The Dalglish Family 22q Clinic

Congratulations! Our Clinic Director, Dr. Anne Bassett, was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada on December 28^th, 2023. She was honoured “for her research and clinical contributions to advancing our understanding of the genetics of schizophrenia, particularly in the identification and characterization of genetic subtypes of the disorder”. This includes her three decades of clinical care of adults with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS, or “22q”), and her pioneering research to better understand this important genetic condition.

Dr. Bassett is the Dalglish Chair in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, and the Director of the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic at the Toronto General Hospital. Our Clinic provides ongoing care that is devoted to adults with 22q11.2DS of any age, from late teens through older age ranges. Along with many other possible associated conditions, an adult with 22q is about 20 times more likely than someone in the general population to develop schizophrenia, a serious but treatable psychiatric illness. Our multi-disciplinary and family/caregiver approach focuses on anticipatory care tailored to the individual, and partnered with clinicians in the community. Our clinical research enables us to learn from our patients their families, so that we can apply the new knowledge gained as we move forward. The aim is to help adults with 22q achieve the best health and quality of life possible.

We are very excited that Dr. Bassett’s contributions are being recognized by this special honour!

More information

• Order of Canada
  • Official Announcement on December 28^th, 2023
  • List of Appointees
• U of T News
• UHN News

Emily Tjan, our Master’s Student in Biomedical Communications, is a recipient of a 2023 Vesalius Trust Research Grant. The Vesalius Trust provides grant funding to students enrolled in medical illustration programs and who have completed one year of the curriculum. These competitive grants are awarded annually and help fund the students’ research projects and masters’ theses.

For her Masters Research Project, Emily is working with Dr. Bassett and The Dalglish Family 22q Clinic team to create a patient-centred animation to help patients with 22q and their caregivers better understand 22q.

Congratulations, Emily!

Congratulations to Dr. Anthony Lang, who received the 2022 Margolese National Brain Disorders Prize from University of British Columbia. This prize is awarded annually to a Canadian physician or scientist who makes outstanding contributions to the treatment, amelioration, or cure of brain disorders. Dr. Anthony Lang is the Lily Safra Chair in Movement Disorders at the University Health Network (UHN) and a global leader in Parkinson’s disease research. We are very glad that he also works closely with our patients as well.

Congratulations to Adonis Ng, who conducted research with us during his undergraduate years, for receiving the International Society for Adult Congenital Heart Disease Professional Research Award, presented by Dr Oechslin. The award recognizes innovative and outstanding research that results in important insights into the causes, mechanisms, treatments, or outcomes in adults with congenital heart disease.

Adonis’s project title was Incidence of infective endocarditis in adults with congenital heart disease and diagnosed 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. He presented the findings at the International Symposium on Adult Congenital Heart Disease, an online meeting that took place on October 13^th, 2021.

Congratulations! Our Clinic Director, Dr. Anne Bassett, received the 2022 Institute of Medical Science Faculty Recognition Award for Strong Mentorship. This faculty recognition award is presented to IMS faculty members for their strong contribution to graduate mentorship over 5 years.

The graduate supervisor and members of a student’s Program Advisory Committee are the most influential persons in a graduate student’s program. It requires great responsibility, patience, and commitment to mentor each graduate student. From creating learning opportunities, to guiding thesis writing, and providing ongoing encouragement, the faculty members are essential to the academic success of these students.

Our Masters student, Shengjie Ying, has received a 2021 School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Conference Grant, to add to his collection of 2021 awards!

Dr. Sarah Malecki, a resident in Internal Medicine, is the recipient of a 2022 Physicians’ Services Incorporated Foundation Resident Research Grant ($30,000) - her very own operating grant for her ICES study of 22q11.2DS!

Congratulations to Shengjie and Sarah!

Congratulations to Shengjie Ying, who is the 2021 recipient of the Joseph Wong Memorial Graduate Award from the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto.

Shengjie is a Master’s student under the supervision of Dr. Anne Bassett, conducting research on the genetic causes of schizophrenia. His research uses genome sequencing data to understand why a genetic condition called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome causes a 20-fold increase in risk for schizophrenia. They hope that by solving this puzzle, their research will be able to provide a foundation for developing effective therapeutics to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.

One of our collaborators, Dr. Susan George, has been named a Member of the Order of Canada. She has been honoured for her pioneering contributions to the fields of molecular pharmacology and neuroendocrinology.

Dr. George is an endocrinologist at the Toronto General Hospital. She sees many of our patients for 22q11.2DS-related hormonal conditions such as thyroid disease and hypoparathyroidism (low calcium).

Congratulations, Dr. George!

Congratulations to Dr. Anne Bassett, our Clinic Director, who is the 2020 winner of the Lieber Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Schizophrenia Research from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.

Established in 1987, the prize aims to bring public recognition to the outstanding discoveries being made to understand this important brain disease.

Dr. Bassett is only the second Canadian ever to receive this international award. She is hopeful that the future will bring further advances in prevention and treatment.

One of our collaborators, Dr. Anthony Lang, received the Lifetime Achievement Award - Global Impact, one of the 2020 Dean’s Alumni Awards from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Among his many achievements and contributions was his pioneering in the use of specific rating scales for a number of neurological movement disorders. He also advocated for the use of experimental therapeutics in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and was instrumental in changing the way that Parkinson’s disease is evaluated.

Congratulations, Dr. Lang!

One of our collaborators, and an endocrinologist familiar to many of our patients with 22q11.2DS, Dr. Susan George, received the Prix Galien 2019 Canada Research Award – often described as the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in pharmaceutical research.

