LTRI annual retreat highlights the power of teamwork to drive future medical breakthroughs

Held at the Old Mill Inn in Toronto, the annual event highlighted the breadth of research underway at LTRI – from advances in discovery, translational, and population health research to technological innovations that will enable future breakthroughs. Most presentations were delivered by trainees, including poster presentations, and spanned a broad range of topics, from cancer proteomics and lung cancer risk prediction in underserved populations to the development of a new model to study Parkinson’s disease.

“The LTRI retreat is a wonderful opportunity for our researchers to come together across disciplines and career stages, to learn about one another’s work and explore how we can leverage our expertise in discovery, translational, clinical, population health and health systems research to improve outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras, Director of the LTRI and Vice President of Research for Sinai Health.

Translational sarcoma research is one area where LTRI’s strength in genomic technologies is driving progress in understanding this rare form of bone and soft tissue cancer. With one of the world’s largest sarcoma centres, Sinai Health’s rich repository of patient samples and clinical data offers a unique opportunity to uncover insights into this elusive disease.

At the forefront of this work is Dr. Kim Tsoi, sarcoma surgeon and Canada Research Chair in Translational Sarcoma Research, who spoke passionately at the retreat about the urgent need for effective treatments beyond surgery, often the only option, and one that can be life-altering. She emphasized the importance of collaboration across discovery, translational, and clinical research to uncover the roots and progression of sarcoma and drive the development of targeted therapies.

Central to this collaborative effort is the Network Biology Collaborative Centre (NBCC), a cutting-edge core facility supporting researchers across Sinai Health. Dr. Karen Colwill, NBCC’s Director of Operations, showcased the Centre’s latest capabilities in spatial and single-cell multi-omics, functional proteomics and genomics, as well as in biomarker and early drug discovery.

Another featured speaker was Dr. Daniel Drucker, Senior Investigator at LTRI, whose pioneering work on glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) has reshaped modern medicine. Developed initially to manage blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medicines—named the 2024 Science Breakthrough of the Year—are now recognized for their broader health benefits. A recent recipient of the prestigious Breakthrough Prize, Dr. Drucker spoke candidly about the transformative power of discovery science and the many unanswered questions surrounding GLP-1 biology that his lab continues to explore.

More than 200 researchers, research support staff and undergraduate summer students attended the retreat that also included a panel discussion featuring experts experienced in the development and commercialization of intellectual property. In addition to Dr. Drucker, the panelists were Tiger Jian, a graduate student in the Pelletier Lab, Dr. Leo Wan, LTRI’s former graduate student and co-founder of Ranomics, Dr. Ian Rogers, Translational Research Scientist at LTRI and co-founder of Inception Lifebank Cord Blood Program, Dr. Ioannis Prassas, Scientist at the University Health Network and Dr. Phil Goldbach, Director of Technology & Venture Development at TIAP. 

Trainees took the spotlight again during a rapid-fire research pitch contest, where Atinuke Boboe, an undergraduate summer student in Dr. Gingras’ lab, earned top honors for her energetic and engaging summary of her project.

Organized by the LTRI trainees and staff at the Research Trainee Centre, the retreat was an inspiring day of learning, networking and professional development– heralding a bright future for the next generation of researchers.