Breast cancer researcher wins 2014 Aubrey J. Tingle Prize

Vancouver, BC – Dr. Samuel Aparicio has been named the winner of the fifth annual Aubrey J. Tingle Prize. Dr. Aparicio’s research encompasses the fields of cancer genomics, mouse genetic models, high-throughput screens, and translational breast cancer research.

Created in honour of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research(MSFHR)’s founding president & CEO, the award is given to a BC researcher whose work in health research is internationally recognized and has significant impact on advancing clinical or health services and policy research.

“Dr. Aparicio is an internationally recognized breast cancer and genomics scholar who has led landmark studies that have revolutionized the field of molecular oncology,” says Dr. Diane Finegood, MSFHR president & CEO. “His research projects, including the world’s largest global study of breast cancer tissue, have had far-reaching impacts on diagnosing and treating breast cancer.”

His most recent work on the molecular taxonomy of breast cancer led to identification of new genes that could change the way breast cancer is diagnosed, and form the basis of next-generation treatments. This discovery was preceded by another breakthrough in decoding the genetic makeup of the most-deadly form of breast cancer, known as triple-negative subtype.

He is the Nan & Lorraine Robertson chair in breast cancer research and a Canada research chair in molecular oncology at the University of British Columbia and the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver. He is also head of the BC Cancer Agency’s Department of Breast and Molecular Oncology, and a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Aparicio will receive the $10,000 award at an MSFHR event to be scheduled in the coming weeks.