He will characterize this new gene. A tumour suppressor gene linked to prostate cancer would be of tremendous importance. Studying it may permit an assessment of the risk of developing the disease, the prognosis, and it is potentially a target for therapy using drugs which mimic its effect. Dr. Chevrette has a B.Sc. Biology and a Ph.D. Molecular and Cellular Biology and has been honoured with a number of awards, the most recent being the T.H.P. Molson fellowship award at McGill University Health Centre, Montreal.
Hormone therapy is used in conjunction with radiation therapy in many patients.
However, this leads to osteoporosis. This investigator will study the effect of hormone therapy on bone mineral density in prostate cancer patients treated with this combination. This study would identify a subgroup of men at high risk of developing osteoporosis for whom early treatment could improve their outcome and quality of life. A graduate of the University of Alberta, Dr. Choo is a longtime prostate cancer researcher who has a number of abstracts being presented at this year's Annual Scientific meeting of the Canadian Urology Association, Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists and the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. This researcher will study mutations in the DNA contained in mitochondria, the internal power plant of the cell.