Rossanna Pezo, University of Toronto

Research

Cancer Breast Cancer Colitis Gut Microbiome Head And Neck Cancers Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Immunotherapy Melanoma

Latest papers

Clinical Validation of Digital PCR-Based ctDNA Detection for Risk Stratification in Residual Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: TRICIA Trial Results.
Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 2026
Validation of a Quantitative Ultrasound Texture Analysis Model for Early Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer: A Prospective Serial Imaging Study
Cancers · 2025
Quantitative ultrasound imaging for predicting response and guiding personalized neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: randomized phase 2 clinical trial results
npj Precision Oncology · 2025

All 6 publications

Latest funding

Cavitation enhanced chemoimmunotherapy in a triple negative breast cancer setting
CIHR · 2026 · Co-investigator
$761,176
Investigating the role of a novel gene FAM72 in breast cancer
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$67,430
A trial to evaluate the safety and feasibility of blood-brain brain opening using MRI-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of Her2-positive breast cancer brain metastases
CIHR · 2020 · Co-investigator
$100,000

All 4 grants and awards

6 publications.

01

Clinical Validation of Digital PCR-Based ctDNA Detection for Risk Stratification in Residual Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: TRICIA Trial Results.

Roseshter T, Klemantovich A, Lafleur J, Lan C, Cavallone L, Bozek K, Guay J, Elebute O, Jenna S, Ouellette R, McNamara S, Boileau JF, Pelmus M, Brackstone M, Pezo R, Ng T, Aguilar-Mahecha A, Basik M

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research2026

DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-25-2234 PMID: 41662447

02

Validation of a Quantitative Ultrasound Texture Analysis Model for Early Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer: A Prospective Serial Imaging Study

Moore-Palhares D, Sannachi L, Chan AW, Dasgupta A, DiCenzo D, Gandhi S, Pezo R, Eisen A, Warner E, Wright F

Cancers20255 citations

DOI: 10.3390/cancers17152594

03

Quantitative ultrasound imaging for predicting response and guiding personalized neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: randomized phase 2 clinical trial results

Moore-Palhares D, Alberico D, Chan AW, DiCenzo D, Sannachi L, Dasgupta A, Yip J, Pena MLA, Gandhi S, Pezo R

npj Precision Oncology20252 citations

DOI: 10.1038/s41698-025-01134-x

04

Validation of Quantitative Ultrasound and Texture Derivative Analyses-Based Model for Upfront Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer

Chan AW, Sannachi L, Moore-Palhares D, Dasgupta A, Gandhi S, Pezo R, Eisen A, Warner E, Wright FC, Hong NL

Journal of Imaging20252 citations

DOI: 10.3390/jimaging11040109

05

Improving Care for Older Adults with Cancer in Canada: A Call to Action.

Cook S, Alibhai S, Mehta R, Savard MF, Mariano C, LeBlanc D, Desautels D, Pezo R, Zhu X, Gelmon KA, Hsu T

Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2024

DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31070279 PMID: 39057151

06

Clinical Utility of Multigene Profiling Assays in Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer: An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline

Blanchette P, Sivajohanathan D, Bartlett J, Eisen A, Feilotter H, Pezo R, Turashvili G, Williams P

Current Oncology202213 citations

DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29040213

Cavitation enhanced chemoimmunotherapy in a triple negative breast cancer setting

Co-investigatorCIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Goertz, David E

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Cavitation; Chemotherapy; Focused Ultrasound; Immunotherapy; Microbubbles; Ultrasound

$761,176

Investigating the role of a novel gene FAM72 in breast cancer

Nominated PICIHR2025CIHR - ICR / Cancer Research Society Partnership - Res. Grants - Breast Cancer

Principal investigators: Pezo, Rossanna C

Keywords: Cancer

$67,430

A trial to evaluate the safety and feasibility of blood-brain brain opening using MRI-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of Her2-positive breast cancer brain metastases

Co-investigatorCIHR2020Project Grant - PA: Cancer Research - Breast Cancer

Principal investigators: Lipsman, Nir

Keywords: Brain Metastases; Breast Cancer; Focused Ultrasound; Her2; Image-Guided Surgery; Indium-111; Trastuzumab

$100,000

A multi institutional study evaluating the role of the gut microbiome on immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy and toxicity in advanced solid tumors

Principal investigatorCIHR2018Team Grant: Canadian Microbiome Initiative 2: Research Teams - LOI

Principal investigators: Martin, Alberto; Butler, Marcus O; Pezo, Rossanna C; Siu, Lillian

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Colitis; Gut Microbiome; Head And Neck Cancers; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Immunotherapy; Melanoma; Solid Tumors

$25,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Cancer Dear Professor Pezo, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Clinical Validation of Digital PCR-Based ctDNA Detection for Risk Stratification in Residual Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: TRICIA Trial Results." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Investigating the role of a novel gene FAM72 in breast cancer" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Rossanna Pezo

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Clinical Validation of Digital PCR-Based ctDNA Detection for Risk Stratification in Residual Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: TRICIA Trial Results.

Validation of a Quantitative Ultrasound Texture Analysis Model for Early Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer: A Prospective Serial Imaging Study

Quantitative ultrasound imaging for predicting response and guiding personalized neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: randomized phase 2 clinical trial results

Validation of Quantitative Ultrasound and Texture Derivative Analyses-Based Model for Upfront Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer

Improving Care for Older Adults with Cancer in Canada: A Call to Action.

Clinical Utility of Multigene Profiling Assays in Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer: An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline

Cavitation enhanced chemoimmunotherapy in a triple negative breast cancer setting

Investigating the role of a novel gene FAM72 in breast cancer

A trial to evaluate the safety and feasibility of blood-brain brain opening using MRI-guided focused ultrasound in the treatment of Her2-positive breast cancer brain metastases

A multi institutional study evaluating the role of the gut microbiome on immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy and toxicity in advanced solid tumors

Frequent collaborators

Andrea Eisen

Andrea Eisen

Maureen Trudeau

Daniel Moore Freitas Palhares

Nicole Look Hong

Marie-France Savard

Frances Wright

Muriel Brackstone

Mark Basik

Shabbir Alibhai