Peter Dirks, MD, PhD

Dr. Peter Dirks is a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon and a trailblazing principal investigator whose seminal discoveries have fundamentally reshaped the landscape of modern neuro-oncology. Operating out of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto and serving as a Professor of Neurosurgery, Molecular Genetics, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, Dr. Dirks balances a demanding clinical surgical practice with leading-edge laboratory research. He achieved global recognition in 2003 when his laboratory became the first to identify and isolate cancer stem cells in human brain tumors. This groundbreaking discovery provided a critical paradigm shift, demonstrating that brain tumors are driven by a small subpopulation of resilient, stem-like cells that resist conventional chemotherapy and radiation, ultimately leading to disease recurrence. Since this landmark achievement, Dr. Dirks has relentlessly pursued the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms that govern these brain tumor stem cells, mapping their lineage networks and exploring therapeutic strategies to force these cells to differentiate or undergo apoptosis. His ongoing research integrates advanced genomics, single-cell sequencing, and functional screens to uncover the vulnerabilities of glioblastoma and medulloblastoma at their cellular roots. Dr. Dirks completed his medical degree at Queen’s University and his PhD in molecular biology at the University of Toronto, bridging the disciplines of surgical oncology and molecular genetics. As a Scientific Advisor for Curtana Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Dirks provides an unmatched depth of knowledge in cancer stem cell biology. His visionary guidance is critical to Curtana’s mission to develop targeted therapeutics specifically engineered to eliminate the cellular drivers of aggressive brain cancers.