Dr. Erin Hamanishi is a paediatric oncology clinical fellow in the Novel Agents and Innovative Therapies (NAIT) program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. She completed paediatric residency and paediatric hematology-oncology fellowship training in the United States before returning to Toronto for advanced clinical research training. Erin’s academic background spans medicine and basic science, including a PhD from the University of Toronto focused on systems-biology approaches to biological stress responses. During her paediatric hematology-oncology fellowship, her research explored how metabolic and epigenetic programs influence tumour biology in paediatric brain tumours.

Her current research interests focus on developing innovative therapies for children with relapsed or treatment-resistant cancers. She is especially interested in immune evasion mechanisms in paediatric solid tumours and the development of early-phase clinical trials targeting macrophage checkpoints such as the CD24–Siglec-10 pathway. Her work aims to translate emerging insights in tumour immunology into clinical studies that broaden treatment options for children with high-risk disease.

Erin is motivated by the children and families she meets in the clinic and the urgent need to broaden treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory disease. She aspires to build a career as a clinician-scientist developing early-phase paediatric oncology trials that translate emerging biological insights into impactful therapies.

Outside of work, Erin enjoys cooking for friends, cycling through the city, and spending time outdoors hiking and exploring nature.