Open Positions

Opportunities for PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows in the Nichols Lab! The major strategy of our lab is to use genomic discovery followed by in vitro and in vivo functional studies for validation to understand the mechanisms of chemoradioresistance in HPV+ HNSCC and the progression of papillary thyroid cancer to anaplastic thyroid cancer. We are also studying mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy in both diseases. We have a large tissue bank of anaplastic thyroid cancers and HPV+ HNSCC with a large panel of cell lines and PDX models.

We are well-funded through philanthropic and peer-reviewed grants. Highly motivated applicants should email Dr. Nichols at anthony.nichols@lhsc.on.ca with their CVs attached.

Brief Biography

Dr. Nichols received his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 2003. He interned at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2003-2004, before completing his residency at the Harvard Combined Otolaryngology Program in 2008. While still at Harvard, he received fellowship training in Head and Neck Oncology and microvascular reconstruction in 2009. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jim Rocco, he pursued basic science training in the field of molecular biology of head and neck cancers in parallel with his clinical training.

Dr. Nichols joined the staff at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University as a Surgeon- Scientist in 2009 and established the Translational Head and Neck Cancer Program. He has developed a multi-faceted program that introduces laboratory findings into the clinic, by way of early-stage clinical trials. This group specifically studies the genetic makeup of head and neck squamous cell cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer to determine how those genes predict the response to chemotherapy.

In 2010, Dr. Nichols, in partnership with Drs. Kevin Fung and John Yoo, established the first transoral robotic surgery (TORS) program in Canada, for the minimally invasive treatment of head and neck tumours. In 2011, in partnership with radiation oncologist Dr. David Palma, Dr. Nichols introduced the first and only randomized controlled trial that compared TORS with radiation for the treatments of oropharyngeal cancer (ORATOR). This study was funded through a grant provided by the Canadian Cancer Research Institute and has the potential to guide health care worldwide for patients with oropharyngeal cancer. After being performed solely in London, the study was opened at the University of British Columbia, McGill University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto and in Australia and successfully closed in June 2016. A larger Phase II RCT focused solely on HPV-positive patients (ORATOR 2) was opened in January 2018.

Dr. Nichols’ work with the Translational Head and Neck Cancer Research Program has led to the training of 13 PhD and Masters students, and $5.4 million of funding that has culminated in 87 publications and four clinical trials.