Yvonne Myal, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD

  • Yvonne Myall.

  • Professor/Associate head 

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Pathology
    401 - 727 McDermot Avenue
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 3P5  

    Phone: 204-789-3874
    yvonne.myal@umanitoba.ca

Cross-appointments

  • Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology

Research summary

Dr. Yvonne Myal's research focuses on identifying and understanding the biological role of breast cancer biomarkers in breast cancer progression and metastasis. Her lab uses various approaches, such as in vitro and ex vivo breast cancer cell/tissue cultures, clinically relevant transplantable breast cancer mouse models, and molecular biology strategies. She has a long-standing interest in prolactin inducible protein (PIP) and has developed several mouse models to study its role in breast cancer progression and metastasis. Her studies have revealed a dual functionality of PIP during breast cancer progression. Her research is supported by several funding agencies, including NSERC, CIHR, and the Cancer Research Society.

Research interests

  • Breast cancer biomarkers 
  • Prolactin inducible protein (PIP)
  • PIP knockout mouse models
  • Transplantable mouse models
  • Tight junction protein, Claudin 1
  • Triple negative breast cancer
  • Metastatic process of breast cancer

Keywords

  • Breast cancer
  • Prolactin inducible protein
  • Claudin1
  • Tight junction proteins
  • CRISPR 
  • Immune response
  • Lung/brain metastasis

Research affiliations and groups

Biography

Dr. Yvonne Myal is a professor and associate head of the department of pathology at the Max Rady College of Medicine. She also holds a cross-appointment in the department of physiology and pathophysiology and is a senior scientist at the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute.

Dr. Myal received her bachelor of science (hons) from the University of Winnipeg and completed her master’s and PhD with Dr. Robert Shiu, a breast cancer researcher at the UM department of physiology. She gained skills in molecular biology during her studies and her potdoctoral training, where she learned to generate transgenic and knockout mouse models of breast cancer. Her expertise in this area led her to become the principal investigator and director of the Molecular Biology Diagnostic Laboratory in the department of pathology at UM.

Dr. Myal has served in many leadership roles and has chaired numerous committees at the Max Rady College of Medicine and the wider community. She currently serves as the CIHR delegate representative for UM. Her research has been continuously supported by many provincial, national, and international funding agencies, including Research Manitoba, the Paul Thorlakson Foundation, HSCF, MMSF, CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), NSERC, CBCF (Prairie), and Friends You Can Count On (USA). She is currently funded by NSERC, CIHR, and the Cancer Research Society.

Dr. Myal's impressive achievements have been recognized through a range of awards, including the YWCA/YMCA Woman of Distinction Award for Science, Technology, and the Environment, the Sanofi-Aventis Award for Excellence in student mentorship at the Elementary and High School level, and the Career Development Research Award in Basic Science from the Manitoba Medical Services Foundation.

Her dedication to her research is also reflected in her nomination for the Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentorship from the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, University of Manitoba
  • Master of Science, University of Manitoba
  • Bachelor of Science (Honors), University of Winnipeg
  • Bachelor of Science, University of Winnipeg

Awards

Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentorship, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Manitoba (Nominee, 2020)

Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentorship, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Manitoba (Nominee, 2018)

CIHR Synapse Award for contributions in promoting Science at the High School and Elementary School level (2012) (Nominee)

YWCA/YMCA Woman of Distinction Award for Science, Technology and the Environment (2011)

Sanofi-Aventis Award for Excellence in student mentorship at the Elementary and High School level

Career Development Research Award in Basic Science, Manitoba Medical Services Foundation (2003-2006)

University of Manitoba Rh Award, for outstanding contribution to scholarship and research in the Health Science (2003)

Contact us

Pathology
Max Rady College of Medicine
401 Brodie, 727 McDermot Avenue
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5 Canada

pathology@umanitoba.ca
204-789-3212
204-789-3931