Faculty Focus - Gelareh Zadeh

Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD, FRCSC

Dr Gelareh Zadeh is an Associate Professor at the Department of Surgery University of Toronto. She is a Neurosurgeon-Scientist at Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network. She was most recently appointed as the Wilkins Family Chair in Brain Tumor Research.

Her clinical practice focuses on Skull Base Neuro-oncology, with dedicated general brain tumour clinic and many multidisciplinary clinics that she has established and is actively involved with such as skull base, pituitary, brain metastases, gamma knife and neurofibromatosis clinic. She is actively involved with and is dedicated to the goal of advancing surgical clinical trials. 

Her research laboratory is focused on studying the molecular mechanisms of glioma angiogenesis and molecular regulators of tumour metabolism. Specifically investigating the role of bone marrow derived cells in supporting tumour vasculature in gliomas and how differentiation into macrophage and microglia population plays a role in escape mechanisms of evading anti-angiogenic therapy. A second focus of the laboratory, on tumour metabolism, explores the interplay between altered metabolism in response to anti-angiogenic therapy. She also has a translational program, dedicated to establishing the genomic landscape of menigniomas and schwannomas. Her laboratory is funded through peer-reviewed grants from a number of agencies such as CIHR, Terry Fox New Investigator grant, CCSRI, CRS, BrainChild and others.

She is a scientist at Labatts Brain Tumor Research at Sick Kids Research Institute and Macfeeters-Hamilton Neuro-oncology Centre at Ontario Cancer Institute. She is active in many local, national and international committees in the field of neuro-oncology. She is the director of the UHN brain tumor bank and co-director of the University of Toronto Brain Tumor Bank. Together with Dr Vera Bril she is the co-Director of the UHN Elizabeth Raab Neurofibromatosis Program. She is the Chair of Academic Affairs for Division of Neurosurgery at University of Toronto. She has served as the scientific co-chair of Society of Neuro-oncology for two years (2014 and 2015), she is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of Society of Neuro-oncology (2016 & 17) and Chairof Neuro-oncology Committee at the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (2013-17). She is the co-chair and founder of the consortium on meningiomas, in collaboration with Society of Neuro-oncology.

Current Appointments

• Assistant Professor of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
• Scientist, Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre, Hospital for Sick Children
• Scientist, Macfeeters-Hamilton Neuro-oncology Centre at Ontario Cancer Institute
• Adjunct Scientist, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children
• Faculty, Spatiotemporal Targeting and Amplification of Radiation Response (STARR) Facility, University Health Network

Recent Peer-Reviewed Funding

• Terry Fox Research Institute, 2012-2015.
  Exploring Novel Mechanisms of Tumor Vascularization in Malignant Brain Tumors
  PI: Zadeh G. $500,000
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 2012-2016.
  Role of HK2 in regulating brain tumor neovascularization and response to therapy.
  PIs: Zadeh G., Hawkins C.; Collaborator: Agnihotri S. $560,000
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 2012-2015.
  Role of Bone Marrow Derived Progenitor Cells in Brain Tumor Neovascularization.
  PI: Zadeh G. Collaborator: Hill R.
  $385,251
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 2012-2017.
  Targeting Thrombospondin-1 in medulloblastoma.
  Co-PI: Zadeh G.  PI: Huang A.
  $762,872
• Ontario Institute of Cancer Research (OICR): Clinical Trial, Phase II, 2010-2013.
  Role of Nilotinib on inhibiting growth of vestibular schwannoma.
  PI: Zadeh G. Collaborators: Laperriere N., Mason W.
  $538,000
• Allied Health Research Award, 2012-13.
  Neuropsychological outcomes after anterior skull base surgery a comparison study of a balance cohort operated with an endonasal or transcranial approach.
  PI: Zadeh G.
  Canadian Research Soceity (CRS), 2011-12.
  Brain Tumor Microenvironmental Influences on Response to Therapy.
  PI: Zadeh G.
  $75,000
• Brain Tumor Foundation of Canada, 2011-12.
  Identifying genetic profile of bone invading meningiomas.
  PI: Zadeh G.
  $50,000
• b.r.a.i.n.child Grant, 2011-12.
  Differential Expression Profile of Bone Invading Meningiomas.
  PI: Zadeh G.
  $55,000
• b.r.a.i.n.child Grant, 2010-11.
  Identifying biomarkers of response to anti-angiogenic therapy in combination with radiation therapy for malignant brain tumors.
  PI: Zadeh G.
  $50,000
• b.r.a.i.n.child Grant, 2010-2011.
  Impact of Ionizing Radiation on Normal CNS.
  PI: Zadeh G.
  $30,000
• Canadian Brain Tumor Foundation, 2008-2014.
  Discovery of biomarkers to guide individualized therapy of brain metastasis.
  PI: Menard C., Chung C;  Co-PI: Zadeh G.
  $330,000

