STAGE ISSS: Marjanka Schmidt

Join us for the next instalment of the STAGE International Speaker Seminar Series (ISSS) with

Marjanka Schmidt

Professor of Genetic Epidemiology of (Breast) Cancer, Leiden University
Head of Research Division Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute
Lead of Research Theme Early Detection, Netherlands Cancer Institute

Free Hybrid (In-person/Online) Event | Registration Required

Talk Title

Breast cancer genetics for all: determinants of breast cancer subtypes and outcome

Abstract

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease influenced by a complex interplay of germline genetic and environmental factors. This presentation will address the role of germline variants, particularly in well-known breast cancer-associated genes like BRCA1, and polygenic scores (PGS) in the incidence of breast cancer subtypes, survival outcomes, and the risk of contralateral breast cancer. Large Genome-Wide-Assocation-Studies have been proven extremely succesful in identifying coding and non-coding (common) variants for breast cancer risk, while obtaining valid results for other breast cancer related end-points has been more challenging. Moreover, risk factors for contralateral breast cancer may be different from those predicting first breat cancer. This presentation will underscore important findings and challenges in breast cancer outcome studies and the crucial need for understanding the diverse roles of genetic variants, including PGS. Increased understanding and integration of genetic information into clinical practice hold the potential to enhance early detection, inform personalised treatment approaches, and ultimately improve breast cancer outcomes.

Speaker Profile

Dr Schmidt is a professor of Genetic Epidemiology of (Breast) Cancer at Leiden University. The work of her research group at the Netherlands Cancer Institute focuses on prevention of breast cancer and its mortality. Prof Schmidt conducted and published a vast number of epidemiological studies on genetic and non-genetic risk factors of (contralateral) breast cancer (subtypes) and outcome. She led work packages on molecular breast cancer characterization in two large EU grants (iCOGS and CARING) and the epidemiological analyses in the PRECISION Grand Challenge project. She coordinated and was the scientific lead of the extensive B-CAST (Breast Cancer Stratification) EU Horizon2020 project. Since 2021 she leads the national (Hebon) and international (IBCCS) studies on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families. She also is the lead of the Research Theme of Early Detection at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. For Cancer Core Europe she co-leads the newly established Early Detection pillar. As a secondary research line, Prof Schmidt has initiated and led several projects considering the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) of secondary use of patient data and biospecimens in scientific research. She enjoys helping young scientists to grow and so far 12 students successfully obtained their PhD under her supervision.

Sponsors

CANSSI Ontario STAGE (STAGE) is a training program in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics, housed at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and funded by CANSSI Ontario at U of T, an extra-departmental unit in the Faculty of Arts & Science that is home to the Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI).

Seminars are sponsored by The Hospital for Sick Children (Genetics & Genome Biology Program), the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and the McLaughlin Centre at the University of Toronto.

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