Biospecimen Research: Best Practices and Methods

Peter Watson serves as Director of Biobanking and Biospecimen Research Services at BC Cancer while holding positions as Professor of Pathology at the University of British Columbia and Senior Scientist at the BC Cancer Research Centre. His career spans over 25 years combining clinical practice as a breast pathologist with groundbreaking research in molecular pathology and biobanking. After completing his medical training at Cambridge University and specialist training in Anatomic Pathology at the University of Manitoba, he established himself as a clinician-scientist focusing on breast cancer biomarkers and tumor progression. His research program has led to significant discoveries, including the therapeutic potential of the S100A7 gene in breast cancer, resulting in over 200 scientific publications. As co-lead of the Canadian Tissue Repository Network and Deputy Editor of Biopreservation and Biobanking journal, he continues to advance biobanking practices nationally and internationally. Under his leadership, the BC Cancer Tumour Tissue Repository has collected samples from over 15,000 participants, supporting critical cancer research from discovery through clinical studies while maintaining his commitment to improving biospecimen research services and molecular pathology understanding