April 10, 2013 NEW! - Terry Fox Research Institute and Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Partner On Innovative Tumour-Targeting Approach For Treating Cancer
Dr. Ayman Mohammad. Photo credit: Debra Marshall
SASKATOON: The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) are pleased to announce Dr. Ayman Mohammad as the first recipient of the Terry Fox Postdoctoral Fellowship, to be held at the University of Saskatchewan’s (U of S) College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. The award, won in a highly competitive process, provides $50,000 a year for two years, allowing Dr. Mohammad to come from overseas to conduct his leading-edge work in Saskatoon, alongside Dr. Azita Haddadi, his fellowship supervisor.
“We are very pleased to have a researcher of Dr. Mohammad’s caliber receive this award,” said June Bold, SHRF Chief Executive Officer. “SHRF’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program aims to advance health research careers and research productivity. Our partnership with TFRI, its community of cancer researchers and broader community of survivors, patients and families, provides a unique environment for this promising research.” ...
Montreal PPG Consultation Meeting Viewable Via Live Webcast on Wednesday, January 30th, 1-4 p.m. EST
For those unable to attend in person, we wish to advise that the Montreal meeting only (Jan. 30, 1-4 p.m. EST ) will be available for viewing via live webcast at the following link: http://bcooltv.mcgill.ca/Viewer/?EventID=201301145458. Viewers with questions may submit them via e-mail to ppg@tfri.ca during the meeting and they will be presented during the meeting as time permits. (Please note: Click on the link now to install Microsoft Silverlight in advance of the session.)
TFRI will hold Consultation Meetings in January and February on Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants
TFRI-BC Node Noon Lecture Series: December 3, 2012
Monday, Dec 3, 2012, 12 noon-1 p.m.: The BCCA Research Seminar Series and the BC Node of the Terry Fox Research Institute present Dr. Spyro Mousses, PhD, vice president, office for innovation, and professor and director, Center for BioIntelligence Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) Phoenix, Arizona, who will speak on "Empowering Personalized Medicine with Knowledge Computing" at 12 noon in the Gordon & Leslie Diamond Family Theatre, BC Cancer Agency Research Centre (675 W.10th Ave.). Host: Dr. Victor Ling, TFRI president and scientific director.
TFRI and Taiwan's science council sign agreement on research co-operation
Dr. Victor Ling (seated left), TFRI president and scientific director and Dr. Henry Sun (seated right), deputy minister, National Science Council of Taiwan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on scientific co-operation on November 19, 2012 in Taipei. Present at the signing were (rear, left to right): Mr. Allan Edwards, director, trade and investment, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei; Dr. Chung-Liang Chien, deputy executive secretary of the Board of Science & Technology of the Executive Yuan; and Dr. Ke-Yen Kuo, deputy director general, Department of International Co-operation and Dr. Jeng-Jiann Chiu, director general, Department of Life Sciences, both with the National Science Council of Taiwan.
The agreement will support collaborative research and scientific exchanges between leading Taiwanese and Canadian researchers, initially in the areas of lung and liver cancer, leukemia and advanced technologies. The agreement will promote the sharing and analysis of unique resources and innovation developed by researchers funded by the TFRI and their colleagues funded by the National Science Council in Taiwan. The TFRI and the National Science Council of Taiwan have committed over $2.5 million over five years to ensure the success of this collaborative cancer research.
OTTAWA, ON -- They are conducting breakthrough research into fighting cancer with viruses and investigating ways to treat acute leukemias and today two world-class, long-standing and prestigious national cancer teams received a combined $13.4 million shot in the arm from The Terry Fox Foundation (TFF) to continue their work. The funds are raised annually by TFF through its annual Terry Fox community and school runs and invested through its national research arm, The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI).
The funding will support an Ottawa, Ontario-based team conducting research into oncolytic viruses (viruses that target cancer cells and leave healthy ones unharmed) to treat various forms of cancer and a Vancouver, British Columbia-based team exploring why acute forms of leukemia are difficult to treat. The teams will conduct their work from home institutes and laboratories in seven cities and four provinces in Canada. These elite and multidisciplinary “made-in-Canada” teams are known internationally, having both made seminal contributions for their work in oncolytic viruses (OVs) and normal and leukemic blood stems cells over the last several decades.
Governor General David Johnston, Patron of The Terry Fox Foundation, Participates in the Ottawa Terry Fox Run
Dr. Victor Ling and Darrell Fox in Ottawa with Governor General of Canada The Right Honourable David Johnston (centre) at the kickoff for the Ottawa Terry Fox Run on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012. All photos courtesy of James Park/Carleton University
Vancouver, BC -- The Terry Fox Foundation is pleased to announce that His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, is patron of the Foundation.
