Cole | Sinclair Cancer Research Institute | School of Medicine

Susan P.C. Cole PhD, FRSC, FCAHS

Position(s)

Professor Emerita

Contact Info

Faculty Bio

BIO: Education: BSc (Biochemistry); PhD (Pharmacology) Queen’s; Fogarty International Postdoctoral Fellowship, Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis, NIH, Bethesda, MD (USA). Current: Allie Vibert `Vi` Douglas Distinguished University Professor Emerita; Adjunct Professor, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine; Bracken Chair of Genetics & Molecular Medicine (2006-21), Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (2001-15). Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2000); Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2011).

COLE CV (July 2024)

NOTE: no longer accepting students as of January 2022

Research Interests

My laboratory is interested in membrane transport proteins and their roles in human health and disease. Most of our focus has been on understanding the mechanisms of drug sensitivity and resistance, especially those mediated by members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of transport proteins.

Multidrug Resistance Protein 1 (MRP1) [gene symbol ABCC1] is an ATP-dependent 190 kDa plasma membrane phosphoglycoprotein that can confer multidrug resistance primarily by reducing the drug concentration in cells by actively pumping drugs out. In normal cells, low levels of MRP1 (and related transporters) are found where they can influence how drugs used to treat cancer and other human diseases are distributed to various organs in the body. Thus MRP1 can protect normal tissues by acting as a barrier and impeding entry of foreign chemicals, including environmental toxins. Many organic anions (including glutathione (GSH) and glucuronide conjugated xenobiotics) are also transported by MRP1. And finally, MRP1 also mediates the cellular efflux of important physiological molecules such as the pro-inflammatory signaling molecule, cysteinyl leukotriene LTC4, and the ubiquitous antioxidant GSH.

My lab is also interested in the structural and functional differences between MRP1 and its homologs MRP2/ABCC2, MRP3/ABCC3 and MRP4/ABCC4. MRP4 is of particular interest because it effluxes antiviral drugs as well as the signaling molecules cAMP and prostaglandin E2. In epithelial and endothelial (ie polarized) cells, MRP4 has the unusual ability to localize to different membranes (apical versus basolateral) depending on the type of cell it is expressed.

Publications

Faculty

Abraham, Sheela A., Principal Investigator (CBG Division)

Allingham, Dr.John, Prof, Associate member, SCRI

Ashworth, MD, FRCPC, Allison, Assistant Professor

Baetz, Tara, Member, Division of Cancer Clinical Trials

Basta, Dr.Sam, Prof, Associate member, SCRI

Berman, David M., Principal Investigator, CBG Division

Biagi, Jim, Member, Division of Cancer Clinical Trials

Bingshu, Chen, Senior Biostatistician, CCTG

Booth, Christopher, Director, CCE Division

Brundage, Michael, MSc, FRCPC, MD

Chen, Bingshu, Senior Biostatistician, CCTG

Cottrell, Tricia, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Craig, Andrew, Director, Sinclair Cancer Research Institute

Dancey, Janet, Director, CCTG

Davey, Scott K., past CBG Division

Ding, Keyue, Biostatistician, CCTG

Feilotter, Harriet, Senior Scientist, CCTG

Flemming, Jennifer, Principal Investigator, CCE Division

Galica, PhD, RN, CON(C), Jacqueline, Associate Professor

Gaudreau, Pierre-Olivier, Senior Investigator, Investigational New Drug Program, CCTG

Gauthier, Isabelle, Senior Scientist, Business Development & Collaborations, CCTG

Gee, Dr.Katrina, Prof, Associate member, SCRI

Gooding, Robert, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Graham, Charles, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Greer, Peter A., Principal Investigator, CBG Division

Groome, Patti, Professor Emerita, CCE Division

Gyawali, Bishal, Principal Investigator, CCE Division

Hanna, Timothy, Principal Investigator, CCE Division

Hay, Annette, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Izard, Jason, Member, Division of Cancer Care & Epidemiology

Koti, Madhuri, Principal Investigator, CBG Division

Kubes, Paul, Professor, CBG Division

Madarnas, Yolanda, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Mahar, Alyson, Principal Investigator, CCE Division

Massey, Thomas, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Mathews, MBBS, MD, Jean, Assistant Professor, Division of Palliative Medicine

Merchant, Shaila, Associate Professor

Mueller, Christopher R., Principal Investigator, CBG Division

Mulligan, Lois, Principal Investigator, CBG Division

Nanji, Sulaiman, Associate Professor

Nicol, Christopher, Director, CBG Division

O'Callaghan, Chris, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Othman, Maha, Professor, Associate Member SCRI

Panchenko, Anna, Professor, DBMS; Sr. Investigator, OICR

Parulekar, Wendy, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Patel, Sunil, Principal Investigator, CCE Division

Pater, Joseph, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Peng, Yingwei (Paul), Biostatistician, CCE Division

Petitjean, Anne, Member, Division of Cancer Clinical Trials

Petkovich, P. Martin, Principal Investigator, CBG Division

Postovit, Lynne-Marie, Head, Dept. of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences

Raptis, Leda, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Rauh, Michael, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Renwick, Neil, Assistant Professor, Translational RNA Biology

Richardson, Harriet, Investigator, CCTG and CCE divisions

Robinson, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Andrew, Associate Professor

Rushton-Marovac, Moira, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Schreiner, John, Member, Division of Cancer Clinical Trials

Seymour, Lesley, Director, Investigational New Drug Program, the Canadian Cancer Trials Group

Shepherd, Lois, Senior Investigator, CCTG

Siemens, Robert, Member, Division of Cancer Care & Epidemiology

Simpson, Amber, Senior Scientist, CCTG

Szewczuk, Dr.Myron, Prof, Associate member, SCRI

Talbot, Dr.Sebastien, Associate Prof, Associate member, SCRI

Tu, Dongsheng, Senior Biostatistician, CCTG

Tu, Wei, Senior Biostatistician, CCTG

Wijeratne, MSc, MD, Don Thiwanka, Associate Professor

Wilson, MBBS, MSc, FRACP, Brooke, Assistant Professor

Winn, Louise, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Yang, Xiaolang, Member, Division of Cancer Biology & Genetics

Yeates, MPH, MD, Karen, Professor

Ynoe de Moraes, Fabio, Principal Investigator, CCE Division

Team

Faculty Bio

Publications

Faculty