Robert S. Kerbel

After graduating from the University of Toronto, Dr. Kerbel commenced graduate studies receiving a Ph.D. in 1972; he then undertook postdoctoral training in London after which he started his independent research program in 1975 at Queen’s University in Kingston, in the Cancer Research Laboratories, becoming its Director in 1981. In 1985 he was recruited to develop and direct a cancer biology research division at Mt. Sinai Hospital Research Institute in Toronto; he then moved to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (where he is presently located) to do the same from 1991 until 2001. He currently holds a Canada Research Chair in Tumor Biology, Angiogenesis, and Antiangiogenic Therapy and is a professor in the Dept. of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Throughout his career, Dr. Kerbel’s main interest has been to devise new cancer treatment strategies having both improved efficacy and reduced toxicity. This culminated in his pioneering studies of lower dose frequently administered ‘metronomic’ chemotherapy and antiangiogenic drugs. A number of his findings are now being evaluated in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, particularly in breast, ovarian, colorectal, and various pediatric cancers. His other contributions include developing improved preclinical models involving early stage or advanced metastatic disease for experimental therapeutic investigations, linking the fields of angiogenesis and oncogenes, uncovering mechanisms by which antiangiogenic drugs increase the efficacy of chemotherapy, or alter malignant tumor progression, especially in the adjuvant treatment setting, and elucidating mechanisms of resistance to antiangiogenic drugs.

Dr. Kerbel’s work has been supported by grants from four Canadian funding agencies and the US National Institutes of Health. He has published 372 papers, given over 750 invited lectures including numerous keynote and plenary presentations. Among the recent honors and awards, he has received include the Canadian Cancer Society Robert Noble Award for Excellence in Cancer Research, the Breast Cancer Research Award from the European Institute of Oncology, and a Man of Distinction Honor by the Israel Cancer Research Fund.