Assistant Professor

Peter Sabatini

Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology - Cytogenetics

PhD, FCCMG

Location
Toronto General Hospital: University Health Network (UHN)
Address
200 Elizabeth St., Clinical Laboratory Genetics, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 2C4
Research Interests
Cancer, Genetics Genomics & Proteomics
Clinical Interests
Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics
Appointment Status
Primary

Dr Peter Sabatini completed his Doctoral degree at the University of Toronto with Dr Michelle Bendeck and Dr Lowell Langille studying the mechanisms of cell motility in the cardiovascular system.

He was awarded an Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowship where he developed genomic assays with Luminex Molecular Diagnostics.

He then completed his molecular and cytogenetics specialty training with the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Dr Sabatini is currently a dual certified (molecular/cytogenetics) clinical laboratory geneticist at the University Health Network focusing on cancer genomics.

 

Research Synopsis

 

My primary research interests are the genomic alterations that contribute to oncogenesis include both molecular changes and also larger microscopically visible ones.

Many methods are used in the clinical laboratory to discover the range of genomic variations that drive cancer development and drug resistance. This creates lengthy and cumbersome clinical testing algorithms.

Using advanced genomic technologies such as applications of next-generation sequencing methods, my focus is to simultaneously investigate the sequences of both DNA and RNA targets to detect the full range of genomic alterations in solid tumours and hematological malignancies.

The goal is the use novel genomic technologies to streamline and integrate the genetic tests of tumours into the clinical diagnostic laboratory.

Our laboratory includes both a clinical service laboratory at the Toronto General Hospital and a translational research site called the Advanced Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

 

Recent Publications

 

Heterozygous mutations in ERF cause syndromic craniosynostosis with multiple suture involvement.  Chaudhry A, Sabatini P, Han L, Ray PN, Forrest C, Bowdin S. Am J Med Genet A. 2015 Nov;167A(11):2544-7. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.37218. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PMID: 26097063

Danon Disease Due to a Novel LAMP2 Microduplication. Lines MA, Hewson S, Halliday W, Sabatini PJ, Stockley T, Dipchand AI, Bowdin S, Siriwardena K. JIMD Rep. 2014;14:11-6. doi: 10.1007/8904_2013_277. Epub 2013 Nov 13. PMID: 24222494

Type VIII collagen signals via β1 integrin and RhoA to regulate MMP-2 expression and smooth muscle cell migration. Adiguzel E, Hou G, Sabatini PJ, Bendeck MP. Matrix Biol. 2013 Aug 8;32(6):332-41. doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2013.03.004. Epub 2013 Mar 21. PMID: 23523587

Cadherins at cell-autonomous membrane contacts control macropinocytosis. Sabatini PJ, Zhang M, Silverman-Gavrila RV, Bendeck MP. J Cell Sci. 2011 Jun 15;124(Pt 12):2013-20. doi: 10.1242/jcs.076901. Epub 2011 May 24. PMID: 21610088