For more information, visit:

• Advances in Neuroblastoma Research (ANR) 2012
• The James Fund for Neuroblastoma Research

Brief Biography

Dr. Baruchel received his MD degree in 1977 from the Rene Descartes University in Paris and was recruited to the Haematology/Oncology Division at the Montreal Children's Hospital in Canada in 1988 where he was Director of the Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Comprehensive Care Programs and Medical Coordinator of the Hematology/Oncology In-Patient Unit.

In 1996, Dr. Baruchel was recruited to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto where he is currently a member of the Solid Tumour Section in the Division of Haematology/Oncology, as well as Director of the New Agent and Innovative Therapy Program, a program that sees all patients with refractory or recurrent disease who are eligible for phase 1 clinical trials. Dr. Baruchel is the Principal Investigator for the Institution's participation in the Phase 1 consortium of the Children's Oncology Group (COG). Dr. Baruchel’s laboratory serves as a reference laboratory for COG clinical trials related to angiogenesis. 

Dr. Baruchel is  the Chair of the Canadian pediatric phase 1 consortium under the hospice of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Clinical Trials Group. Dr Baruchel also initiated the James Birrell fund at The Hospital for Sick Children, a fundraising initiative dedicated to neuroblastoma research.

Dr. Baruchel developed and led the innovative Tip of the Toes Foundation, an organization dedicated to the promotion of outdoor expeditions and other nature-oriented experiences for children and adolescents with cancer in order to foster their self-esteem and self-confidence. In the summer of 2000, the expedition sponsored a millennium project entitled "Life is Beautiful" that brought teenagers with cancer from across the country to Nunavut with the final destination being Ellesmere National Park.

In 2010, Dr. Baruchel was awarded the Légion D'honneur (equivalent to the Order of Canada) from the French government for his work done in the last ten years in the field of rehabilitation and increasing self-esteem in childhood cancer and more importantly for philanthropic activity, fundraising, and developing the concept of Adventure Therapy.

Dr. Baruchel was elected Chair of the Advances in Neuroblastoma Research (ANR) 2012 meeting which will be held in Toronto, June 18-21, 2012. ANR is the annual international symposium dedicated to preclinical and clinical research in neuroblastoma. Every two years, the meeting brings together 700 researchers from around the world who focus on neuroblastoma research. This will be one of the major international events in paediatric oncology in 2012.

Research Interests

• Angiogenesis
• Clinical pharmacology
• Experimental therapies in children with cancer and serious blood disorders
• Phase I & Phase II clinical trials
• Surrogate markers

External Funding

• Children's Oncology Group (COG)
• National Cancer Institute of Canada, Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG)
• New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT)
• Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma (TACL)

Achievements

• 2010 - Légion d'honneur, France
• 2006- Civisme prize, National Order of Merit, France

Publications

Pasquier E, Kieran MW, Sterba J, Shaked Y, Baruchel S, Oberlin O, Kivivuori MS, Peyrl A, Diawarra M, Casanova M, Zacharoulis S, Vassal G, Berthold F, Verschuur A, André N: Moving forward with metronomic chemotherapy: meeting report of the 2nd international workshop on metronomic and anti-angiogenic chemotherapy in paediatric oncology. Translational Oncology 2011: 4(4): pp 203-11.  

Kumar S, Bayat Mokhtari R, Shiekh R, Wu B, Zhang L, Xu P, Man S, Oliveira ID, Yeger H, Kerbel RS, Baruchel S: Metronomic Oral Topotecan with Pazopanib is an Active Antiangiogenic Regimen in Mouse Models of Aggressive Pediatric Solid Tumor. Clinical Cancer Research 2011: 17(17): pp 5656-67.  

Dubois SG, Shusterman S, Ingle AM, Ahern CH, Reid JM, Wu B, Baruchel S, Glade Bender J, Ivy P, Grier HE, Adamson PC, Blaney SM: Phase I and Pharmacokinetic Study of Sunitinib in Pediatric Patients with Refractory Solid Tumors: A Children's Oncology Group Study. Clinical Cancer Research 2011 Jun 20. [Epub ahead of print].  

DuBois S, Stempak D, Wu B, Mokhtari R, Rakesh N, Janeway K, Goldsby R, Grier H, Baruchel S: Circulating Endothelial Cells and Circulating Endothelial Precursor Cells in Patients with Osteosarcoma. Pediatric Blood and Cancer 2011: Feb 11doi: 10.1002/pbc.23046. [Epub ahead of print].  

