Meet the Team
Meet the Team: Sarcoma
Our multidisciplinary approach to sarcoma care offers specialized expertise in treatment planning and delivery of timely and comprehensive care for patients with typical, rare and complex bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
Patients with sarcoma often require a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Your treatment team of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and surgical oncologists work together with nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, dietitians and other allied health professionals to develop a plan of care that is personalized to provide the best patient-centered care to every patient.
Dr. Salawu is currently appointed as Staff Medical Oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University of Toronto. He treats sarcoma and gastrointestinal tract cancers. He underwent specialty training in Oncology in Sheffield, United Kingdom and subsequently completed fellowship training in Toronto. Prior to this, he obtained Masters’ and Doctoral degrees from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, during which he studied structural and functional genomics, disease models and biomarker development. He is the recipient of Novartis Oncology Young Canadian Investigator Award and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Merit and Young Investigator Awards. His research interests are in translational oncology, biomarker and drug development.
Dr. Geoffrey Watson is a Staff Medical Oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He completed his basic and specialized training in medical oncology in Dublin, Ireland and joined the Drug Development and Sarcoma Programs at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as a clinical research fellow in 2019. During this time he served as the Chief Fellow of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology. During this time he was awarded with a Hold’em for Life Oncology Clinician Scientist Award in 2019, an ASCO Merit Award in 2020 and 2021 as well as the Novartis Oncology Young Canadian Investigator Award in 2020 and 2021. He has also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science as well as a Master’s degree in Pharmacological Bioinformatics at University College Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Watson’s clinical focus is on the treatment of sarcoma and breast cancer. His academic interest is in patient reported outcomes and quality of life, and he also has an interest in teaching and education, particularly the evolving role of virtual education. He is currently the Integrated Clinical Experience Year 1 (ICE-1) Site Coordinator at Mount Sinai Hospital and also serves on the Virtual Care Continuous Professional Development Committee at the University Health Network.
- Dr. Albiruni Razak
- Dr. Abha Gupta
- Dr. Charles Catton
- Dr. Peter Chung
- Dr. David Shultz
Dr. Jay Wunder is an orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Sinai and Princess Margaret Hospitals since 1995, Dr. Wunder holds the University of Toronto/Mount Sinai Hospital Rubinoff-Gross Chair in Orthopaedic Oncology. He is also the Director of the University Musculoskeletal Oncology Unit at Mount Sinai. His clinical practice is completely focused on musculoskeletal oncology, and in particular, the treatment of patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas. At the University of Toronto, he is a professor in the Department of Surgery. He has received numerous teaching awards from the University of Toronto for undergraduate and postgraduate education and leads an internationally acclaimed and highly sought after orthopaedic oncology fellowship program. For his research on the development of musculoskeletal tumours, he was awarded the prestigious OREF Kappa Delta Research Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
- Dr. Peter Ferguson
- Dr. Kim Tsoi
Dr. Swallow is a surgical oncologist at Princess Margaret Hospital and a member of the Division of General Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. She graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School and trained in the General Surgery Residency Program at the University of Toronto as a member of the Surgical Scientist Training Program, completing a PhD in cell biology and surgical sepsis in 1993. After this she completed clinical fellowship training in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is currently a professor in the Department of Surgery and Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. Her areas of clinical expertise include retroperitoneal sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumour, gastric cancer and rectal cancer. Her laboratory research is focused on cell cycle regulation and carcinogenesis. Dr. Swallow was the Director of the University of Toronto General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program from 1997–2009, Head of the Division of General Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, and became Chair of the Division of General Surgery at the University of Toronto in 2014. She is the Chair of the Royal College General Surgical Oncology Specialty Committee and the President-Elect of the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology. She is the author of 50 peer-reviewed papers and holds $310,000 annually in CIHR and NCIC grants.
