Canadian Biomarker Quality Assurance: The Cutting Edge Webinar Series

Episode 9

You can’t get there from here…proposed solutions to current
barriers in the clinical adoption of genomic biomarkers

Thursday, November 27th, 2024 at 12pm ET

Speakers

Harriet-Feilotter

Harriet Feilotter PhD, FCCMG, FACMG
Toronto and Kingston, Ontario
Molecular Geneticist and Head of Genome Diagnostics,
University Health Network and Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
Clinical Lead for Genetic Testing, Ontario Health.
Co-Lead for Implementation Science, OICR.

Dr. Feilotter is a molecular geneticist with a strong interest in improving pathways for clinical adoption of genomic biomarkers in human disease. She is currently Division Head of Genome Diagnostics at the University Health Network (UHN), as well as Service Chief and Molecular Director for the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) clinical genetics laboratory. She also holds positions in the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) where she is co-lead for Implementation Science, Director of the Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network (OMPRN), and a key part of the emerging Ontario Joint Genomics Program. At Ontario Health, she holds the position of Clinical Lead for Genetic Testing within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Program.

Tracy Stockley

Tracy L. Stockley PhD, FCCMG, FACMG
Toronto, Ontario
Scheme Director, Canadian Biomarker Quality Assurance.
Molecular Geneticist, University Health Network.
Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology,
University of Toronto.

Dr. Stockley is a molecular geneticist and former Head of the Division of Clinical Laboratory Genetics at the University Health Network in Toronto. The Division is the largest genetic pathology laboratory service in Canada, encompassing three laboratories: the clinical Genome Diagnostics Laboratory and Cancer Cytogenetics Laboratory at Toronto General Hospital, as well as the Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

At UHN, Dr. Stockley participates in overseeing genetic testing for oncology, including companion diagnostics and the development of genomic tests for emerging biomarkers. She is dedicated to improving quality assurance in high-complexity laboratory testing, and engages in quality activities with several national and international organizations, such as Health Canada, the Canadian Biomarker Quality Assurance program, the College of American Pathologists, the Association for Molecular Pathology, the European Molecular Quality Network and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Additionally, Dr. Stockley is a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto and has served as a President of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists. Dr. Stockley is also a cancer survivor with a personal commitment to patient support and engagement in research.

Learning Objectives

After this episode, the participant will be able to:

1. Identify the key processes involved in adding genomic biomarkers to clinical lab
testing menu.

2. Summarize the key metrics of genomic assays that should be investigated prior
to selecting a testing approach.

3. Differentiate the laboratory medicine quality assurance frameworks that currently
exist across Canada.