Thoracic Surgery & Upper Gastrointestinal
Cancer Research Laboratories

1) Decipher the role that neutrophils play in both the progression of primary lung tumor growth as well as metastasis to secondary organs.

2) Investigate the role of neutrophil recruitment on the immunological profile of primary lung tumors.

3) Determine the effect of blocking neutrophil recruitment on the efficacy of systemic therapy in primary lung tumors.

4) Describe the post-adhesive roles of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in tumor progression.

AWARDS

Mentorship Award from the Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, 2015

· Travel award from the McGill Integrated Cancer Research Training Program to attend the American Association for Cancer Research General Meeting, San Diego, 2014

· Travel award from the Institute of Cancer Research of the Canadian Institute of Health Research to attend the Canadian Cancer Research Conference, Toronto, 2013

· Travel award from the McGill Integrated Cancer Research Training Program to attend the Gordon Conference on Insulin-like growth factors in physiology and disease held in Ventura, 2013

PRESENTATIONS

Cell free malignant ascites fluid facilitates gastric adenocarcinoma peritoneal metastasis. Janeiro C, Stavrakos V, Alzahrani M, Rayes RF, Bourdeau F, Giannias B, Bertos N, Sangwan V, Cools-Lartigue J, Spicer JD, Ferri LE. Abstract presented at the AACR Annual Meeting, in Chicago, 2018.

· Molecular drivers of neutrophil recruitment to primary non-small cell lung cancer. Wang C, Rayes RF, Mouhanna J, Giannias B, Chandrasekaran A, Mot R, Moraes C, Huang S, Cools-Lartigue J, Bertos N, Ferri LE, Spicer JD. Abstract presented at the AACR Annual Meeting, in Chicago, 2018.

· Neutrophils modulate T-cell recruitment and promote hepatic metastases in lung cancer. Rayes RF, Antonatos D, Tinfow A, Bourdeau F, Giannias B, Ferri LE, Spicer JD. Abstract presented at the AACR Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, in Boston, 2017.

· Gram-negative bacterial infection enhances the potential of gastric adenocarcinoma peritoneal metastasis via TNFR1 dependent manner. Alzahrani M, Rayes RF, kayano R, Giannias B, Bourdeau F, Ferri LE. Abstract presented at the Tumor metastasis conference, in Austin, 2015.

· The IGF axis regulates hepatic stellate cell recruitment and activation during colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis. Fernandez MC, Rayes RF, Brodt P. Abstract presented at the Cancer Axis Research Day of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, in Montreal, 2014.

· Regulation of site-specific liver metastasis by collagen IV-conveyed signals. Rayes RF, Wang N, Burnier JV, Bourdeau F, Wang N, Brodt P. Abstract presented at the American Association for Cancer Research, in San Diego, 2014.

· Regulation of site-specific liver metastasis by collagen IV-conveyed signals. Rayes RF, Burnier JV, Wang N, Brodt P. Abstract presented at the Canadian Cancer Research Conference, in Toronto, 2013.

· A novel IGF-trap inhibits the growth of metastases from different tumor types. Rayes R, Wang N, Lu Y, Elahi M, Qayum N, Hancock MA, Massie B, Siegel P and Brodt P. (Abstract presented at the Gordon conference on Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Physiology & Disease, in Ventura, 2013.