"The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General welcomed and recognized Terry 32 years ago during a visit to Rideau Hall. Less than 3 months after his visit, Terry was invested as Companion of the Order of Canada and, in 1982, the fountain in front of the Rideau Hall façade was dedicated the Fountain of Hope. We are therefore extremely honoured that His Excellency has accepted this role and we know that both Betty and Terry would join us in welcoming him to the Foundation and its broader family of supporters and organizers," said Mr. Rolland Fox, father of Terry Fox.
The Governor General is a strong supporter of Terry Fox, citing the young Canadian hero's contribution to the country and his generosity as an inspiration for all Canadians. During his installation speech in 2010, His Excellency spoke of how Terry's spirit and achievement brings Canadians together and how his cause endures three decades after the Marathon of Hope (1980).
WHAT: His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston Will Participate in The Terry Fox Run in Ottawa, Ontario
WHEN: Sunday, September 16, 2012
TIME: 8:40 am
WHERE: Anniversary Park on Carleton University campus
DETAILS: Joining His Excellency for the run will be members of the Fox Family, Terry Fox Run Organizers and Participants (including cancer survivors) and Carleton University students involved in Terry's CAUSE on Campus (CAUSE=College and University Student Engagement)
Vancouver, BC – For the first-time ever, students at universities across Canada are uniting from coast to coast to honour Canadian hero Terry Fox and to support his 32-year legacy of raising funds for cancer research.
Terry’s CAUSE on Campus (TCC) is being launched today by the Terry Fox Foundation (TFF) and the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) in partnership with a founding group of universities: Carleton University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Queen’s University, Simon Fraser University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Toronto. (CAUSE stands for College and University Student Engagement.)
Thousands of university students are expected to take part in the inaugural year, with events being held on campuses during September and early October in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. All funds raised will go to TFF for investment in cancer research by TFRI.
Speakers and investigators at the announcement of TFRI's pan-Canadian prostate cancer biomarker network in Montreal on July 25. Photo: Stphane Lord, CHUM
Montreal, QC -- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in Canadian men. Screening has enabled earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer, but with three out of four men actually diagnosed with a non-lethal form, should they all undergo the same treatment? A new pan-Canadian network of prostate cancer researchers formed by the Terry Fox Research Institute aims to address this need with approximately $4-million provided by the Terry Fox Foundation and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The funding was announced today at the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM).
TFRI's Canadian Prostate Cancer Biomarker Network (CPCBN) brings together top scientists and clinicians at leading prostate cancer care and research centres in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia to take aim at answering this question with the goal of providing better tools - including new and more effective biomarkers -- to treat and manage the disease. Over the next four years, the group will work to identify new ways to determine what forms of prostate cancer require immediate treatment and which don't, as well as how to better predict which patients, following treatment (surgery or radiation therapy), are at risk of their cancer progressing.
Total funding for the network is $3,995,326, with the Partnership having provided $550,000.
Nobel laureate Dr. Harald zur Hausen presents leadership seminar
Dr. zur Hausen
Vancouver, BC -- Nobel Laureate Dr. Harald zur Hausen's July 25, 2012 talk at the BC Cancer Research Centre in Vancouver drew about 400 listeners from on and off-site locations. Dr. zur Hausen gave an intellectually stimulating overview on the present state of knowledge about infectious agents (bacteria and viruses) and their contribution to the development of human cancer, as part of A Distinguished Leadership Seminar, presented jointly by the Terry Fox Research Institute and the BC Cancer Agency with support from UBC's Interdisciplinary Oncology Program. The lecture drew a multidisciplinary group of researchers and students into the audience. His talk encourages the audience to think deeply about areas where we do not yet understand what causes such high numbers of cancers.
Now a professor emeritus at the German universities of Freiburg and Heidelberg, Dr. zur Hausen headed up the German cancer research centre for over 20 years, and was responsible for a number of changes there. In 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work on discovering the role of papilloma viruses. He is known internationally for his discovery that human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer. His work contributed to the development of a cervical cancer vaccine against HPV, introduced in 2006.
In his talk, Dr. zur Hausen spoke about the different mechanisms of action of viruses on their human host, and how these contribute directly or indirectly to the development of specific cancers. He also presented data on the incidence of different cancers around the world, and discussed the eating habits of specific populations as fruitful areas of research in which to understand the interplay of environmental agents such as by-products of cooking, infectious agents in the development of cancer.