A graduate of Queen’s University Medical School, Dr. Gladdy entered the General Surgery Training Program at The University of Toronto in 1996. During her general surgery training, she undertook research studies as a graduate student in cancer genetics at the University of Toronto, and received her Ph.D. in molecular biology in 2003. She became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2005. After a clinical fellowship in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY, she began her surgical oncology staff appointment at Mount Sinai and Princess Margaret Hospitals in 2008. Dr. Gladdy is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. Her clinical practice is focused on the management of soft-tissue sarcomas and GI cancers. Dr. Gladdy is also a clinician-scientist at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and her research laboratory is at Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital where she is currently conducting research in the genetics of sarcoma.
Dr. Savtaj Brar is a surgical oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests include gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and soft-tissue sarcoma.
- Dr. Elizabeth Demicco
- Dr. David Howarth
- Dr. Brendan Dickson
- Dr. Larry White
- Dr. Robert Bleakney
- Dr. Ali Naraghy
- Dr. Rakesh Mohankumar
- Dr. Anne O’Neill (TGH)
- Dr. Stefan Hofer (TGH)
Dr. Jon Hunter is the psychiatrist who focuses on the psychosocial care of patients undergoing diagnosis and treatment for cancer. As the Head of the Consultation-Liaison Program in the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital, he also teaches undergraduate and post-graduate students and conducts research. The research topics include: minimizing chemotherapy side-effects via pre-emptive relaxation training, psychological support for women in high-risk families and the possible interactions between early life experience and coping with illness. In the oncology program Dr. Hunter sees people for diagnosis and treatment of coping-related issues and distress in cancer, often in collaboration with social work, nursing and oncology colleagues.
- Dr. Ramona Mahtani (inpatient)
- Dr. Leah Steinberg (inpatient)
- Dr. Rebecca Colman (inpatient)
- Dr. Harleen Toor (outpatient)
- Dr. Victor Cellarius (outpatient)
- Anthony Griffin
- Raghda AlAtia
An oncology nurse is a nurse who has extra training in the provision of chemotherapy. He or she will administer your chemotherapy and supportive medications, conduct health histories and help you manage any treatment side effects.
Oncology social workers are specially trained to help support patients and their families through their cancer experiences. They help navigate practical supports such as finances and transportation, make referrals to community resources and offer emotional support and counselling.
Oncology pharmacists verify and dispense your cancer related medications. The pharmacist will explain how your cancer medication works, its purpose and effects, the common treatment schedule, how it is administered, what side effects to look out for and how to manage or prevent them. The pharmacist will also review your home medications and natural supplements, screen for drug interactions, review any dietary restrictions or medication precautions.
Your treatment plan may include supportive care and/or cancer medications that are not funded by the government or partially covered by your private drug plan. The Medication Reimbursement Specialist (MRS) can provide you with access to patient support programs that can offer financial assistance, compassionate (free) drug or bridging drug supply while you wait for public or private coverage. The MRS also assists patients that do not have any drug coverage, providing information on the Trillium Drug Program and help with the application form. This support is available, helping patients navigate the complex system between government, private insurance and drug companies.
Your occupational therapist will assess and provide recommendations and treatments for patients to maximize their functional independence after surgery. These recommendations may include prescription of assistive devices, strategies to manage daily activities while considering mobility limitations, and education. Occupational therapists collaborate with the inter-professional team for coordination of care on discharge.
Your physiotherapist will work closely with you during your postoperative recovery for mobility progression and rehabilitation. They will aim to optimize your independence, offer exercises and energy conservation plans during chemotherapy and provide education. Physiotherapists collaborate with the inter-professional team to coordinate care on your discharge.
A dietitian can provide nutrition tips and strategies to patients having difficulty eating normally or who are losing weight as a result of the cancer or cancer treatments. Dietitians complete a full medical and nutritional history in order to provide nutrition education and recommendations tailored to patient’s individual needs.
If you are First Nations, Inuit or Métis and screening for cancer or have cancer, our Indigenous Patient Navigator can help: answer your questions about what to expect with upcoming appointments or tests, introduce you to your health care providers, find more information about cancer and treatment, connect you with spiritual support, as well as support in the community and assist with applications for financial and transportation services.
You may ask your health care provider to make a referral.
