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 Pediatrics and Oncology Pediatrics, Charité, Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany, 2015
Biography
Shortly after the Berlin Wall came down, I graduated from Hamburg Medical School as an MD and PhD ("magna cum laude") and decided to continue with my education in an environment that was not only medically challenging. So I moved to Post-Wall Berlin, which was overcoming its legacy of Cold-War division. My residencies were in Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the Charité, Berlin's University- and Europe’s largest teaching hospital, which, particularly in those days, was facing many new frontiers and boundaries on academic, social, economic, architectural and infrastructural levels. I loved living with this unstable and unpredictable Zeitgeist on a daily basis - it taught me to focus less on a goal and more on what I can do today, right now, in support of that goal.
During a research- and subspecialty fellowship at the Alberta Children's Hospital as their Pediatric Oncology Program's first fellow ever, I fell in love with a lumberjack and one thing led to another... Now, about 25 years later, with three crazy kids, two big delinquent dogs, always gobbling and giggling guineas, a bunch of boisterous budgies and a busy backyard, I'm feeling at home and happy in Canada.
As a pediatric oncologist, researcher and teacher both in the Old and in the New World, I am grateful for having the opportunity to both learn from and give back to those, whose lives I'm allowed to touch: the kids and teens with cancer, their families, the nurses, my mentors, my colleagues, and all our students.
Aside from my family and medicine, my passion is painting children's portraits. I believe portraying a child is beyond painting a face - Every brushstroke gives a glimpse into a unique soul.
My teaching philosophy is the same: I believe that teaching, as a lifelong process of learning, is beyond providing basic medical skills - Every student has a unique set of gifts and talents different from everyone else. Nobody can do your job quite the way you do!
I want to help our students discover those gifts.
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
Are you the profile owner?
Login to edit.