The eye in team

Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Burnier grew up in a family of doctors and engineers and, like many of his countrymen, took to the soccer field at an early age. It was during these childhood games that he developed his appreciation for co-operation and teamwork, both of which would later inform every aspect of his work as a clinician and researcher. Although he dreamt of becoming a soccer star, Burnier decided that he wanted to practise medicine when at the age of 12 he began a part-time job cleaning equipment at his uncle’s pathology laboratory. He later enrolled in medical school in Sao Paolo, thinking he might follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, who was a well-respected ophthalmologist.

After graduating, Burnier moved to Washington, D.C., to train at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology with Dr. Lorenz Zimmerman, a world-renowned ophthalmologist. In 1993, after a decade spent in Washington, Burnier came to the MUHC as Director of the Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory. Of his move to Canada, he has no regrets. “It wasn’t a hard deci-sion to make,” he says. “I knew I wanted to work in a university that was research-intensive, and I’ve always thought of Canada as the best country in the world. McGill was the ideal fit. My lab couldn’t be what it is now if it were situated anywhere other than right here in Montreal.”

Burnier’s claim that the MUHC is intensely committed to its research initiatives is validated by the size and productivity of his labora-tory, which has an impressive record of peer-reviewed publications and has received more than $1.6 million in research grants and en-dowments. Burnier himself is the author and co-author of over 450 publications, but modestly protests that “the only reason the lab is there is because of the students – not me!” He is referring to the 14 Ph.D. students from around the world who train with him. The group is also working together on a project that Burnier describes with audible passion: the search for a cure for uveal melanoma.

In Quebec, although only 12 people per million (about 60 people) develop this cancer each year, uveal melanoma is the most common type of cancer of the eye and has a frighteningly low survival rate because it is often diagnosed only after cancerous cells have spread to the liver. Burnier and his colleagues are hard at work to understand the mechanisms that underlie this metastasis, which could have important ramifications not just for uveal cancer but for other cancers whose deadly spread involves the liver.

Lately, the work of Burnier and his team has been garnering international attention. Earlier this year, the prestigious Clinical Cancer Research journal featured an article co-authored by scientists from Burnier’s lab on their research into finding a cure for uveal melanoma. In a project led by Dana Faingold, they discovered that a protein known as Hsp90 is involved in the spreading of malignant cells within the eye. By inserting an antibiotic into these cancerous cells, the scientists were able to interfere with the protein’s func-tioning and stop the cancer’s progression.

In addition to the article about Faingold’s work, several other papers have come out that highlight the landmark research of Patrick Logan, Silvin Bakalian and Dr. Bruno Fernandes. The discoveries of these and other members of Burnier’s team are laying the foun-dation for safer and more effective treatments of this often fatal cancer.

With such groundbreaking work being done in the lab, it is no wonder that researchers from around the world are interested in training with Burnier. Now, thanks to advancements in telemedicine, researchers from across the globe can consult with the respected oph-thalmologist without leaving their offices. “All of our facilities are totally linked via telemedicine,” Burnier says proudly, noting that many of the researchers who have trained at his lab have set up telemedicine-linked labs in their home countries. “Since I’ve been at the MUHC,” he observes, “we’ve trained 125 people from 24 countries. Because of this, we’re now directly linked to sister labs in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and even Saudi Arabia. It’s a wonderful laboratory network for which telemedicine is the ideal tool. What we do here is very visual and telemedicine works perfectly for these consultations.” “We don’t do research as an intellectual exercise. We do it because, at the end of the day, we want to help our patients get better.”

While this type of cutting-edge technology is necessary for such innovative research, Burnier is quick to state that his work is about patients, not machines. “We don’t do research as an intellectual exercise. We do it because, at the end of the day, we want to help our patients get better.” Because people are at the centre of his practice, it naturally follows that Burnier speaks fondly of all the players on his team, noting especially the charitable fund set up by two of his young researchers, called Student Vision Canada. “It’s not often that you hear of doctoral candidates undertaking this type of initiative to support their work,” he reflects. Begun by Sean Maloney and Patrick Logan, the mission of Student Vision Canada is to fund specialty training and focused projects for graduate and undergraduate students who come to work at the lab. “These students inspire me!” exclaims Burnier, hoping for the future success of the project.

Another undertaking that Burnier is hopeful about is the McGill University Health Centre’s Redevelopment Project. Having been with the MUHC for more than 15 years, he has a special appreciation for how far the project has come and what it will mean to finally create facilities that are commensurate with the world-class talent of his students and fellow researchers. Burnier is the newly named As-sociate Director of Clinical Research for the McGill University Health Centre’s Research Institute, so it is fitting that he is particularly excited about the plans to create a Centre for Innovative Medicine at the new Glen Campus. This Centre will allow clinical researchers to work alongside basic scientists in a facility dedicated to clinical trials and featuring both in-patient beds and outpatient areas. “Moving to the Glen Campus is going to be wonderful,” he says with confidence. “The brand new facilities at the Glen will bring all the MUHC people together like never before.”

One aspect of this greater collaboration is an expanded ability to undertake interdisciplinary research, which is already a key aspect of Burnier’s laboratory. This unique approach has allowed ophthalmology to join forces with dermatology to explore treatments for eye and skin cancers, which have several important similarities. “Ours is the only melanoma group in North America to include both oph-thalmology and dermatology,” observes Burnier, whose lab has just received provincial accreditation as a level-4 melanoma centre.

Visiting Burnier’s team on their home turf, one gets a sense of intense focus and genuine camaraderie. Microscopes, video-conferencing setups and other 21st-century equipment make for an impressive backdrop, but the human touches are what stand out: a list of birthdays written on the whiteboard, photos of past research teams celebrating together, a box of chocolates brought in for all to share and, most importantly, Burnier’s prized soccer jersey signed by the entire Sao Paolo team. “That’s the ultimate goal,” he says with a laugh as he holds up the shirt. “Once the students in the lab receive their Ph.D.s, they pose with the shirt for a commemorative picture. It’s our tradition here.” A fitting reminder that, when something as important as patients’ health is at stake, there is nothing more important than teamwork.