Behzad Toosi

Behzad Toosi is the Allard Research Chair in Oncology and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine. He holds a DVM from Ferdowski University of Mashad (2002), a PhD in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences (2009), and completed two postdoctoral fellowships at USask. His research focuses on comparative oncology, targeting cancers like lymphoma, osteosarcoma, and melanoma through Eph receptor signaling and translational models.

Dr. Toosi leads the Comparative Oncology Research Group (CORG), leveraging naturally occurring tumors in dogs to accelerate human cancer therapeutic discovery. His recent publications explore PLK1 vulnerabilities, Eph receptor crosstalk, and bispecific antibodies. Research emphasizes drug sensitivity mechanisms, radiopharmaceutical delivery, and kinase-independent tumor suppression. Awards include the Allard Research Chair for pioneering comparative oncology approaches.

Key article themes include receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in cancer progression (Eph/EGFR), innovative therapeutic strategies (bispecific antibodies, radiometalated peptides), and mechanistic insights into chemosensitivity. Canine models bridge translational gaps in osteosarcoma and lymphoma research.