Dr. George and her co-recipient, Dr. Brian O’Dowd, both of the University of Toronto, identified 70 previously-unknown G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These types of proteins are often involved in interactions with medications. The discoveries of Dr. George and Dr. O’Dowd, along with expansion of the work by a pharmaceutical company, will pave the way for new drug development.

Dr. George, an endocrinologist at the Toronto General Hospital, sees many patients with 22q11.2DS for related hormonal conditions such as thyroid disease and hypoparathyroidism (low calcium).

Congratulations, Dr. George!

Our graduate student, Ania Fiksinski, received the €4,500 award to support her PhD research in intellectual functioning in individuals with 22q and visits to Toronto. Congratulations, Ania!

Lisa Palmer and Joanne Loo were recognized for 5 years of service at UHN on May 8^th, 2019. Lisa is the Social Worker and Joanne is the Patient and Family Education Tool Developer and Website Manager at the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic.

Congratulations!

(From left to right: Joanne Loo and Lisa Palmer)

Congratulations to our research associate and former Dalglish Fellow, Dr. Erik Boot, who received a Travel Grant from the Society for the Study of Behavioural Phenotypes (SSBP) in December 2018.

Dr. Boot will be using the grant to travel from the Netherlands to Toronto in 2019 to follow up with the patients in his study: “Moving beyond Parkinson’s disease in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: a study on movement disorders in adults”.

We look forward to seeing Dr. Boot again in the Clinic!

Dr. Anthony Lang, a wonderful colleague who takes care of many patients with 22q, received the Weston Brain Institute International Outstanding Achievement Award on October 30^th, 2018.

Dr. Lang is the Director of the Edmond J. Safra program in Parkinson’s Disease at the University Health Network and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is considered the world leader in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and has published more than 700 articles in the area. He is a founding member of the Parkinson Study group, the largest worldwide network of PD clinicians focused on clinical trials for Parkinson’s treatments.

The Weston Brain Institute International Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes an exceptional researcher who has made significant advances in accelerating the development of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases of aging through translational research, has demonstrated remarkable leadership, and has a record of impeccable citizenship in the research community. The 2018 prize of $40,000 was provided by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, and was open to researchers based in Canada.

Congratulations, Dr. Lang!

Our research analyst, Tracy Heung, was one of two recipients of the Junior Investigator Award for the most outstanding presentation by a junior faculty member at The 11^th Biennial International 22q11.2 Conference in Whistler, BC, in July, 2018. Tracy’s presentation was titled “Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Adults with 22q11.2DS”.

Our graduate (PhD) student, Ania Fiksinski, was one of two recipients of the same award in July, 2016 in Sirmione, Italy. Ania’s presentation was entitled “Autism Spectrum and Psychosis Risk in the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: Findings From a Prospective Longitudinal Study”.

Congratulations!

Left: Tracy Heung, Ania Fiksinski, and Lisanne Vervoort in Whistler in July, 2018
Right: Dr. Jacob Vorstman, Ania Fiksinski, and Dr. Anne Bassett in Sirmione in July, 2016

Our Director, Dr. Anne Bassett, received the 2017 Institute of Medical Science (IMS) Mel Silverman Mentorship Award on May 3^rd, 2017. This award is presented to an IMS graduate faculty member who has served as an outstanding mentor and role model for graduate students, and who has contributed in a significant way to the IMS graduate program. All candidates for this award are nominated by IMS graduate students.

Congratulations!

Dr. Erik Boot received the 2015-2016 Max Alexandroff Award given by the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto in June 2016 for his outstanding achievements as a Fellow.

Congratulations!

Dr. Elemi Breetvelt received the following awards from the University Health Network - Centre for Mental Health:

• 2016-2017 Fellow Research Award
• 2017-2018 Fellow Research Award

The Research Award acknowledges Fellows at UHN who have made outstanding contributions to the field of Mental Health. Dr. Breetvelt received this award for his work in schizophrenia research, with the generous support of the Mukhurjee family.

Congratulations!

Dr. Erik Boot received the following awards from the University Health Network - Centre for Mental Health:

• 2015-2016 Fellow Research Award
• 2015-2016 Fellowship Travel Award
• 2014-2015 Fellow Research Award

Congratulations!

These are photos from the award ceremony for the 2014-15 year.

Our Dalglish Fellow, Dr. Erik Boot, is a McLaughlin Early Career Investigator Award winner for the 2015 World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics in Toronto, Canada from October 16-20, 2015. Congratulations!

The Angelo DiGeorge Medal recognizes an outstanding contribution to our understanding and/or treatment of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, and was inaugurated in 2010 to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Angelo DiGeorge.

Prospective recipients may be:

• Basic scientists working on the molecular, cellular, or developmental basis of the condition,
• Clinical scientists working on diagnosis and treatment of any aspect of the syndrome,
• Allied health professionals, educators or welfare workers who make major contributions to the wellbeing of patients and families affected,
• Exceptionally, organizations who fund or facilitate the above activities

The 2014 recipient, presented at the 9th Biennial International 22q11.2 Syndrome Meeting in Mallorca, Spain:
Dr. Anne S. Bassett, MD, FRCPC

Congratulations!

The University of Toronto honours staff and faculty who have given 25, 35 and 40 years of service. The reception for this award takes place every spring. On May 7, 2014, Dr. Bassett received the 25 Year Service Award.

Congratulations!

One of our collaborators, Dr. Anthony Lang, has been ranked among the world’s most highly influential biomedical researchers by the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. Here are the original publication and the news on the UHN website.

Dr. Lang, a neurologist at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC), works heavily with our clinic in the field of Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders.

Congratulations, Dr. Lang!