Bartels U, Baruchel S, Carret AS, Crooks B, Hukin J, Johnston D, Silva M, Strother D, Wilson B, Zelcer S, Eisenstat D, Sung L, Bouffet E: The use and effectiveness of temozolomide in children with central nervous system tumours: a survey from the Canadian Paediatric Brain Tumour Consortium. Current Oncology 2011: 18(1): pp e19-24.  

Gesundheit B, Parkin P, Greenberg M, Baruchel S, Senger C, Kapelushnik J, Smith C, Klement GL: The role of angiogenesis in the transformation of plexiform neurofibroma into malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in children with neurofibromatosis type 1. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 2010: 32(7): pp 548-553.  

Ryan C, Price V, John P, Mahant S, Baruchel S, Brandao L, Blanchette V, Pope E, Weinstein M:  Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon:  a single centre experience. European Journal of Haematology 2010: 84(2): pp 97-104.  

Smith KM, Datti A, Fujitani M, Grinshtein N, Zhang L, Morozova O, Blakely KM, Rotenberg SA, Hansford LM, Miller FD, Yeger H, Irwin MS, Moffat J, Marra MA, Baruchel S, Wrana JL, Kaplan DR:  Selective targeting of neuroblastoma tumour-initiating cells by compounds identified in stem cell-based small molecule screens.  EMBO Molecular Medicine 2010: 2(9): pp 371-384.  

Sharp JR, Bouffet E, Stempak D, Gammon J, Stephens D, Johnston DL, Eisenstat D, Hukin J, Samson Y, Bartels U, Tabori U, Huang A, Baruchel S:  A multi-centre Canadian pilot study of metronomic temozolomide combined with radiotherapy for newly diagnosed paediatric brainstem glioma.  European Journal of Cancer 2010: 46(18): pp 3271-3279.  

Baruchel S, Sharp JR, Bartels U, Hukin J, Odame I, Portwine C, Strother D, Fryer C, Halton J, Egorin MJ, Reis RM, Martinho O, Stempak D, Hawkins C, Gammon J, Bouffet E:  A Canadian paediatric brain tumour consortium (CPBTC) phase II molecularly targeted study of imatinib in recurrent and refractory paediatric central nervous system tumours.  European Journal of Cancer 2009: 45(13): pp 2352-2359.  

Zhang L, Smith KM, Chong AL, Stempak D, Yeger H, Marrano P, Thorner PS, Irwin MS, Kaplan DR, Baruchel S:  In Vivo antitumor and ant-metastatic activity of sunitinib in preclinical neuroblastoma mouse model.   Neoplasia 2009: 11(5): pp 426-435.  

Lau LMS, Wolter JK, Lau JTML, Cheng LS, Smith KM, Hansford LM, Zhang L, Baruchel S, Robinson F, Irwin MS: Cyclooxygenase inhibitors differentially modulate p73 isoforms in neuroblastoma. Oncogene 2009: 28(19): pp 2024-2033.  

Das B, Antoon R, Tsuchida R, Lotfi S, Morozova O, Farhat W, Malkin D, Koren G, Yeger H, Baruchel S:  Squalene selectively protects mouse bone marrow progenitors against cisplatin and carboplatin-induced cytotoxicity in vivo without protecting tumor growth.  Neoplasia 2008: 10(10): pp 1105-1119.  

Das B, Tsuchida R, Malkin D, Koren G, Baruchel S, Yeger H: Hypoxia enhances tumor stemness by increasing the invasive and tumorigenic side-population fraction.  Stem Cells 2008: 26(7): pp 1818-1830.  

Tsuchida R, Das B, Yeger H, Koren G, Shibuya M, Thorner PS, Baruchel S, Malkin D: Cisplatin treatment increases survival and expansion of a highly tumorigenic side-population fraction by upregulating VEGF/Flt1 autocrine signaling. Oncogene 2008: 27(28): pp 3923-3934.  

Glade Bender JL, Adamson PC, Reid JM, Xu L, Baruchel S, Shaked Y, Kerbel RS, Cooney-Qualter EM, Stempak D, Chen HX, Nelson MD, Krailo MD, Ingle AM, Blaney SM, Kandel JJ, Yamashiro DJ: Phase I trial and pharmacokinetic study of bevacizumab in pediatric patients with refractory solid tumors:  a Children's Oncology Group study.  Journal of Clinical Oncology 2008: 26(3): pp 399-405.  

