Roderick Slavcev

Roderick Slavcev
Associate Professor
Location: PHR 4003

Biography

Dr. Slavcev’s research specializes in bacteriophage-based biotechnology and exploits phage genetic systems and phage themselves in the generation of novel therapeutic platforms. With particular focus on coliphages, his lab’s research designs and constructs vectors for novel vaccines, gene delivery systems and immunotherapeutics. In addition his team identifies and applies novel phage genomic anti-bacterial genes with potential phage therapy applications. Research in the Slavcev lab is heavily multidisciplinary, integrating genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, gene therapy, virology, therapeutic design, and synthetic in vivo biology.

Research Interests

  • Therapeutic design

  • Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery

  • Oncology & infectious disease immunotherapy

  • Dementia therapeutics and vaccine design

  • iNeuron Cell Therapy

  • Ocular Biology

  • Anti-bacterials

  • Phage-based therapeutic platforms

  • Phage-based biomanufacturing

  • Vaccines

  • Gene editing

  • Targeted gene therapy

  • Nanomaterials

  • Bionanotechnology and Biosensors

Scholarly Research

Dr. Slavcev’s interests are in genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, gene therapy, virology, therapeutic design, and synthetic in vivo biology. His research projects at Theraphage focus on bacteriophage-based biotechnology and include the use of coliphages to design and construct vectors for the development of novel vaccines, pharmaceuticals and gene delivery systems, and the identification and application of novel phage genomic anti-bacterial genes with potential phage therapy applications.

Funding Agencies: NSERC Discovery, NSERC Alliance, NSERC CREATE, NFRF Transformation, MITACS, NGEN, NRC-IRAP, CIHR

Industrial Research

Chief Technology Officer, Mediphage Bioceuticals, Inc., MaRS Toronto, ON (2017-Pres) & Principle Investigator, Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong (2020-Pres)

Education

  • 2006 MBA Biotechnology Management and Commercialization, Edwards School of Business, Canada

  • 2005 Research Associate Fellowship Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Canada

  • 2002 PhD Microbial Genetics, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

  • 1995 HBSc, University of Toronto, Canada

Awards

  • ASGCT Research Award

  • WIN Research Award

  • JNJ Innovation Labs Technology Award

  • Illumina Next Generation Sequencing Award

  • Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) & Janssen Innovation in Education Award

Service

  • Resident (Mediphage), Johnson & Johnson Innovation Labs (Toronto), 2017 - Present

Professional Associations

  • Chartered Biologist, Royal Society of Biology (MRSB, C. Biol designation)

  • Member, American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, 2012-Present

  • Member, American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

  • Member, Canadian Society for Microbiology

Affiliations and Volunteer Work

  • Cross-appoints, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo

  • Member, Centre of Bioengineering and Biotechnology

  • Member. Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology

  • Member, Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research

  • Member, Bioworks Research Group

Teaching*

  • PHARM 232 - Medical Microbiology
    • Taught in 2024
  • PHARM 401 - Independent Study 2
    • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2025
  • PHARM 610 - Topics in Drug Development
    • Taught in 2024, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

Selected/Recent Publications

  • Talebnia, F., Pushparajah, D., Chandrasekaran, S., Hersch, S. J., Nafissi, N., & Slavcev, R. (2023). Application of an electro elution system for direct purification of linear covalently closed DNA fragments. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences, 1218, 123622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123622

  • Wong, Shirley & Jimenez, Salma & Slavcev, Roderick. (2023). Construction and characterization of a novel miniaturized filamentous phagemid for targeted mammalian gene transfer. Microbial Cell Factories. 22. 10.1186/s12934-023-02135-w.

  • St. Jean, Jesse & Slavcev, Roderick & Nekkar Rao, Praveen (2023). The effects of amyloid beta aggregation on neuronal transcription. IBRO Neuroscience Reports. 14: 375–379.

  • Huh, Haein & Chen, Ding-Wen & Foldvari, Marianna & Slavcev, Roderick & Blay, Jonathan. (2022). EGFR-targeted bacteriophage lambda penetrates model stromal and colorectal carcinoma tissues, is taken up into carcinoma cells, and interferes with 3-dimensional tumor formation. Frontiers in Immunology. 13. 10.3389/fimmu.2022.957233.

  • Wong, Shirley & Alattas, Hibah & Slavcev, Roderick. (2021). A snapshot of the λ T4rII exclusion (Rex) phenotype in Escherichia coli. Current Genetics. 67. 10.1007/s00294-021-01183-2.

  • Pushparajah, Deborah & Jimenez, Salma & Wong, Shirley & Alattas, Hibah & Nafissi, Nafiseh & Slavcev, Roderick. (2021). Advances in gene-based vaccine platforms to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 170. 10.1016/j.addr.2021.01.003.

  • Alattas, Hibah & Wong, Shirley & Slavcev, Roderick. (2020). Identification of Escherichia coli Host Genes That Influence the Bacteriophage Lambda (λ) T4rII Exclusion (Rex) Phenotype. Genetics. 216. 10.1534/genetics.120.303643.

  • Huh, Haein & Wong, Shirley & St. Jean, Jesse & Slavcev, Roderick. (2019). Bacteriophage Interactions with Mammalian Tissue: Therapeutic Applications. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 145. 10.1016/j.addr.2019.01.003.

  • Razazan, Atefeh & Nicastro, Jessica & Slavcev, Roderick & Barati, Nastaran & Arab, Atefeh & Mosaffa, Fatemeh & Jaafari, mahmoud reza & Behravan, Javad. (2019). Lambda bacteriophage nanoparticles displaying GP2, a HER2/neu derived peptide, induce prophylactic and therapeutic activities against TUBO tumor model in mice. Scientific Reports. 9. 2221. 10.1038/s41598-018-38371-z.

  • Arab, Atefeh & Behravan, Nima & Razazan, Atefeh & Barati, Nastaran & Mosaffa, Fatemeh & Nicastro, Jessica & Slavcev, Roderick & Behravan, Javad. (2018). The viral approach to breast cancer immunotherapy.

  • Arab, Atefeh & Yazdian robati, Rezvan & Nicastro, Jessica & Slavcev, Roderick & Behravan, Javad. (2018). Phage-based Nanomedicines as New Immune Therapeutic Agents for Breast Cancer. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 24. 10.2174/1381612824666180327152117.

  • Barati, Nastaran & Razazan, Atefeh & Nicastro, Jessica & Slavcev, Roderick & Arab, Atefeh & Mosaffa, Fatemeh & Nikpoor, Amin & Badiee, Ali & Jaafari, mahmoud reza & Behravan, Javad. (2018). Immunogenicity and antitumor activity of the superlytic λF7 phage nanoparticles displaying a HER2/neu-derived peptide AE37 in a tumor model of BALB/c mice. Cancer Letters. 424. 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.03.030.

  • Arab, Atefeh & Nicastro, Jessica & Slavcev, Roderick & Razazan, Atefeh & Barati, Nastaran & Nikpoor, Amin & Momtazi, Amir Abbas & Mosaffa, Fatemeh & Badiee, Ali & Jaafari, mahmoud reza & Behravan, Javad. (2018). Lambda phage nanoparticles displaying HER2-derived E75 peptide induce effective E75-CD8+ T response. Immunologic Research. 66. 10.1007/s12026-017-8969-0.

Patents

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