Torsten O. Nielsen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Torsten O. Nielsen is a Canadian clinician scientist and pathologist. He is a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia.[1] His research focuses on translational cancer genomics,[2] biomarker development, and molecular diagnostics, primarily in sarcomas[3] and breast cancer.[4]
He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Nielsen was born and raised in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[5] He completed a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry with first class honours at the University of British Columbia in 1991,[6] followed by the MD/PhD program at McGill University, where he earned his PhD in Experimental Medicine in 1996 and his MD in 1997.[7]
After completing a combined MD/PhD at McGill, he pursued further training in England, at Stanford, and at the Cleveland Clinic, before becoming a clinician-scientist and surgical pathologist with a specialization in sarcomas and breast cancer.[5]
Career
Nielsen began his academic career at UBC in 2002, joining the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine[8] and affiliated with Vancouver General Hospital and the BC Cancer. [9]
He progressed from Assistant Professor to Full Professor by 2012. As a clinician scientist, he combines subspecialty work in musculoskeletal pathology including diagnosis of connective tissue neoplasms and sarcomas with active translational research aimed at improving cancer diagnostics and treatments.[10]
He serves as Director of the UBC MD/PhD Program, where he mentors and trains physician scientists.[11] Nielsen has also contributed to planning for cancer clinical trials in collaboration with groups such as the Canadian Cancer Trials Group,[12] and previously with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, enhancing the integration of pathology in trial design and biomarker studies.[13] He has chaired the Research Committee of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society and served on its board of directors.[14] He has co chaired the International Ki67 in Breast Cancer Working Group[15] and held leadership roles in breast cancer and sarcoma committees of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group.[3]