2011 New Investigator awardees receive $1.7 million
(l-r): Dr. Sheila Singh, Dr. Jennifer Chan, Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky, Dr. Luke McCaffrey
More than $1.7 million is being awarded to four young cancer researchers under the 2011 Terry Fox New Investigator (NI) Awards program. Three of the selected investigators – Drs. Marianne Koritzinksy and Sheila Singh in Ontario and Dr. Luke McCaffrey in Quebec are funded solely by Terry Fox. The other -- Dr. Jennifer Chan in Alberta -- is funded [by] the Alberta Cancer Foundation in partnership with Terry Fox. This is the first time TFRI partners have supported and funded this prestigious award . The investigators will use their funding to further their work into the complex mechanisms of malignant tumours.
While all four young researchers aspire to better cancer outcomes, their fields of study vary. One will be investigating the metabolism of low-oxygen cancer cells in hopes of disrupting their growth; another will be investigating novel gene therapies on aggressive brain tumours; a third will be looking at how tumour surfaces grow in breast cancer; and the fourth young researcher will be looking at the role of stem cell-like initiators in brain tumour formation.
View brief summaries of the four recipients and their research.
The Terry Fox Foundation has funded career awards for top new investigators for more than three decades. The awards are highly competitive and recipients are determined by a review committee of international scientific experts. The annual competition draws applications from the nation's best new talent and awards are made to those applicants selected to be the most outstanding. New last year and continuing this year, TFRI pairs new investigators with established scientists who are currently working on Terry Fox-funded projects. Each new investigator is linked to existing funded programs, and is supported by the principal investigators who have committed to mentoring the new researchers and integrating them into their research teams.
McGill trainees earn top honours at TFRI Scientific Meeting Poster Competition
TFRI 2012 Poster Presentation (l-r): Chief Judge Dr. Robert Rottapel (Ontario Node Leader) with winners Dr. Carolina Ilkow (3rd place), Dr. Jennifer Knight (1st place), Ms Jill Ranger (2nd place), and Mr. Darrell Fox (TFRI Senior Advisor).
A key highlight at TFRI's third annual scientific meeting (Victoria, BC, May 10-12, 2012) was the presentation of 77 posters from trainees who are working on Terry Fox-funded research in partner research laboratories across the country. Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who submitted successful abstracts and are funded by the Terry Fox Foundation's New Frontiers Program Project Grants (PPGs) and Strategic Training In Health Research at CIHR grants or TFRI's Translational Projects, were awarded grants to travel to present research posters.
Taking home top honours from this year's poster competition were McGill University's Goodman Cancer Research Centre trainees Dr. Jennifer Knight (1st place) and Ms Jill Ranger (2nd), along with Dr. Carolina Ilkow (3rd place) of the Ontario Health Research Institute. Dr. Ilkow is a PDF in Dr. John Bell's lab while Dr. Knight is a PDF supervised by Dr. Morag Park and Dr. Ranger is a graduate student supervised by Dr. William Muller. All three are affiliated with TFF-funded PPGs. Dr. Knight's poster was titled "Met synergizes with P53 loss to induce mammary tumours that possess features of claudin-low breast cancer."
CALGARY - They are a "dream team" comprised of some of the country's top minds in cancer research. They are harnessing their talent and technologies to find new treatments for the most common and deadly form of brain cancer among adults with an $8.2 million investment from The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI), The Terry Fox Foundation (TFF), Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Genome Canada, Genome BC and the BC Cancer Foundation.
The investment, one of the largest ever made in Canada to research glioblastoma, will give hope to the approximately 2,600 Canadians annually who face a grim future when they are diagnosed with the disease. With current treatment, survival is about 15 months.
Terry Fox Research Institute announces appointment of Iain R.V. MacKay to its Board of Directors
Vancouver, BC - The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Iain MacKay, a retired Vancouver chartered accountant, to its Board of Directors commencing May 1.
"Iain has an impeccable track record and an accomplished history of service to community throughout his long and impressive career. We are extremely pleased to have him join our Board. His financial leadership and business acumen, as well as his experience within the health care sector and cancer research specifically, will bring new strengths to our Institute and its operation," said Dr. Victor Ling, President and Chair of the Board of Directors for TFRI. "TFRI will benefit substantially from Iain's wisdom and experience. We are grateful he has chosen to spend some of his retirement in service to Terry Fox."
