Gregory Czarnota

PhD, MD
Senior scientist
gregory.czarnota@sunnybrook.ca
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Phone: 416-480-6128
Fax: 416-480-6002

Research Assistant:

Ram Mohabir
Phone: 416-480-6128
Fax: 416-480-6002
Email: ram.mohabir@sunnybrook.ca

Dr. Czarnota is conducting research focused on using ultrasound imaging and spectroscopy at conventional and high frequencies to detect apoptosis and other forms of cell death in response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In addition to being a scientist in the imaging discipline he is an MD in the department of radiation oncology with applied research in breast cancer patients. His basic science research interests include studies in biochemistry, chromatin biology, biophysics, medicine and oncology.

Dr. Czarnota, along with his collaborator Dr. Michael Kolios, discovered that ultrasound could be used to detect apoptosis. This finding has since been applied to important questions in oncology and organ transplantation. Our research group has demonstrated that this special form of cell death may be detected using ultrasound imaging and spectroscopy in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. The use of ultrasound to detect apoptosis and other forms of cell death has numerous applications listed below.

Education

  • B.Sc., 1991, Biochemistry, McMaster University, Canada
  • PhD, 1995, Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
  • MD, 2000, University of Toronto, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Senior scientist, Physical Sciences, Odette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
  • Radiation oncologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • Associate professor, departments of radiation oncology and medical biophysics, University of Toronto

Research Foci

  • Spectroscopy of cancer therapy responses
  • Ultrasound imaging

Publications

Affiliated Labs & Programs

Selected Publications

  1. Tunis AS, Czarnota GJ, Giles A, Sherar MD, Hunt JW and Kolios MC. Monitoring structural changes in cells with high frequency ultrasound signal statistics. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2005 Aug; 31(8):1041–1049.

  2. Czarnota GJ. Role of ultrasound in the detection of apoptosis. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2005 May; 32(5):622–632.

  3. Kolios MC, Czarnota GJ, Lee M, Hunt JW, Sherar MD. Ultrasonic spectral parameter characterization of apoptosis. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2002 May; 28(5): 589–597.

  4. Czarnota GJ, Kolios M, Abraham J, Portnoy M, Sherar MD, Ottensmeyer FP and Hunt JW. Ultrasound imaging of apoptosis: high resolution non-invasive monitoring of programmed cell death in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. Br J Cancer. 1999 Oct; 81(3):520–527.

  5. Czarnota GJ, Kolios M, Vaziri H, Benchimol S, Ottensmeyer FP and Hunt JW. Ultrasound biomicroscopy of living, dead, and apoptotic cells. Ultrasound Med Biol. 1997; 23(6):961–965.

In the News