Scientist profiles S-Z

Administrative Assistant: Jennifer Chen
Phone: 416-480-4678
Fax: 416-480-5714
Email: jennifer.chen@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1971, honours physics, University of Manitoba, Canada
• M.Sc., 1973, physics, University of Manitoba, Canada
• PhD, 1978, medical biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Senior scientist, Physical Sciences, Odette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Professor, departments of medical imaging and medical biophysics, U of T
• Tory Family Chair in Cancer Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Director, smarter imaging program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
• Co-director, imaging translation program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
• Chief scientific officer Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization of Research
• Member of the Order of Canada
• Honorary degree recipient, Doctor of Science (honoris causa), University of Manitoba

Research Focus:

• Digital imaging for medical diagnosis and management of disease

Research Summary:

Dr. Yaffe’s research is directed toward development and improvement of imaging techniques for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, with a strong focus on breast cancer. His team is also interested in methods for analyzing image patterns to predict breast cancer risk and using these as tools to study the causes of breast cancer and to help develop preventive measures.

Activities in the lab range from developing image-processing strategies for improving the quality of diagnostic images and methods of quantifying the quality of medical images, to developing and evaluating 3-D imaging (tomosynthesis) and contrast-enhanced imaging methods.

His team has established a comprehensive program in biomarker imaging research, which includes development of new techniques for 3-D pathology. These techniques will be used for validation of new in vivo imaging methods, as well as for investigating approaches to improving accuracy of pathology, and adding prognostic and predictive information in management of cancer.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Clarke GM, Zubovits JT, Shaikh KA, Wang D, Dinn SR, Corwin AD, Santamaria-Pang A, Li Q, Nofech-Mozes S, Liu K, Pang Z, Filkins RJ, Yaffe MJ. A novel, automated technology for multiplex biomarker imaging and application to breast cancer. Histopathology. 2014 Jan;64(2):242–55.
2. Falou O, Soliman H, Sadeghi-Naini A, Iradji S, Lemon-Wong S, Zubovits J, Spayne J, Dent R, Trudeau M, Boileau J-F, Wright FC, Yaffe MJ, Czarnota GJ. Diffuse optical spectroscopy evaluation of treatment response in women with locally advanced breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Transl Oncol. 2012 August;5(4):238–246.
3. Yaffe MJ, Mainprize JG. Risk of radiation-induced breast cancer from mammography screening. Radiology. 2011;258:98–105.
4. Hill ML, Corbin IR, Levitin RB, Cao W, Mainprize JG, Yaffe MJ, Zheng G. In vitro assessment of poly-iodinated triglyceride reconstituted low-density lipoprotein: initial steps toward CT molecular imaging. Acad Radiol. 2010 Nov;17(11):1359–65.
5. Soliman H, Gunasekara A, Rycroft M, Zubovits J, Dent R, Spayne J, Yaffe M, Czarnota GJ. Functional imaging of neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in women with locally advanced breast cancer using diffuse optical spectroscopy. Clin Cancer Res. 2010 May 1;16(9):2605–2614.

Related News and Stories:

• CIHR responds to revolt while releasing results: peer rebellion brings promise of change to granting agency (July 18, 2016)
• Individualizing breast cancer therapy: New technologies can deliver highly specific information about a therapy’s effectiveness in days, not months; and help women with DCIS decide on the best course of action (SRI Magazine, 2016)
• Do 3-D mammograms improve screening? First large clinical trial compares 3-D mammography to current standard (Oct. 15, 2014)
• Scientists garner national grants in inaugural competition: Foundation invests in technologies for the early detection of breast cancer (Aug. 15, 2012)
• $4M for imaging technology: Centre supports imaging researchers in commercializing technology (April 23, 2012)
• A glimpse of tomorrow's medicine: Research day celebrates the promise of image-guided therapies (Nov. 25, 2011)
• Sunnybrook Research Institute celebrates milestone in imaging research: State-of-the-art laboratory will advance innovative work in histopathology (Oct. 25, 2011)
• New centre moves innovations from lab to clinic: Sunnybrook and University of Western Ontario awarded $13.3 million grant (Dec. 7, 2010)
• Breast cancer research at Sunnybrook spurred by federal investment: CFI gives green light to integrated data bank (June 26, 2009)
• Groundbreaking health research gets boost: SRI's "The 1 mm Cancer Challenge" gets funding (June 24, 2009)
• Yaffe takes up challenge: Imaging researcher takes on OICR appointment to find smaller cancers, earlier (March 18, 2008)
• Wind at their back: SRI joins forces with GE Healthcare (Sunnybrook Research Institute Research Report, 2004–2006)
• Enter another dimension: Digital tomosynthesis demystified (Sunnybrook Research Institute Research Report, 2004–2006)
• Digital detection of breast cancer: Martin Yaffe is part of a crack team of scientists using digital technology to detect and diagnose tumours with better accuracy than ever before (Jan. 1, 2004)
• Spotlight on breast cancer research: let's get digital (Sunnybrook Research Institute Research Report, 2002–2004)

Related Links:

• Biomarker imaging research laboratory
• Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics
• Breast Cancer Research Centre
• Large-scale equipment at SRI: Leica SM2500 (microtome)
• U of T profile, department of medical biophysics
• The Canadian Association of Physicists