Dr. Alison Allan
Department Chair & Professor (Joint Appointment with Oncology)Ph.D. University of Guelph
B.Sc. University of Guelph
Office: Medical Sciences Building, 443A
Phone: 519-661-2111 Ext. 84054
Fax: 519-685-8616
Email: aallan3@uwo.ca
Visit: Dr. Allan's LHSC Web Page
Research Interests:
Dr. Allan’s research interests lie in the study of molecular mechanisms that influence normal cellular growth, tumor development, and cancer progression. The focus of Dr. Allan’s research program is cancer metastasis and translational research. Despite the fact that the majority of deaths from solid cancer occur due to the physiological effects of metastasis rather than from the consequences of the primary tumor, metastasis remains a badly understudied field. A major area of research that is needed to address this problem involves gaining a greater understanding of the metastatic process as a whole, such that current therapies can be better utilized to target metastatic disease, and new, more effective therapies can be developed which will better treat or prevent cancer metastasis. A second important area of research is the identification and development of surrogate marker approaches that will allow close monitoring of both disease progression and response to therapy. Dr. Allan’s research program encompasses both of these areas, and involves two individual but interrelated projects.
Current Projects:
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Gain a greater understanding of the biology of cancer metastasis and investigate opportunities for new therapeutic strategies. This involves pre-clinical molecular, cellular and animal studies focused on cancer stem cells and the metastatic microenvironment.
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Develop and validate clinical blood biomarker approaches for monitoring of metastatic progression and therapy response. This involves translational studies and clinical trials with oncologists, assessing circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, and circulating immune cells in patients to track disease progression and assess therapy response.
Publications:
For publications, please visit Dr. Allan's Google Scholar page or PubMed page.
Media and Video Links:
Schulich Rapport Magazine, August 28, 2022: New Frontiers in Breast Cancer
Schulich Leadership Feature, January 25, 2022: Collaborating for Teaching and Research Success
