Dr. Bishoy Faltas
Dr. Bishoy M. Faltas, Associate Professor of Medicine, Cell and Development Biology, in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Gellert Family- John P. Leonard, M.D. Research Scholar, and Chief Research Officer of Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, recently received a 2024 Research Innovation Award from the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) to support his project using advanced mathematical models, known as bio-digital avatars, to synthesize data from lab-grown cancer tumors and patients’ DNA to create customizable treatment plans for bladder cancer. These “avatars” will be personalized to each patient’s unique cancer and can adapt as the cancer changes during treatment using reinforcement learning, a type of artificial intelligence.
“Often in treating any type of cancer, including bladder cancer, the treatment sequence that works well for one patient is far less successful in another, and sometimes treatments that initially work stop working after the cancer becomes resistant,” Dr. Faltas says. “This research is essential in helping us provide more effective treatment plans more quickly and adaptively.”
With $300,000 in funding over a two-year period, the grant will allow Dr. Faltas and his lab team, along with collaborator Dr. Jaehee Kim, Assistant Professor, Computational Biology in Cornell University’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and a multidisciplinary group of physician-scientists across Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medicine, to leverage this “lab-in-a-loop” technology to impact patients’ treatments.
Dr. Faltas describes his work with Dr. Kim as an organic collaboration building off very different areas of expertise. “I address this problem from clinical and biological perspectives, whereas Dr. Kim’s foundation in mathematics is integral to constructing accurate models that recapitulate what we see in the clinic and the wet lab,” Dr. Faltas says.
Adds Dr. Kim: "It’s an exciting opportunity to work alongside Dr. Faltas, combining computational innovation with clinical and biological expertise to advance personalized treatment strategies for bladder cancer."
As a member of the scientific advisory board and former chair of BCAN’ Think Tank meeting Steering Committee, Dr. Faltas has been closely aligned with BCAN’s grassroots efforts for many years. The invitation-only Think Tank meeting brings together hundreds of top physician-scientists, clinicians, and patient advocates to discuss ideas aimed at accelerating the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.
“I am thankful for this grant in its ability to elevate our novel research in this area to the next level and excited for the potential on patient care,” Dr. Faltas says.