New statue at Mile Zero Site in St. John's, Newfoundland officially honours Terry Fox's journey
TFRI launched its Atlantic Node in 2010 at Mile Zero in St. John's, Newfoundland, near the ocean water where Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope. Today the site was officially recognized in his honour with the installation of a bronze statue and interpretive panels at what is now called Terry Fox Mile Zero Site.
Terry-Fox funded research at Princess Margaret Hospital finds oxygen in tumours predicts prostate cancer recurrence
Terry Fox-funded prostate cancer researchers at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto have made a finding about oxygen levels in tumours that could change the way that prostate cancer is treated. Work by Dr. Michael Milosevic and colleagues is published today in Clinical Cancer Research. Their work is supported through funds receive under a Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grant.
Terry Fox inducted into Canadian Medical Hall of Fame as "medical hero"
Canadian icon Terry Fox is one of seven laureates lauded this year as a medical hero and named to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame on March 21 at the CMHF's 2012 induction ceremony in Toronto. Three others were also inducted posthumously, including Dr. John Macleod, who shared the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Dr. Frederick Banting for their work on the discovery of insulin.
Signing in Singapore strengthens research capacity and Terry Fox legacy
Singapore - Ties to Terry Fox and his cancer research legacy were strengthened in Singapore in February 2012 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Terry Fox Research Institute and two leading research organizations.
TFRI President and Scientific Director Dr. Victor Ling travelled to Singapore to sign the agreement with representatives from the National University Hospital/National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NUHIS) and the National Cancer Centre of Singapore (NCCS). The agreement provides for all three parties to jointly share responsibility for and oversight of the scientific investment and research activity conducted there with funds raised from the annual Terry Fox Run held in Singapore.
Three researchers involved in The Terry Fox Research Institute’s oral cancer surgical study put on their cycling gear this morning (Feb. 8, 2012) and “spun their wheels” outside the BC Cancer Research Centre in Vancouver to support oral cancer research. Wearing team “Better Outcomes” shirts are Catherine Poh, Caroline Nguyen and Michele Williams. Poh is a co-lead investigator for TFRI’s Pan-Canadian Oral Cancer Surgery project, known as COOLS. The researchers were promoting an annual fundraiser for cancer research.
February 6, 2012: Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal honours legacy of Terry Fox
Ottawa -- TFRI Senior Advisor Darrell Fox was among 60 Canadians who received today the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
Fox received the medal on behalf of the Family of Terry Fox, the Terry Fox Foundation and the Terry Fox Research Institute. The citation recognized the Fox Family and the two organizations that bear the Terry Fox name for their "dedication to finding a cure for cancer and for raising the public's awareness of Terry Fox's legacy."
Study will identify tumour subtypes for better treatment
TFRI invests $750,000 in national childhood brain cancer project
Vancouver -- A national, multidisciplinary project made up of scientific and clinical experts in both British Columbia and Ontario is receiving $750,000 over three years from The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) to improve outcomes for children diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a common form of childhood cancer.
"Our investment in this important project is to help with the translation of advanced genomics technology for practical clinical use so that children diagnosed with this disease will, through better treatment, be able to live long, full and productive lives. We are pleased to support this project co-funded by Genome Canada and Genome BC and led by research teams in both British Columbia and Ontario," says TFRI president and scientific director Dr. Victor Ling.
Applications Invited
2012 Graduate Studentships and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards
in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick
The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) and its partners in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick are pleased to announce 2012 competitions for graduate studentships and postdoctoral fellowships as follows:
SASKATCHEWAN Graduate Studentships: Application deadline: Feb. 1, 2012 Full details here Postdoctoral Fellowship: Application deadline: March 15, 2012 Full details here
MANITOBA Graduate Studentships and Postdoctoral Fellowships: Application deadline: Feb. 1, 2012Full details here
NEW BRUNSWICK Graduate Studentship: Application deadline: Feb. 1, 2012 Full details here Postdoctoral Fellowship: Application deadline: Feb. 1, 2012Full details here
TFRI 3rd Annual Scientific Meeting May 10-12, 2012,
Fairmont Empress,
Victoria, British Columbia
More details to come
BC surgeon Dr. Nadine Caron delivers keynote address at inaugural TFRI-BC Node Research Day
Dr. Nadine Caron
UBC assistant professor Dr. Nadine Caron, a general surgeon in the northern BC (Prince George), gave the keynote address on Dec. 1 at the first TFRI-BC Node Research Day.
More than 140 scientists, clinicians and trainees attended the afternoon session, which included talks by investigators funded under the translational, discovery and new investigator research portfolio overseen by The Terry Fox Research Institute and funded through The Terry Fox Foundation. There was also an evening poster session. Organized under the leadership ...
