Roderick Slavcev

Dr. Slavcev’s interests are in genetics, molecular biology, virology and technology transfer. His research projects 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.

• Phage-based biotechnology
• Gene therapy
• Oncology therapeutics design
• Antiviral therapeutics design
• Anti-bacterials
• Dementia vaccine design
• Acne cosmeceutical design
• Molecular Genetics
• Physiology, Cell and Developmental Biology
• Molecular Therapeutics and Theranostics
• Nanomaterials
• Bionanotechnology and Biosensors
• Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery
• Microbiology
• Ocular Biology

Phage-based biotechnology Oncology therapeutics design Antiviral therapeutics design Anti-bacterials Viral exclusion systems Cosmeceuticals

• 2006 MBA Biotechnology Management and Commercialization (University of Saskatchewan)
• 2002 PhD Microbial Genetics (University of Saskatchewan)
• 1995 HBSc (University of Toronto)

• Creative Destruction Labs Graduate. 2018. msDNA award for most innovative genetic medicine system.
• Illumina Next Generation Sequencing Award. 2018. Deemed most likely genetic vector medical system to succeed.
• 2011 Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada Janssen Innovation Award
• 2010 C.Biol, Chartered Biologist status, Society of Biology
• Accepted Member, Royal Society of Biology

• Dr. Slavcev is in collaboration with Dr. Chil-Yong Kang in the Department of Virology at the University of Western Ontario, on the development of a novel HIV vaccine.
• Resident (Mediphage), Johnson & Johnson Innovation Labs (Toronto), 2017 - Present

• Member, Ontario Biosciences, 2016 - Present
• Chartered Member, Royal Society of Biology (MRSB, C. Biol designation), 2011-Present
• Member, American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, 2012-Present

• Cross-appointed to Department of Chemistry, Department of Biology and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Member of Centre of Bioengineering and Biotechnology
• Member of Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology
• Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research (member)

• PHARM 401 - Independent Study 2
  • Taught in 2022, 2023
• PHARM 610 - Topics in Drug Development
  • Taught in 2019

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

• Razazan, A., Nicastro, J., Slavcev, R., Barati, N., Arab, A., Mosaffa, M., Jaafari, R., Behravan, J.* 2019. Lambda bacteriophage nanoparticles displaying GP2, a HER2/neu derived peptide, induce prophylactic and therapeutic activities against TUBO tumor model in mice. Sci. Reports 18:222
• Hui, H., St. Jean, J., Wong, S., Slavcev, R.* 2019. Phage Interactions with Mammalian Tissue: Therapeutic Applications. Adv. Drug Delivery Rev. pii: S0169-409X(19)30003-1. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.01.003
• Arab, A., Robati, R.Y., Nicastro, J., Slavcev, R., and Behravan, J.* 2019. Phage-based nanomedicines as new immune therapeutic agents for breast cancer. Curr Pharm Des. 234(2):1257-1267. IF, 2.57
• Arab, A., Behravan, N., Razazn, A., Barati, N., Mosaffa, F., Nicastro, J., Slavcev, R., Behravan, J.* 2019. A viral approach to breast cancer immunotherapy. J Cell Physiol. 234(2):1257-1267.
• Barati, N., Razazan, A., Nicastro, J., Slavcev, R., Arab, A., Mosaffa, F., Nikpoor, A.R., Badiee, A., Jaafari, M.R., Behravan, J.* 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 Lett. 28;424: 109-116. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.03.030
• Arab, A., Nicastro, J., Slavcev, R., Razazan, A., Barati, N., Nikpoor, A.R., Brojeni, A.M., Mosaffa, F., Badiee, A., Jaafari, M.R., and Behravan, J.* 2018. Lambda phage nanoparticles displaying HER2-derived E75 peptide induce effective E75-CD8+ T response. Immunol Res. 66:200-20

• R. Slavcev and J. Behravan. 2018. Peptide Displaying Bacteriophage Nanoparticles and Related Compositions and Methods. WO/2019/102265 https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2019102265
• Slavcev, R. and N. Nafissi. 2016. DNA Vector System US 8926184 B2 (http://www.google.com/patents/US9290778).
• Slavcev, R. and J. Nicastro. 2015. A Fine-tuned Lytic Phage Display System. USPTO serial #: 61/815467 (https://www.google.com/patents/US20150031583?dq=slavcev&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjKoaLFm_HOAhWFsh4KHSrcDuYQ6AEILDAC)
• Slavcev, R. and N. Nafissi. 2014. In vivo linear covalently closed DNA vector production system. USPTO serial #: 61/729,384 (http://www.google.com/patents/US20140206037)
• Slavcev, R., Kaur, T., Nafissi, N. and S. Wettig. 2011. Safe and Efficient Gene Therapeutics: A Novel Polyplexed Mini-Linear Covalently Closed Transgene Delivery System with Application to Cancer Gene Therapy. USPTO serial #: 61/344,851 (provisional abandoned).
• Slavcev, R. and N. Naffisi. 2016. (CIP) DNA Vector System. US 20160333361 A1 https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160333361A1/en?q=slavcev

• July 18, 2018: Ministring theory in practice (PDF)