The role of precision medicine in pediatric oncology: An interview with Dr. David Malkin

Dr. David Malkin is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, and both a Staff Oncologist and Senior Scientist at The Hospital For Sick Children (SickKids). He holds the CIBC Children’s Foundation Chair in Child Health Research and is the Director of the Cancer Genetics program at SickKids. He is also the co-lead for the SickKids Precision Child Health initiative. He co-directs the SickKids Cancer Sequencing (KiCS) program and the pan-Canadian PRecision Oncology For Young peopLE (PROFYLE) initiative, both of which are establishing pipelines to incorporate next generation sequencing (NGS) into clinical trials for Canadian children and young adults with hard-to-cure cancers. Dr. Malkin’s research focuses on genetic mechanisms of cancer susceptibility, particularly in the context of TP53 and Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Additionally, it explores the application of genomics to surveillance and treatment approaches for individuals at genetic risk for cancer. He is recognized internationally for his expertise in cancer genetics, pediatric oncology, and cancer predisposition.