Dr. Gleave is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Executive Director of the Vancouver Prostate Centre, Director of Research for the Department of Urologic Sciences at UBC, and Chairs the Genito-Urinary Tumour Group Chair at BC Cancer Agency. He is the current Chairman of the National Cancer Institute of Canada GU Clinical Trials Group, and the Canadian Uro-Oncology Group. He has published more than 190 peer-reviewed papers, and currently has more that $50M in peer reviewed funding.
Dr. Gleave’s major research focus involves the study of cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating progression of prostate cancer to its lethal stage of androgen independence, and use of this information to develop integrated multimodality therapies that specifically target these mechanisms. His research team employs state-of-the-art high-throughput approaches to target discovery, validation, functionalization, and therapeutic development. He has characterized the functional role of many survival genes in cancer progression, leading to several patented targeted inhibitors, and first-in-man trials of new anti-cancer drugs.
Dr. Gleave established a role for clusterin as an cancer-related cell survival protein involved treatment resistance and developed an inhibitor, designated OGX-011, that improved efficacy of hormone- and chemo-therapies in prostate and other cancer models. 7 clinical studies across North America have now been completed and Phase III registration trials are set to begin in 2008. Additional targeted agents have been developed to inhibit other progression-associated genes, including IGFBP2, IGFBP-5, and Hsp27. Intellectual property from these targets has been licensed from UBC to OncoGenex Technologies, a Vancouver-based biotechnology company founded by Dr. Gleave. Dr. Gleave is the Chief Scientific Officer at OncoGenex, while retaining his Professorship and laboratory at UBC.
Dr. Gleave is the recipient of numerous awards, including the NCIC's prestigious William Rawls Award for contributions to cancer control in Canada, the Society of Urologic Oncology’s Young Investigator Award, Finalist, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2004, and Clinician-Scientist Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation. In 2003, he was appointed as a Distinguished University Scholar by the University of British Columbia. In 2005, he was named Liber Ero BC Leadership Chair in Prostate Cancer Research through the Province of British Columbia’s Leading Edge Endowment Fund. In 2006 he was awarded the BC Biotech Award for Innovation and Achievement, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of BC’s biotechnology industry. In 2007, the BC Innovation Council awarded him the “Frontiers in Research Award” for creating the centre's Translational Initiative for Accelerated Discovery and Development.
|
