William Foulkes
Chair, Department of Human Genetics, McGill
Member, Cancer Axis, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
Member, Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
- Hereditary cancer susceptibility
- BRCA1
- DICER1
- SMARCA4
- small cell carcinoma of the ovary
- hypercalcemic type
Dr. Foulkes holds a BSc in Anatomy, a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of London. He came to McGill University in 1994 for post-doctoral studies in cancer genetics, then established himself as a professor of Medicine, Oncology and Human Genetics and as a practicing cancer geneticist and principal investigator at two McGill affiliated hospitals and research institutes. He is currently Chair of Human Genetics at McGill and Director of Medical Genetics at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital and the McGill University Health Centre.
He co-authored over 750 peer-reviewed manuscripts and received multiple awards. His research contributions include advancements in understanding BRCA-related cancers; the study of several cancer predisposition founder mutations in Quebec populations; extensive work on DICER1 tumour predisposition syndrome; and the discovery that SMARCA4 is the causative factor in Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic type.
