Tal Schechter-Finkelstein

Dr. Tal Schechter-Finkelstein joined the Division of Haematology-Oncology as a staff member in 2009. She received her medical degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Medical School. She subsequently trained in paediatrics at Schneider Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University. During her residency, Schechter-Finkelstein trained in the field of bone-marrow transplantation, in Children’s Memorial, North Western University, Chicago, IL, led by Dr. Morris Kletzel.

She then moved to Toronto to do subspecialty training in paediatric Haematology-Oncology at SickKids between 2005 and 2008. At that time, she conducted pharmacokinetic studies. In her final fellowship year, Schechter-Finkelstein trained in the bone-marrow transplant program and worked as a junior staff in the blood and marrow transplant section.

Research

Dr. Schechter-Finkelstein’s main clinical and research interests are in the fields of graft-versus host disease therapy responses, pharmacokinetic studies and late effects. She has published several peer-reviewed articles in those fields. Her main research interests include, Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies of medications used in the setting of pediatric SCT or thrombotic events, GVHD (Graft Versus Host Disease) in pediatric SCT with focus on its effect on survival and response to therapy, and late outcomes of SCT in paediatric patients. 

Education and Experience

• 2008–2009: Clinical Assistant with junior staff responsibilities. Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit, Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. John Doyle
• 2007–2008: BMT Fellowship, Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit, Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Supervisor: Dr. John Doyle 
• 2004–2007: Clinical Fellowship, Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
• 2003: Visiting scholar in the Division of Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Children's Memorial Hospital - Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States. Supervisor: Dr. Ram Yogev 
• 1999: M.D., Doctoral Dissertation, Interferon-alfa treatment induces reversal of c-ABL Methylation in chronic myeloid leukemia cell lines, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Israel. Supervisor: Professor Dina Ben-Yehuda 
• 1991–1999: B.Sc. & M.D, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

Achievements

• 2015: Junior Faculty Award for Clinical Excellence in Paediatric Medical Care, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON 
• 2011: AACR/ ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop. Invited Participant, American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology. Specialty: Haematology/Oncology
• 2007: Research Training Competition (Restracomp), Fellow, Research Training Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Grant for Postdoctoral Fellowship, Specialty: Haematology/Oncology
• 2006: Klitzberg Fellowship Award, Fellow, American Physicians and Friends for Medicine in Israel (APF), Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Oncology Research Award, Specialty: Oncology

See a full list of Tal Schechter-Finkelstein's publications