Clinical Members
Blake Gilks, MD, FRCPC
Co-Founder OVCARE & Pathologist | Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of British Columbia
Dr. Gilks is Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia and Head of Anatomic Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, the site of the largest surgical oncology program in the province; and a member of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Dr. Gilks leads a dynamic research program focused on gynecological cancers. In addition, he is also a Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Genetic Pathology Evaluation Centre (GPEC), a collaborative research venture of the Pathology Department, and the Prostate Research Centre at Vancouver Hospital and the BC Cancer Agency, which utilizes tissue microarray technology to uncover novel cancer biomarkers.
David G. Huntsman, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
Co-Founder and Director OVCARE | Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of British Columbia
Dr. David Huntsman is a Professor in the Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynaecology at The University of British Columbia and is the Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Professor of Gynaecologic Oncology. He is a Staff Pathologist at the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA), and a Consulting Pathologist at the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).
Dr. Huntsman attended medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland from 1984-88 and after completing a rotating internship, practiced family medicine in Labrador for two years. Following his experience in family medicine, he entered and completed a pathology residency and trained in clinical molecular genetics at UBC and subsequently studied cancer genetics at Cambridge University, UK.
Dr. Huntsman is currently the Director of OVCARE, Medical Director of the Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics (CTAG) at the BCCA, and co-Director of the Genetic Pathology Evaluation Centre (GPEC) at the Jack Bell Research Centre, VGH. His research has led to development of predictive and prognostic tissue-based cancer biomarkers for ovarian cancer and a wide variety of other tumour types. His team created a blueprint for histotype specific ovarian cancer control and have been leaders in the application of novel genomics technologies to ovarian cancer. Recently, his team applied next generation sequencing technologies to ovarian cancers and discovered key mutations in granulosa cell tumours, clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas and sertoli-leydig cell tumours of the ovary. His team is working to determine the biologic and clinical relevance of these discoveries with a view to developing new treatment opportunities. As collaboration is critical in this field, Dr. Huntsman happily leads and engages in a wide number of multidisciplinary research groups. Most recently, he has been working with Professor Pieter Cullis on the creation of a broad-based personalized medicine initiative for British Columbia.
Dr. Huntsman has recently been awarded the inaugural Virginia Greene leadership award for ovarian cancer research and advocacy (Sept 2011), Killam Research Prize UBC Faculty of Medicine (2012) and the Karen Campbell National Award for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research (Feb 2012).
Jessica McAlpine, MD, FRCPC
OVCARE Gynaecologic Tissue Bank Director and Gynaecologic Oncologist | Assistant Professor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of British Columbia
Dr. McAlpine is Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Vancouver General Hospital and the BC Cancer Agency. She is a recipient of the VCH Research Institute clinician-scientist award (2008-2012) and the CIHR New Investigator award (2012-2017) dividing her time in both a surgical/clinical role and in translational research. Her research focuses on specific subtypes of ovarian and high-risk endometrial cancers with projects pertaining to genomics in high-grade serous ovarian cancers, mucinous ovarian tumors, BRCA abnormalities, targeted therapies, survivorship, and ovarian cancer prevention strategies. In 2012 she was appointed Director of the OVCARE tumor bank (link). Drs Jessica McAlpine and Anna Tinker co-founded a web-based novel approach to addressing clinical and research questions in rare tumors [SMART=Shared Access Medicine: an Approach to Rare Tumors}.
Dianne Miller, MD, FRCSC
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Co-Founder OVCARE and Provincial Gynaecology Tumour Group Chair for BC | Associate Professor Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology University of British Columbia
Dr. Dianne Miller is the Division Head of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia and gynecologic oncologist at Vancouver General Hospital. She is also the Provincial Gynaecology Tumor Group Chair for the Province of British Columbia and a member of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Dr. Miller obtained her BSc. in microbiology and immunology at UBC in 1976, her MD at UBC in 1980. She then interned at the Toronto Western Hospital prior to working as a Family Doctor in Yellowknife NWT. In 1988, Dianne completed her Royal College certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UBC. This was followed by completion of a Royal College Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology in Toronto in 1990. Dianne has been employed at BCCA and UBC since that time. Dr. Miller is actively involved in both clinical trials and in collaborations with translational and basic scientists. She is particularly interested in looking potential screens for early diagnosis and in targeted therapies.
