Department of Pathology

Dalhousie University

Michael Volodarsky, PhD, FCCMG

PATH-VolodarskyMichael
Department of Pathology

Email: Michael.Volodarsky@iwk.nshealth.ca
Research Topics:
  • Human genomics
  • Rare genetic disorders
  • Hematological malignancies
  • Next-generation sequencing
  • Optical genome mapping

Biography

Dr. Michael Volodarsky completed his PhD degree at the Laboratory for Human Genetics at Ben-Gurion University in Israel in 2014. His PhD studies involved classic genetic approaches as well as next-generation methodologies and resulted in the discovery of genetic defects in novel genes affecting multiple kindred presented with rare diseases.

Following his move to Halifax in 2016, Dr. Volodarsky joined the Clinical Genomics Laboratory at the IWK as a Genomics Specialist and contributed to the development of a custom Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform that enabled a significant expansion of genetic testing offered to patients in the Maritimes.

In 2018, he joined the Molecular Diagnostics Division at the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario where he held a position of a Genetic Analysis Specialist. In this role, he spent most of his time gaining clinical experience in interpreting and summarizing NGS testing results for various constitutional as well as oncological indications.

In 2020, Dr. Volodarsky started a two-year Genetic and Genomic Diagnostics (GGD) CCMG training program at the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver where he was trained in both Clinical Molecular Genetics and Cytogenetics specialties. Following his successful completion of CCMG examinations, Dr. Volodarsky has rejoined the IWK Clinical Genomics group as a Clinical Laboratory Geneticist.

Dr. Volodarsky is interested in broadening Maritimes patients’ access to cutting-edge genomic diagnostic technologies for improved patient care.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.): Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
  • Master of Medical Science (M.Med.Sc.): Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.): Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Selected Publications

  1. Schlade-Bartusiak K, Strong E, Zhu O, Mackie J, Salema D, Volodarsky M, Roberts J, Steinraths M. Mosaic embryo transfer-first report of a live born with nonmosaic partial aneuploidy and uniparental disomy 15. F S Rep. 2022 May 10;3(3):192-197. doi: 10.1016/j.xfre.2022.05.003. PMID: 36212558; PMCID: PMC9532879.
  2. Bhai P, Levy MA, Rooney K, Carere DA, Reilly J, Kerkhof J, Volodarsky M, Stuart A, Kadour M, Panabaker K, Schenkel LC, Lin H, Ainsworth P, Sadikovic B. Analysis of Sequence and Copy Number Variants in Canadian Patient Cohort With Familial Cancer Syndromes Using a Unique Next Generation Sequencing Based Approach. Front Genet. 2021 Jul 13;12:698595. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.698595. PMID: 34326862; PMCID: PMC8314385.
  3. Volodarsky M, Kerkhof J, Stuart A, Levy M, Brady LI, Tarnopolsky M, Lin H, Ainsworth P, Sadikovic B. Comprehensive genetic sequence and copy number analysis for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in a Canadian cohort of 2517 patients. J Med Genet. 2021 Apr;58(4):284-288. doi: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2019-106641. Epub 2020 May 6. PMID: 32376792.
  4. Aref-Eshghi E, Kerkhof J, Carere DA, Volodarsky M, Bhai P, Colaiacovo S, Saleh M, Caudle M, Karp N, Prasad C, Balci T, Lin H, Campbell C, Siu VM, Sadikovic B. Clinical and technical assessment of MedExome vs. NGS panels in patients with suspected genetic disorders in Southwestern Ontario. J Hum Genet. 2021 May;66(5):451-464. doi: 10.1038/s10038-020-00860-3. Epub 2020 Oct 23. PMID: 33093641.
  5. Aref-Eshghi E, McGee JD, Pedro VP, Kerkhof J, Stuart A, Ainsworth PJ, Lin H, Volodarsky M, McLachlin CM, Sadikovic B. Genetic and epigenetic profiling of BRCA1/2 in ovarian tumors reveals additive diagnostic yield and evidence of a genomic BRCA1/2 DNA methylation signature. J Hum Genet. 2020 Oct;65(10):865-873. doi: 10.1038/s10038-020-0780-4. Epub 2020 Jun 1. PMID: 32483276; PMCID: PMC7449880.
  6. Perez Y, Shorer Z, Liani-Leibson K, Chabosseau P, Kadir R, Volodarsky M, Halperin D, Barber-Zucker S, Shalev H, Schreiber R, Gradstein L, Gurevich E, Zarivach R, Rutter GA, Landau D, Birk OS. SLC30A9 mutation affecting intracellular zinc homeostasis causes a novel cerebro-renal syndrome. Brain. 2017 Apr 1;140(4):928-939. doi: 10.1093/brain/awx013. PMID: 28334855; PMCID: PMC5837213.
  7. Kadir R, Harel T, Markus B, Perez Y, Bakhrat A, Cohen I, Volodarsky M, Feintsein-Linial M, Chervinski E, Zlotogora J, Sivan S, Birnbaum RY, Abdu U, Shalev S, Birk OS. ALFY-Controlled DVL3 Autophagy Regulates Wnt Signaling, Determining Human Brain Size. PLoS Genet. 2016 Mar 23;12(3):e1005919. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005919. PMID: 27008544; PMCID: PMC4805177.
  8. Perez Y, Kadir R, Volodarsky M, Noyman I, Flusser H, Shorer Z, Gradstein L, Birnbaum RY, Birk OS. UNC80 mutation causes a syndrome of hypotonia, severe intellectual disability, dyskinesia and dysmorphism, similar to that caused by mutations in its interacting cation channel NALCN. J Med Genet. 2016 Jun;53(6):397-402. doi: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2015-103352. Epub 2015 Nov 6. PMID: 26545877.
  9. Volodarsky M, Lichtig H, Leibson T, Sadaka Y, Kadir R, Perez Y, Liani-Leibson K, Gradstein L, Shaco-Levy R, Shorer Z, Frank D, Birk OS. CDC174, a novel component of the exon junction complex whose mutation underlies a syndrome of hypotonia and psychomotor developmental delay. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Nov 15;24(22):6485-91. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv357. Epub 2015 Sep 10. PMID: 26358778.
  10. Volodarsky M, Zilberman U, Birk OS. Novel FAM20A mutation causes autosomal recessive amelogenesis imperfecta. Arch Oral Biol. 2015 Jun;60(6):919-22. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2015.02.018. Epub 2015 Feb 28. PMID: 25827751.
  11. Volodarsky M, Langer Y, Birk OS. A novel GLI3 mutation affecting the zinc finger domain leads to preaxial-postaxial polydactyly-syndactyly complex. BMC Med Genet. 2014 Sep 30;15:110. doi: 10.1186/s12881-014-0110-9. PMID: 25267529; PMCID: PMC4256830.
  12. Cohen I, Silberstein E, Perez Y, Landau D, Elbedour K, Langer Y, Kadir R, Volodarsky M, Sivan S, Narkis G, Birk OS. Autosomal recessive Adams-Oliver syndrome caused by homozygous mutation in EOGT, encoding an EGF domain-specific O-GlcNAc transferase. Eur J Hum Genet. 2014 Mar;22(3):374-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2013.159. Epub 2013 Jul 17. PMID: 23860037; PMCID: PMC3925282.
  13. Volodarsky M, Markus B, Cohen I, Staretz-Chacham O, Flusser H, Landau D, Shelef I, Langer Y, Birk OS. A deletion mutation in TMEM38B associated with autosomal recessive osteogenesis imperfecta. Hum Mutat. 2013 Apr;34(4):582-6. doi: 10.1002/humu.22274. PMID: 23316006.