Catherine Van Raamsdonk

Dr. Catherine Van Raamsdonk serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She leads an active research laboratory at the Life Sciences Institute in Vancouver, BC, specializing in melanoma pathogenesis using genetically engineered mouse models. Her work is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and she supervises graduate students in UBC's Medical Genetics MSc and PhD programs.

Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms transforming normal melanocytes into melanoma, with particular emphasis on uveal melanoma and the role of GNAQ/GNA11 oncogenes. Key projects investigate the developmental origin of ocular melanocytes, transcriptional/proteomic signatures in uveal melanoma, and why GNAQ specifically transforms internal melanocytes (in eyes, dermis, CNS) but not epidermal melanocytes. The lab employs transgenic mouse models to dissect neural crest development, melanocyte migration, and oncogenic signaling pathways.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory in melanoma genetics, particularly the interplay between GNAQ mutations, neurofibromin loss, and BAP1 deficiency in tumor progression. Her work bridges developmental biology with cancer mechanisms, using mouse-human comparative approaches to identify conserved pathways in uveal and cutaneous melanoma. Publications increasingly address therapeutic implications including MEK inhibition and tumor microenvironment interactions.

Dr. Van Raamsdonk is an active member of the Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research Society (PASPCR), contributing to the melanocyte research community. Her laboratory receives primary funding from CIHR, supporting investigations into melanoma initiation, progression, and metastasis using sophisticated genetic models. The lab maintains strong collaborations with clinical researchers to translate basic findings to human melanoma contexts.

The Van Raamsdonk Lab operates within UBC's Life Sciences Institute, providing advanced facilities for mouse genetics, molecular biology, and histopathological analysis. Current work integrates transcriptomic, proteomic, and in vivo modeling approaches to understand melanoma heterogeneity and identify novel therapeutic targets, particularly for treatment-resistant uveal melanoma.