Dr. Gesche Riabowol née Tallen
Positions
Associate Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Child Health & Wellness Researcher
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
Pediatric Oncologist
~ Other ~
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
MD, PhD Great Honours Medicine, University of Hamburg, Germany, 1994
Professor of Oncology and Pediatrics, Charité, Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany & Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada, 2012
Biography
Dr. Riabowol née Tallen graduated from the University of Hamburg, Germany, as an MD, PhD with magna cum laude (“great distinction”) in 1994. Her two residencies were in Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the Charité-University Hospital, Berlin, Germany, one of the highest ranked and the largest teaching hospital(s) in Europe. Supported by a scholarship from the National German Cancer Foundation, she pursued the very first CPSA-certified subspecialty clinical and research fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology with the Pediatric Oncology Program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and the Cancer Biology Research Group at the University of Calgary. Since 2015, Dr. Riabowol née Tallen is a professor of Pediatrics and Oncology with the Dpts. of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary and, as an adjunct and guest scientist, also still with the Charité in Berlin. As a member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), her research focuses on pediatric cancer, genomics, pharmacotherapy, knowledge translation, quality improvement and child welfare. She currently serves as the Clinical Surveillor for the Canadian Pharmacogenomic Network for Drug Safety (CPNDS), site Alberta Children’s Hospital. She has published multiple research articles in medium- to high-ranked scientific journals. For the past decade, she has been an award-winning educator at UME, and, as of 2025, is also teaching in the Physician Assistants Program at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.
Research
Areas of Research
Title of Study: Implementation of a Pharmacogenomic Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Prevention Program at Alberta Children’s Hospital
The purpose of this study is to implement a genetic testing program at Alberta Children’s Hospital for children receiving cisplatin, anthracycline, and/or thiopurine chemotherapy, and to determine the utility of this program in preventing adverse reactions to these drugs.
Specific goals of the study are:
(1) Provide doctors who treat children with cancer with the clinical practice guidelines developed for genetic testing to determine a child’s risk of cisplatin-induced hearing loss, anthracycline-induced heart problems, and thiopurine-induced bone marrow suppression (decrease in blood cells).
(2) Provide results of this genetic testing to the doctors caring for patients in this study, as well as to the patients/families.
(3) Determine the usefulness of the genetic testing to doctors and patients and families
Rationale: The identification and development of predictive genetic markers will ultimately help to reduce anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, thiopurine-induced immunosuppression and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity, thereby improving the safety of cancer therapy and reducing late effects.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| UME | RIME | current |
| UoC | Master of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies | Winter 2024 |
Awards
- Dr. Mildred Scheel-Research Scholarship, German Cancer Foundation. 1998
- Kind-Philipp-Research Scholarship, Kind Philipp Leukemia Foundation. 2000
- Magna cum Laude, PhD-Program, University of Hamburg, Germany. 2021
- With great Honours, MD-Program, University of Hamburg, Germany. 1994
- 2 x Bronze-, 1 x Silver-Award & Letter of Excellence for teaching contributions in Medical Skills, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME. 2016
- Honour Roll-Membership in Acknowledgement of Excellent Contribution to Medical Education, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME. 2017
- Platinum Award & Letter of Excellence for Teaching, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME. 2017
- Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching of Medical Skills, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME Class of 2019. 2018
- Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching of Medical Skills, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2020. 2019
- Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching at UME (Master Teacher Award), University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2021. 2020
- Honour Roll-Membership in Acknowledgement of Excellent Contribution to Medical Education , University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2022. 2021
- Honour Roll-Membership in Acknowledgement of Excellent Contribution to Medical Education , University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2023. 2022
- Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching During Course V (Neurosciences), University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2023. 2022
- Certificate of Excellence for teaching contributions in Medical Skills, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine. 2022
- Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching of Medical Skills (Class of 2024), University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2024. 2023
- Certificate of Excellence for teaching contributions in Medical Skills, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME. 2023
- Master Teacher-Gold Star Award for outstanding teaching and positive contribution to class culture and wellbeing , University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2025. 2024
- Gold-Star-Jersey-Award for Going above and Beyond in Teaching at UME, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, UME, Class of 2026. 2024
Publications
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