Scientist profiles M-R

For clinical inquiries: Karina Subhanie
Phone: 416-480-6100 ext. 689351
Email: karina.subhanie@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1994, pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canada
• M.Sc., 1997, pharmacology, U of T, Canada
• MD, 2001, medicine, U of T, Canada
• PhD, 2012, clinical neurosciences, U of T, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Associate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Assistant professor, neurology, department of medicine, U of T
• Research scientist, neurogenetics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Clinician-scientist, neurology, department of medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Consultant neurologist, neurology, department of medicine, Sunnybrook
• Co-director, cognitive neurology research unit, department of medicine, Sunnybrook
• Director, movement disorders clinic, department of medicine, Sunnybrook

Research Focus:

• Genetics of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease
• Pharmacogenetics of cholinesterase inhibitors, anti-parkinsonian drugs and antipsychotics
• Neuroimaging in the dementias
  

Research Summary:

Dr. Masellis has training in four main research areas: cognitive and movement disorders, neurology, pharmacology, and genomics and neuroimaging. His current research focus is on the characterization of the genetics, neuropsychological, neuroimaging and pathological features of atypical neurodegenerative dementias. He is also studying the pharmacogenomics of cholinesterase inhibitors in patients who have dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy bodies. He is also looking at the use of anti-parkinsonian medications to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. He has established an “omics” research platform using longitudinal clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging data to define biomarkers of drug responses, and of neurodegenerative disease.

Other research interests include discovery of genomic and epigenomic factors contributing to the complex etiology of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease, as well as frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders. He is also actively involved in clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents in Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body disease.

Dr. Masellis is a clinician-scientist and assistant professor within the division of neurology. Clinically, he is a neurologist with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of early-onset dementias and those dementias associated with movement disorders.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Misch MR, Mitchell S, Francis PL, Sherborn K, Meradje K, McNeely A, Honjo K, Zhao J, Scott CJM, Caldwell CB, Ehrlich L, Shammi P, MacIntosh BJ, Bilbao JM, Lang AE, Black SE, Masellis M. Differentiating between visual hallucination-free dementia with Lewy bodies and corticobasal syndrome on the basis of neuropsychology and perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy. Dec 2014;6(9). doi: 10.1186/s13195-014-0071–4.
2. Nalls MA, Duran R, Lopez G, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, McKeith IG, Chinnery PF, Morris CM, Theuns J, Crosiers D, Cras P, Engelborghs S, De Deyn PP, Van Broeckhoven C, Mann DMA, Snowden J, Pickering-Brown S, Halliwell N, Davidson Y, Gibbons L, Harris J, Sheerin U, Bras J, Hardy J, Clark L, Marder K, Honig L, Berg D, Maetzler W, Brockmann K, Gasser T, Novellino F, Quattrone A, Annesi G, De Marco EV, Rogaeva E, Masellis M, Black SE, Bilbao JM, Foroud T, Ghetti B, Nichols WC, Pankratz N, Halliday G, Lesage S, Klebe S, Durr A, Duyckaer C, Brice A, Giasson BI, Trojanowski JQ, Hurtig HI, Tayebi N, Landazabal C, Knight MA, Keller M, Singleton AB, Wolfsberg TG, Sidransky E. A multicenter study of glucocerebrosidase mutations in dementia with Lewy bodies. JAMA Neurology. Jun 2013;70(6):727–35.
3. Masellis M, Sherborn K, Rosa-Neto P, Sadovnick DA, Hsiung GYR, Black SE, Prasad S, Williams M, Gauthier S. Early onset dementias: diagnostic and etiological considerations. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. May 2013. 2013 Jul 31;5(Suppl 1):S7.
4. Xi Z, Zinman L, Grinberg Y, Moreno D, Sato C, Bilbao JM, Ghani M, Hernández I, Ruiz A, Boada M, Morón FJ, Lang AE, Marras C, Bruni A, Colao R, Maletta RG, Puccio G, Rainero I, Pinessi L, Galimberti D, Morrison KE, Moorby C, Stockton JD, Masellis M, Black SE, Hazrati LN, Liang Y, van Haersma de J With, Fornazzari L, Villagra R, Rojas-Garcia R, Clarimón J, Mayeux R, Robertson J, St George-Hyslop P, and Rogaeva E. Investigation of C9orf72 in four neurodegenerative disorders. JAMA Neurology. Dec 2012;69(12):1583–90.
5. Kalia LV, Mozessohn L, Aviv R, Da Costa L, Lang AE, Shadowitz S, Masellis M. Hemichorea-hemiballism associated with hyperglycemia and a developmental venous anomaly (DVA). Neurology. Mar 2012;78(11):838–839.

Related News and Stories:

• SRI scientists top the national average in successful CIHR project grants: Over a dozen projects approved (June 2, 2017)
• Trial aims to prevent Alzheimer’s in those genetically predisposed: One of the longest and most aggressive preventive Alzheimer’s drug trials in history (March 23, 2016)
• National agency recognizes scientific excellence at Sunnybrook Research Institute: Scientists score high with multimillion-dollar funding investment (Oct. 13, 2015)
• Illuminating Frontotemporal Dementia: Landmark study identifies imaging biomarkers that can detect earliest signs of brain decay in those most at risk for this devastating disease (SRI Magazine, 2015)
• Scientists capture tri-council funding: Operating grants support work in brain sciences and cancer research (July 15, 2014)
• Driving progress: National health research agency funds a dozen SRI scientists (April 25, 2014)

Related Links:

• LC Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit
• WebCV