Scientists brave heavy rain in Toronto to run in memory of Betty Fox
Betty Fox Tribute Run/Walk participants in Toronto on Nov. 29. Photo: Glenn Lowson & Héloïse Gauvin
Terry's father Rolly and sister Judith also joined the group, which set out from the Sheraton Hotel and ran to and from the Terry Fox Miracle Mile. The group included researchers, clinicians and trainees who were attending the inaugural Canadian Cancer Research Conference in Toronto; many are funded by Terry Fox through its translational, discovery and capacity-building projects and programs. Daniel Clattenburg of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia was the first runner to complete the route with a time of 25 minutes.
Three significant research programs received funding under the 2011 Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants at CIHR competition.
West Vancouver resident Mr. Don Konantz, a prostate cancer patient, speaks to media at today’s (Nov. 2, 2011) announcement by The Terry Fox Foundation that it is investing $12.7 million in new and breakthrough cancer research projects in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Three significant research programs received funding under the 2011 Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants at CIHR competition.
TFRI was honoured in 2010 to have Mrs. Betty Fox and her husband, Rolly, attend the launch of two TFRI nodes.
On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Marathon of Hope on April 12, 2010, TFRI launched its Atlantic Node in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. This first series of photos were taken at the launch which was held near the water where Terry dipped his foot in the ocean over 30 years ago.
Mrs. Fox was a featured speaker at the launch of the TFRI-Prairie node in December 2010 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The second set of images were taken of her and Rolly as they participated in the launch event celebrations.
TFRI is providing $4.7 million in funding for a new pan-Canadian study in oral cancer surgery. Principal investigators involved in the nine-site study met in Victoria , BC on May 23 to discuss the five-year study, which has the potential to revolutionize clinical practice in oral cancer surgery for tumours and pre-cancerous lesions of the mouth. The surgeons are using fluorescence visualization to guide surgery. Above, unveiling the project logo are (l-r): Dr. Victor Ling, TFRI president and scientific director, and Drs. Miriam Rosin, Scott Durham and Catherine Poh, TFRI COOLS Study principal investigators.
Vancouver, BC – Currently, about 30 per cent of patients who receive oral surgery have their cancer recur. But a new, Canada-wide surgical trial using a new approach to remove tumours and pre-cancerous cells from the mouths of those diagnosed with early-stage oral cancer offers new hope for patients.
The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) announces the launch of a $4.7 million Pan-Canadian Phase III clinical trial aimed at improving outcomes for patients undergoing surgery for oral squamous cell cancers. The Canadian Optically Guided Approach for Oral Lesions Surgical Trial (The COOLS Study) has the potential to revolutionize clinical practice here and around the world for this kind of cancer.
April 20, 2011 - Ottawa resident receives excellent prognosis after study detects early lung cancer
Debi Lascelle holds a loonie stamped with the image of Terry Fox produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2005. The loonie has been tucked away in her jewellery box for over five years. A participant in the Early Detection Lung Cancer Study funded by the Terry Fox Research Institute, Lascelle believes her story is a perfect example of how early detection can save lives. She is grateful that lung cancer research is being funded and conducted.
OTTAWA-- Ottawa resident Debi Lascelle believes she saved her life by participating in The Terry Fox Research Institute's Pan Canadian Early Lung Cancer Detection Study being conducted at The Ottawa Hospital.
Diagnosed in December 2010 with the most common form of lung cancer - adenocarcinoma --she had no symptoms when a 13-millimetre tumour was found on her right lung. Fortunately, it was discovered early and the tumour was small. She underwent a lobectomy on her right lung. Her prognosis is excellent.
Our mission is to work collaboratively to ensure that today's best science becomes tomorrow's affordable medicine. Through its portfolio of projects, the Terry Fox Research Institute supports translational cancer research. This type of research requires organized, focused teams of researchers with a wide range of expertise to systematically achieve milestone-driven goals as quickly as possible.
Our projects bring researchers from across Canada to work seamlessly together to generate the evidence needed by cancer organizations to apply new knowledge to improve health outcomes in prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer patients.
Video of Dr. Victor Ling
New Content!
Several sections of our site are refreshed to bring you new information about TFRI and our work in translational cancer research.
Are you looking for information about a Terry Fox-funded research project? You can access information about our projects through an online database. The information is available from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research's searchable database and appear on the national Canadian Research Information System (CRIS) database. The database is searchable by subject, investigator, funding, location or program.