Sarah Finlayson, MD, FRCSC
OVCARE Gynaecologic Oncologist | Assistant Professor Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology University of British Columbia
Dr. Finlayson is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Vancouver Hospital and the BC Cancer Agency. Her career is focused on the surgical and medical care of women with gynecologic cancers. Her academic interests include minimally invasive surgery in gynecologic oncology and medical education. She is currently focused on a knowledge translation project entitled, “Preventing Ovarian Cancer: the role of the gynecologist”. This educational outreach project targets all BC gynecologists and aims to decrease new cases of high grade serous ovarian cancer by 50% over the next 20 years.
Anna Tinker, MD, FRCPC
OVCARE Cheryl Brown Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Unit Director and Medical Oncologist | Clinical Assistant Professor Department of Medicine University of British Columbia
Dr. Tinker is a Medical Oncologist at the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She treats women with gynecologic cancers as her primary clinical focus. She enjoys teaching and mentoring students and residents. Her research interests are in the area of clinical trials and translational research. She has been an active member of OVCARE and is the present Director of the Cheryl Brown Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Unit.
Dr. Tinker, with Dr. Jessica McAlpine, co-founded a web-based novel approach to addressing clinical and research questions in rare tumors [SMART=Shared Access Medicine: an Approach to Rare Tumors).
Janice S. Kwon, MD, MPH, FRCSC
OVCARE Gynaecologic Oncologist | Assistant Professor Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology University of British Columbia
Dr. Kwon is a Gynaecologic Oncologist at Vancouver General Hospital/BC Cancer Agency. She is the Program Director for the Gynaecologic Oncology subspecialty training program at the University of British Columbia, and she serves on the Executive of the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Her major areas of research interest are in evaluating endometrial and ovarian cancers at a population level and within hereditary cancer syndromes. Her expertise is in conducting cost-effectiveness analyses to compare different treatment strategies. She has a Masters degree in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, has recently held an academic appointment at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and she continues to have research collaborations with investigators across North America and Europe.
Mark Carey, MD, FRCSC
OVCARE Gynaecologic Oncologist | Clinical Associate Professor Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology University of British Columbia
Dr. Mark Carey trained in Gynaecological Oncology at the University of Toronto under the direction of Dr. Denny Depetrillo (Toronto) and Dr. Greg O'Connell (Hamilton). He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Western Ontario and returned to practice at the London Health Sciences Centre following his fellowship. There Dr. Carey served as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Division Head of Gynecologic Oncology. He has been involved in clinical trials in gynecologic oncology through the National Cancer Institute of Canada and served on the executive committee of the gynecological disease site group. In 2006 he had the privilege of pursuing additional research training at the M.D. Anderson Cancer under the direction of Dr. Gordon B. Mills. He is interested in the molecular basis of cancer, biomarker discovery, and translational research in gynecological cancer.
Paul Hoskins, MA, FRCPC
OVCARE Medical Oncologist | Clinical Professor Department of Medicine University of British Columbia
Dr. Paul Hoskins received his medical degree from the University of Cambridge and then did internal medicine training in Scotland. His medical oncology training was in Vancouver and has been on staff there at the British Columbia Cancer Agency since 1988 specializing in the management of gynecologic cancers and symptom control. He is a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia. His main research interests are into the outcomes of treatment for all gynecologic cancers and to predicting who needs different therapeutics or no further treatment after surgery. He has 67 peer reviewed papers, 5 reviews, various editorials, and over 100 abstracts. He has been extensively involved in phase II and phase III studies. He has been a reviewer for Gynecologic Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, Lancet, British Medical Journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, etc.
Currently he is a member of the Evaluation Committee for the pan Canadian Oncology Drug Review Board which looks at the value of new oncology drugs being considered for use across Canada; President Elect of Gynecologic Oncology Canada; NIH Cervical Cancer Task Force.
Kenneth Swenerton, MD, FRCPC
OVCARE Retired Medical Oncologist and Former Director of the Cheryl Brown Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Unit | Clinical Professor Department of Medicine University of British Columbia
Until his retirement from clinical practice in 2011, Ken Swenerton had been the Senior Medical Oncologist of the Gynecology Tumour Group of the BCCA, responsible for leading the development, implementation and evaluation of systemic treatments for gynecologic malignancies in the province of BC. He led many clinical trials provincially, nationally and internationally, and held executive roles in the NCIC-GTG, the GOC, the GCIG, and the IGCS. He consulted for organizations including the GOG, SWOG, the NCI-US. He innovated the use of many oncologic drugs in Canada, including doxorubicin, cisplatin, carboplatin and paclitaxel. His special interests have been the optmization of treatment modality integration, and prognostic and predictive factors of outomes, the latter leading to his founding of the Cheryl Brown Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Unit - now a key element of OVCARE. He continues to consult on the redevelopment of the CBOCOU to allow the automated assimilation and rationalization of data obtained from diverse sources.