Epstein I, Stevens B, McKeever P, Baruchel S, Jones H: Using puppetry to elicit children's talk for research.  Nursing Inquiry 2008: 15(1): pp 49-56.  

Shah N, Leaker MT, Teshima I, Baruchel S, Abdelhaleem M, Ye CC: Late-appearing Philadelphia chromosome in childhood acute myeloid leukemia.  Pediatric Blood & Cancer 2008: 50(5): pp 1052-1053.  

Bernhard N, Morris SK, Taylor G, Oudjhane K, Baruchel S: Massive intrathoracic tumor in a relatively asymptomatic boy.  Pediatric Annals 2007: 36(10): pp 632, 634-635.  

Pope E, Krafchick BR, Macarthur C, Stempak D, Stephens D, Weinstein M, Ho N, Baruchel S: Oral versus high-dose pulse corticosteroids for problematic infantile hemangiomas:  a randomized controlled trial.  Pediatrics 2007: 119(6): pp e1239-1247.  

Zhang L, Yeger H, Das B, Irwin MS, Baruchel S: Tissue microenvironment modulates CXCR4 expression and tumor metastasis in neuroblastoma.  Neoplasia 2007: 9(1): pp 36-46.  

Seely D, Stempak D, Baruchel S: A strategy for controlling potential interactions between natural health products and chemotherapy:  a review in pediatric oncology.  Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 2007: 29(1): pp 32-47.  

Stempak D, Gammon J, Halton J, Moghrabi A, Koren G, Baruchel S: A pilot pharmacokinetic and antiangiogenic biomarker study of celecoxib and low-dose metronomic vinblastine or cyclophosphamide in pediatric recurrent solid tumors.  Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 2006: 28(11): pp 720-728.  

Lau L, Hansford LM, Cheng LS, Hang M, Baruchel S, Kaplan DR, Irwin MS: Cyclooxygenase inhibitors modulate the p53/HDM2 pathway and enhance chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma.  Oncogene 2006: 26(13): pp 1920-1931.  

Buckstein R, Kerbel RS, Shaked Y, Nayar R, Foden C, Turner R, Lee CR, Taylor D, Zhang L, Man S, Baruchel S, Stempak D, Bertolini F, Crump M: High-Dose Celecoxib and Metronomic “Low Dose” Cyclophosphamide Is an Effective and Safe Therapy in Patients with Relapsed and Refractory Aggressive Histology Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  Clinical Cancer Research 2006: 12(17): pp 5190-5198.  

Baruchel S, Diezi M, Hargrave D, Stempak D, Gammon J, Moghrabi A, Coppes MJ, Fernandez CV, Bouffet E: Safety and pharmacokinetics of temozolomide using a dose-escalation, metronomic schedule in recurrent paediatric brain tumours.  European Journal of Cancer 2006: 42(14): pp 2335-2342.  

Epstein I, Stevens B, McKeever P, Baruchel S: Photo Elicitation Interview (PEI):  Using Photos to Elicit Children's Perspectives.  International Journal of Qualitative Methods 2006: 5(3): pp 1-11.  

Tomlinson D, Capra M, Gammon J, Volpe J, Barrera M, Hinds PS, Bouffet E, Greenberg ML, Baruchel S, Llewellyn-Thomas HA, Sung L: Parental decision making in pediatric cancer end-of-life care:  using focus group methodology as a prephase to seek participant design input.  European Journal of Oncology Nursing 2006: 10(3): pp 198-206.  

Baruchel S, Stempak D: Low-Dose Metronomic Chemotherapy:  Myth or Truth? Onkologie 2006: 29(7): pp 305-307.  

Stempak D, Seely D, Baruchel S: Metronomic dosing of chemotherapy:  applications in pediatric oncology.  Cancer Investigation 2006: 24(4): pp 432-443(12).  

Lee A, Frischer J, Serur A, Huang J, Bae JO, Kornfield ZN, Eljuga L, Shawbur CJ, Feirt N, Mansukhani M, Stempak D, Baruchel S, Glade Bender J, Kandel JJ, Yamashiro DJ: Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 disrupts tumor vascular mural cell recruitment and survival signaling.  Cancer Research 2006: 66(8): pp 4378-4384.