Dr. Daniel Schramek

• 2025–present; Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto
• 2024–present; Deputy Director for Discovery Research and Tony Pawson Chair, Sinai Health, Toronto
• 2022–present; Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto

Former appointments

• 2022–2025; Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto
• 2015–2022; Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto
• 2015–2022; Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto

• MSc in Technology Management, New York University, New York, NY, USA; 2012–2014
• Postdoctoral Fellowship & Emerald Foundation Young Investigator with Dr. Elaine Fuchs, The Rockefeller University & Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA; 2011–2015
• PhD, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2006–2010
• MSc, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2000–2006

• 2024 – Tony Pawson Sinai 100 Chair
• 2021 – Canadian Research Chair in Functional Cancer Genomics, tier II (renewed)
• 2020 – ASCINA Award; Austria
• 2016 – Human Frontier of Science Program (HFSP) Career Development Award
• 2016 – Early Research Award (ERA), Ontario; Canada
• 2016 – Susan Komen Career Catalyst Award
• 2016 – Canadian Research Chair in Functional Cancer Genomics, tier II
• 2015 – Venture Sinai Scientist Award, Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation, Canada
• 2015 – CCSDP New PI Award, CIHR-ICR and CCSRI; Canada   
• 2014 – Regeneron Award for Creative Innovation
• 2014 – Keystone Future of Science Fund Award, Keystone Symposia; USA
• 2012 – Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) long-term postdoctoral fellowship
• 2012 – Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship, New York; USA – declined
• 2012 – Austrian Program for Advanced Research and Technology `APART´ Fellowship
• 2011–2014 – Young Investigator Award, Emerald Foundation, New York; USA   
• 2011 – American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Anna D. Barker Fellowship

Decoding aneuploidy: identifying driver genes and therapeutic targets in recurrent CNAs

The prevalent issue of recurrent Copy Number Alterations (CNAs) across devastating malignancies including breast, lung, brain, HNSCC, and pancreatic cancers is a critical challenge in cancer therapy. While these large-scale genomic gains and losses are common, identifying the specific "driver" genes within these altered regions that fuel cancer progression, and the unique vulnerabilities they create, remains a significant hurdle.

Guided by principles similar to those demonstrated in recent cutting-edge in vivo functional genomics studies, we are employing advanced in vivo gene editing and screening technologies such as CRISPR-KOALA. Our strategy involves systematically dissecting these complex CNA regions directly within physiological models. This allows us to functionally test the contribution of numerous candidate genes located within these amplified or deleted segments.

By doing so, we aim to distinguish true oncogenic drivers from mere passengers and, crucially, to uncover novel, context-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities associated with these recurrent CNAs. This approach allows for a high-throughput, physiologically relevant assessment, moving beyond correlative genomic data to establish causal links. Ultimately, this project seeks to pinpoint robust therapeutic targets within these challenging genomic alterations, paving the way for innovative and more effective targeted treatments for patients suffering from these aggressive cancers.

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Elucidating the landscape of essential genes in various epithelial tissues and under specific oncogenic alterations

Our research is pioneering new frontiers in identifying cancer's Achilles' heels through the development and application of our novel CRISPR-StAR2.0 technology. This cutting-edge platform is specifically engineered to uncover oncogene-specific vulnerabilities - critical dependencies that cancers develop based on the particular oncogenes driving their growth - across a spectrum of malignancies. A major challenge in targeted therapy is understanding how different oncogenes sculpt unique vulnerabilities in diverse tissue environments.

The CRISPR-StAR2.0 system allows us to conduct highly sophisticated functional genomic screens directly in vivo, within physiologically relevant mouse models that accurately recapitulate human cancers in various organs. This powerful approach enables us to systematically perturb genes in the presence of specific oncogenic drivers, precisely mapping out the genetic interactions and dependencies that are essential for tumor survival and progression in a given context. By interrogating these complex biological networks directly in living systems, CRISPR-StAR2.0 overcomes limitations of traditional in vitro screens.

Our goal is to generate a comprehensive atlas of actionable therapeutic targets that are uniquely tailored to cancers driven by distinct oncogenes. This project promises to significantly accelerate the discovery of next-generation precision medicines, offering new hope by exploiting the specific molecular wiring dictated by the oncogenes at the heart of each cancer.

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We are always looking for motivated researchers to join our team.

Postdocs: Our research group is always interested in recruiting highly motivated postdoctoral fellows with a strong publication record in cancer biology. Please forward your CV, references and research interests to [email protected].

Graduate students: Our research group is part of the Department of Molecular Genetics at U of T, which has a central admission committee and a rotation system. Graduate students interested in doing a PhD in the laboratory must first be accepted in the Department of Molecular Genetics at U of T.