Steven Lubbe, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurology (Movement Disorders)
Research Program
Cancer-Focused Research
Although Parkinson's disease (PD) and cancer are distinct diseases, a relationship between PD and cancer is well established through epidemiological studies that have shown that most cancers are less frequent in PD compared with the general population. An exception to this is cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) which is found at an increased incidence in PD. A genetic link between PD and CMM has been suggested, however there is currently no direct evidence for shared genetic susceptibility between PD and CMM. The Lubbe Lab utilizes a vast array of bioinformatic and computational approaches (including machine learning) to analyse large-scale âomics data to further our understanding of the genomics of complex disease. By integrating genetic data (whole genome/exome, GWAS and/or rare variant genotype data) with brain expression, regulatory data etc., the aim of the Lubbe Lab is to identify novel variants and/or genes associated with disease causality or disease susceptibility. Using this approach, the Lubbe Lab aims to identify genes/variants that influence the etiology of both diseases in carriers in order to further our knowledge of the genetic architecture of both diseases. This may lead to more accurate genetic counselling of both diseases in carriers, and potentially pave the way for the development of better treatments for both diseases.