Ovarian, Esophageal, Pancreatic and Prostate Cancers
Irene L. Andrulis
Co-Head, Fred A. Litwin Centre for Cancer Genetics; Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital; Director, Ontario Cancer Genetics Network, Cancer Care Ontario; Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Molecular Genetics, Micro-Dissection, Gene Discovery, Cancer Genetics, Prognostic Markers, Gene Amplification, Tumour Arrays, Breast Cancer, Molecular Epidemiology, Molecular Pathology
Cathy L. Barr
Senior Scientist, Krembil Research Institute; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children
Research Keywords: Genetics of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
Jayne Danska
Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children; Professor, Department of Immunology, Department of Medical Biophysics, Member, Institute of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Lymphoid Neoplasia, Gene Expression, Type 1 Diabetes, Mouse Models of Leukemia, Complex Trait Genetics, Lymphocyte Development, Immunogenetics, Molecular Biology, Real Time PCR
Vanessa Gonçalves
Independent Scientist, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Associate Member, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Psychiatric genetics, Mitochondrial genetics, Genomics, Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Biology
Stephen Lye
Senior Investigator, Associate Director, The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Research Keywords: Complex Genetic and Environmental Factors Involved in Pregnancy and Birth
Zdenka Pausova*
Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children; Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Human and Experimental Genetics, Linkage & Association Studies, Childhood & Adult Obesity & Hypertension.
*Clinician Scientist
Arturas Petronis
Head, The Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Senior Scientist, Neuroscience Research Department, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Epigenomics of Complex Diseases
Philippe Poussier
Senior Scientist, Biological Sciences, Odette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute; Professor Emeritus, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Autoimmunity and Inflammation, Immunology and Genetics of Autoimmune Diseases, Mucosal Immunity
Johanna Rommens
Senior Scientist Emeritus, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children; Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto
Research Keywords:Human and Molecular Genetics, Mechanisms of Genetic Disease, Cancer Susceptibility, Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, Gene Expression, Disease Models
Stephen Scherer
Chief of Research, Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, Director, The Centre of Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children; Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Medical Science, Director, The McLaughlin Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Chromosome Structure, Copy and Structural Variation, Autism
Michael D. Wilson
Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children; Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Comparative Genome Biology, Functional Genomics, Bioinformatics, Developmental Biology
3.2 Biomedical Genetics (clinical)
Anne S. Bassett
Director of the Clinical Genetics Research Program, Clinical Research Department, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute
Research Keywords: Schizophrenia Genetics and Genomic Disorders
Dafna D. Gladman
Senior Scientist, Division of Health Care & Outcomes Research, Toronto Western Research Institute; Professor, Rheumatology Division, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: HLA and Rheumatic Diseases, Genetic Studies in Rheumatic Diseases, Prognosis Studies, Outcome Measures
Robert D. Inman
Senior Scientist, Division of Genetics & Development, Toronto Western Research Institute; Professor, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Genetics of Arthritis, Autoimmunity & Infection
James L. Kennedy
Head, Molecular Science; Head, Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Molecular Biology, Genetics, Schizophrenia, Pharmacogenetics, Panic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder
Geoffrey Liu
Senior Scientist, Director, Applied Molecular Profiling Pharmacogenomic Epidemiologic Laboratory, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Co-Director, Ontario Patient Reported Outcomes of Symptoms & Toxicity; Co-Director, COMBIEL Training Initiative; Director, CALIBRE; Professor, Department of Medicine, Medical Biophysics, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Institute of Medical Science, Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Research Keywords: Pharmacogenetics, Prognosis, Molecular epidemiology, Cancer
*Clinician Scientist
Alexander G. Logan
Investigator, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto; Member, The Heart & Stroke Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence
Research Keywords: Clinical and Nutritional Epidemiology, Human Hypertension, Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Clinical Trials, Human Physiology, Health Services Delivery, Clinical Nephrology, Endocrinology