Genetic Characterization of Clinically Relevant Models of Prostate Cancer to Improve and Personalize Treatment

Dr Gaetano Zafarana received his Honours Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University College London, London, UK. During his undergraduate he trained at the Biochemistry Department of Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, London, UK. He then moved to the National Institute of Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK to start his PhD on the regulation of the human embryonic b-globin genes. He completed his Doctoral Thesis at the Department of Genetics and Cell Biology of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where he had relocated to follow his supervisor. He then moved to the field of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors for first post-doctoral position at the Department of Pathology in the Josephine Nefkens Institute of the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam. His second postdoctoral position brought him back to the UK at the Department of Biomedical Science, Centre for Stem Cell Biology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, where he applied his expertise to the field of human embryonic stem cells. He finally moved to Toronto in 2008 where he now manages the Cellular Core of the STTARR facility located in the Toronto Medical Discovery Tower, part of UHN. Dr Zafarana’s current research interests include translational studies on the genetics of intermediate prostate cancers and the isolation and characterization of the stem cells of prostate cancer in view to improve and personalize the treatment of prostate cancer in patients.