Dr. Irene Andrulis

• 1997–present; Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto
• 1997–present; Professor, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathobiology (cross- appointment), University of Toronto, Toronto
• 1997–present; Chair, Molecular Characterization Working Group, Breast Cancer Family Registry
• 1995–present; Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto  

Former appointments

• 2016–2019; External Advisory Board, SARC Sarcoma SPORE, USA
• 2011–2021; Anne and Max Tanenbaum Chair in Molecular Medicine, Sinai Health, Toronto
• 1995–2011; Director, Ontario Cancer Genetics Network
• 1991–1997; Associate Professor, Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto
• 1985–1991; Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto  
   

• Postdoctoral fellowship, Department of Genetics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto; 1978–1982
• PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; 1974–1978
• BA in Biology and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1973    

• 2011–2021 – Anne and Max Tanenbaum Chair in Molecular Medicine, University of Toronto, Sinai Health
• 2018 – Oakdale Golf and Country Club Scientist in Cancer Research
• 2007 – Israel Cancer Research Fund Women of Action Scientific Honoree
• 1996 – Scotiabank Scientist
• 1995 – Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Award - Ontario Chapter
• 1979–1982 – US National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 1975–1978 – US National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Fellowship
• 1969–1973 – University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Scholarship 

Investigation of the tumour immune microenvironment in human bone and soft tissue sarcoma

Our team has established unique collections of biospecimens from patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas, with corresponding clinical data. Our team found that a subset of sarcomas contained tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and expressed PD-L1, and that PD-L1 over-expression was associated with better survival for patients with untreated undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and osteosarcoma (Wunder et al., 2020). Our group is studying the tumour immune microenvironment and investigating the mechanisms mediating immunologic responses through high throughput sequencing, immunohistochemistry and spatial profiling.

Molecular genetic studies on breast cancer susceptibility  

The discovery of breast cancer susceptibility genes has played a major role in our understanding of the molecular basis of hereditary breast cancer. Our group, the Ontario site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry, participates in international consortia such as BCAC (Breast Cancer Association Consortia) and CIMBA (Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2) to determine the importance of mutations and variants in high and intermediate breast cancer risk genes (BCAC, 2021).   

Studies on the tumour immune microenvironment in hereditary and sporadic breast cancer  

Our team has been particularly interested in molecular and histopathological characterization of tumours from women with and without germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. We have identified differences in gene expression and the tumour immune microenvironment between BRCA1 and BRCA2-associated cancers and non-BRCA1 and BRCA2 associated cancers. We found that T-bet positive lymphocytes in the tumour microenvironment were associated with the basal subtype as well as morphologic features characteristic of an aggressive phenotype, yet T-bet positivity was associated with a good prognosis (Mulligan et al. 2016).

Follow-up studies are ongoing and suggest the importance of the presence and location of DC-LAMP positive dendritic cells in clinical outcome in hereditary and sporadic breast cancer. Our studies may help in better tailoring specific therapies including immunotherapies for subtypes of breast cancer.

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

Graduate students
Our research group is part of the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto 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.

Summer students
Summer students are exclusively selected from successful applicants to the Research Training Center (RTC) at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. Applications are available online and need to be filled by February 28th of each year.