LMP’s Faculty Development Day aims to advance new technologies
On November 12, 2024, the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology held its second Faculty Development Day.
Bringing together the faculty in LMP who are spread across a diverse range of sites and specialties, the day is aimed at encouraging networking and collaboration, as well as allowing space and time for professional development.
The morning focussed on having difficult conversations, led by Linda Hills, Director of Centre for Learning, Leadership & Culture. She focussed on reframing conversations from being difficult, to being a more positive, generative discussion.
Attendees also enjoyed hearing short feedback presentations from awardees of the LMP leadership grant who gave insights and feedback on the courses they had attended, including:
- Dr. Anita Nagy and Dr. Sasan Zandi both spoke about the Rotman School of Management, Healthcare Leadership Program
- Dr. Rosemarie Tremblay-Lemay on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, Managing the Human Side of Digital Disruption
- Dr. Sara Hafezi Bakhtiari on the Schulich Mini-MBA, Physician Business Leadership Program
The afternoon then moved on to the Collaboration Café, kicking off with updates from the groups who received funding last year and the progress they have made.
After two rounds of lively discussions, new collaborations formed at the event were encouraged to apply for seed funding. Those awarded funding are highlighted below.
See all the photos from the event on Flickr
Save the date for the next Faculty Development Day on Tuesday, November 11, 2025!
Funded: Investigating the neurodevelopmental contributions to adult onset neurodegenerative disease
Collaborators: Dr. Janice Robertson, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease and Dr. Scott Yuzwa, Medical Sciences Building
This project aims to investigate whether neurodevelopmental abnormalities contribute to the onset of adult neurodegenerative diseases, specifically frontotemporal dementia (FTD). While FTD typically manifests later in life, emerging evidence suggests that its roots may lie in early brain development. The team will use three established mouse models of FTD - C9orf72 knockout, C9orf72-500-G4C2-repeat, and P301S mutant Tau mice - to explore changes in brain development, focusing on the neocortex during late gestation (E17.5) and early postnatal (P7–10) stages.
The project’s main objectives are twofold: (1) to determine whether FTD-linked mutations affect cell fate decisions during cortical development and (2) to characterize the morphological changes in neural cells potentially caused by these mutations. This will involve immunohistochemical analysis using established cell-type markers, and morphological assessment using Golgi staining and synapse analysis. By examining when and how cell production and structure are altered, the project seeks to identify developmental markers that may predict or predispose later neurodegeneration.
Combining Dr. Janice Robertson’s expertise in FTD and mouse models with Dr. Scott Yuzwa’s expertise in neurodevelopment, this collaborative effort is uniquely positioned to bridge developmental neuroscience and neurodegenerative research. Ultimately, the findings could inform early intervention strategies for at-risk individuals.
Funded: Artificial Intelligence in Digital Pathology
Collaborators: Dr. Lingxin Zhang, Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Fang-I Lu, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Dr. Susan Done, University Health Network, Dr. Ioannis Prassas, University Health Network, Dr. April Khademi, Affiliate Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital/Toronto Metropolitan University.
This project seeks to bridge the gap between artificial intelligence (AI) development and practical application in digital pathology (DP) by promoting collaboration and resource awareness within the LMP community. While enthusiasm for AI in DP is growing, many pathologists and researchers remain unaware of core resources such as T-CAIREM and the Health Data Nexus, and few have opportunities to collaborate with data scientists or engineers. This initiative aims to foster interdisciplinary engagement through targeted faculty development and the establishment of a lasting community of interest.
The first goal is to create an ongoing Community of Interest (COI) under the LMP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. This group will host regular meetings, disseminate updates, and publish practical resources online. With a team of experienced pathologists, translational scientists, and AI experts, the project is well-positioned to catalyze innovation and collaboration in this evolving field.
On the basis of the COI, the second goal is to organize a one-day faculty development workshop, open to LMP and broader University of Toronto faculty, that will feature expert talks on key issues in AI for DP. These include algorithm development, validation, data privacy, intellectual property, and commercialization. A key feature will be interactive panel discussions driven by questions from LMP faculty and networking opportunities to promote new collaborations.
This initiative showcases all pillars of the LMP Strategic Plan 2023 - 2028.
See the news from the first Faculty Development Day in 2023
