Mark Nachtigal, PhD

Research summary

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of death by cancer amongst women.

Dr. Mark Nachtigal’s laboratory uses a combination of cellular and molecular approaches to investigate human EOC biology with a special interest in recurrent, chemotherapy-resistant disease. The ability to isolate and use patient donated EOC cells for his research provides a relevant model to assess cell responses.

In particular he, in collaboration with other University of Manitoba scientists, is evaluating novel lipid-based therapeutics for treatment of chemoresistant EOC. This laboratory-based research is being complemented by epidemiologic studies to evaluate outcomes for the EOC population.

Research themes

• Epithelial ovarian cancer models
• Novel therapeutics for epithelial ovarian cancer
• Epithelial ovarian cancer patient epidemiology

Keywords

• Epithelial ovarian cancer
• Glycosylated antitumor ether lipid (GAEL)
• Primary patient samples

Research affiliation

• Senior scientist, Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba

Research groups

• Manitoba Ovarian Cancer Outcomes study group (MOCO)
• Manitoba Ovarian Cancer Research group (MOCR)

Dr. Mark Nachtigal received his bachelor of science (biology) and PhD (molecular endocrinology) degrees from the University of Manitoba.

His post-doctoral research was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, in the area of mammalian reproductive tract development.

Throughout his graduate and post-graduate training, his research projects retained a link to human reproductive cancer biology.

In 1998, Dr.  Nachtigal was recruited to Dalhousie University as the Rossetti Scholar for Cancer Research to study human epithelial ovarian cancer.

While at Dalhousie University, he served as the co-chair of the Nova Scotia Cancer Research Training Program and as a member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Cancer Research Advisory Board.

In 2010, Dr. Nachtigal returned to Manitoba to continue his research on epithelial ovarian cancer.

He is currently an associate professor of biochemistry and medical genetics, and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and director of the Advanced Degrees in Medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine. He is also director of the Interdisciplinary Health Program for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Dr. Nachtigal is a senior scientist in the Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology at CancerCare Manitoba.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Endocrinology, University of Michigan (1993)

Pre-Master's, University of Michigan (1988)

Bachelor of Science (General), University of Michigan (1987)