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Goetz P, Ebinu JO, Roberge D, Zadeh G. Current standards in the management of cerebral metastases. Int J Surg Oncol. 2012;2012:493426.
• Alahmadi H, Zadeh G. Spinal cord injury after prolonged neck flexion, is it an underestimated risk? Can J Neurol Sci. 2011 Sep;38(5):794-6.
• Hayhurst C, Zadeh G. Tumor pseudoprogression following radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma. Neuro Oncol. 2012 Jan;14(1):87-92.
• Ebinu JO, Shahideh M, Ibrahim GM, Vescan A, Gentili F, Ridout R, Asa S, Zadeh G. Sellar glomangioma. Endocr Pathol. 2011 Dec;22(4):218-21.
• Zadeh G, Salehi F, An S, Uff C, Camp S, Revesz T, Holton J, Thom M, McEvoy AW, Grieve J, Kitchen N, Brandner S. Diagnostic implications of histological analysis of neurosurgical aspirate in addition to routine resections. Neuropathology. 2012 Feb;32(1):44-50.
• Salehi F, Doglietto F, Ridout R, Gentili F, Asa S, Zadeh G. A Case Report and Review of Hyperprolactinemia that is not Prolactinoma. Can J Neurol Sci. 2011 Jul;38(4):652-5.
• Hayhurst C, Monsalves E, Bernstein M, Gentili F, Heydarian M, Tsao M, Schwartz M, van Prooijen M, Millar BA, Ménard C, Kulkarni AV, Laperriere N, Zadeh G. Predicting nonauditory adverse radiation effects following radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma: a volume and dosimetric analysis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Apr 1;82(5):2041-6.
• Hayhurst C, Monsalves E, van Prooijen M, Cusimano M, Tsao M, Menard C, Kulkarni AV, Schwartz M, Zadeh G. Pretreatment predictors of adverse radiation effects after radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Feb 1;82(2):803-8.

Professional Activities and Affiliations

• Co-director, UHN Elizabeth Raab Neurofibromatosis Program, 2015 - present
• Medical Director, Advisory Board, Acoustic Neuroma Association of Canada, 2011 - present
• Executive Member-Neurosurgery Representative, Canadian Brain Tumor Consortium Network, 2009 - present
• Executive Member-Neurosurgery Representative, National Cancer Institute Canada-Clinical Trials Group, 2009 - present
• Facilitator, Neuro-oncology Tumor Board, University Health Network, 2008 - present
• Neurosurgery Director, Brain Tumor Bank, University Health Network, 2008 - present

Selected Awards

• Alan Hudson Teaching Award, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, 2015
• American Brain Tumor Association Young Investigator’s Award American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), 2015
• Ross Fleming Surgical Educator Award, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 2015
• Bernard Langer Surgeon-Scientist Award, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 2014
• Wightman-Berris Academy Postgraduate Education Teaching Excellence Award Wightman-Berris Academy, 2014
• PAIRO Resident Teaching Award, 2013
• Excellence in Adult Translational Research, Principal Author, Society for Neuro-Oncology, United States. (Research Award, Specialty: Neuro-oncology), Best Abstract Presented at Society of Neuro-oncology Annual Meeting, 2012
• Top Rated Abstract, American Association of Neurology, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Research Award), 2011
• CIHR New Investigator Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Health - Canada - Ontario, Quebec City, Canada. (Research Award) CIHR Supported Research Award to New Scientist/Investigators - Weekend Course and Retreat - Career Advancement
• “Best of the Best” Resident Education Abstract Award, American Society of Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology, San Diego, California. (Research Award), 2010
• Annual Clinician Scientist Award, American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), 2010