Speaker Location: Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre (1020 Lecture Theatre)
Live Stream: Zoom
Featured Speaker: Dr. Ewan Gibb
Assistant Professor, Department of Urologic Sciences, The University of British Columbia, and Senior Research Scientist, Vancouver Prostate Centre
Talk title: From Fungi to Bladder Cancer: Decoding the Non-Coding for Biomarker Discovery
Talk Abstract: Non-coding RNAs make up the majority of the human transcriptome, yet their potential as biomarkers remains underexplored. My group investigates how long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression can refine risk stratification in bladder cancer, with the goal of guiding treatment decisions and sparing patients unnecessary morbidity.
I will outline how lncRNA profiling first revealed a favorable luminal subgroup in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and how similar approaches are now being applied across the spectrum of non-muscle invasive disease. In low-grade Ta tumors (TaLG), lncRNA clustering uncovered a hidden aggressive subgroup, challenging conventional clinical risk assignments. At the other end of the spectrum, in clinically high-risk NMIBC (Ta high grade and T1), lncRNA-defined clusters captured meaningful biological and clinical differences, including a subset with reduced proliferative signaling and improved outcomes—patients who may be suitable for treatment de-escalation.
I will also discuss the development of single-sample classifiers designed to operationalize these findings, and the broader implications of integrating non-coding RNA signatures into molecular pathology. Together, this work highlights how lncRNAs can reveal biology invisible to standard approaches and points toward biomarker-driven personalization in bladder cancer.
Short Biography: Ewan Gibb is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia and a Senior Research Scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. His research program focuses on the discovery and clinical translation of molecular biomarkers in bladder and prostate cancer, with an emphasis on long non-coding RNAs, transcriptomic classifiers, and digital pathology.
Prior to joining UBC, Dr. Gibb worked in industry developing genomic tests for cancer care, experience that informs his translational approach. His laboratory integrates molecular biology, computational analysis, and clinical research to improve risk stratification and guide treatment decisions in genitourinary oncology.
Trainee Speaker: Giuli Sucar (Joy Lab, The University of British Columbia)
Talk Title: Closing the transgender gap in health and research
Source: VanBUG