The Terry Fox Research Institute’s (TFRI) leadership and research community are mourning the loss of Dr. Carol Cass, a pioneering Canadian cancer researcher, respected leader, and one of the key architects who helped establish TFRI nearly two decades ago.
Dr. Cass passed away on August 11, 2026, after a short illness. Throughout a remarkable career spanning more than five decades, she made fundamental contributions to cancer research while helping shape the research landscape in Alberta and across Canada.
For TFRI, her legacy is particularly profound.
Dr. Cass served on the “small working group” directly involved in founding the Institute in 2007 and subsequently represented Alberta as a Node leader on TFRI’s Executive Committee for eight years. She also served on numerous TFRI international review committees, helping establish the Institute’s commitment to scientific excellence, collaboration, and innovative research with the potential to change the lives of people facing cancer.
"Carol was an early and forever believer in Terry's Marathon of Hope and was always there for us to provide a research voice and advice," said Darrell Fox, TFRI’s Senior Advisor and Terry’s younger brother. "Carol's extensive cancer research history and leadership were instrumental in launching and developing the Terry Fox Research Institute."
“Carol constantly reminded us that excellence in cancer research is to support the best research that will benefit cancer patients,” said Dr. Victor Ling, TFRI’s Founding President and Scientific Director, who worked with Dr. Cass during the establishment of the Institute. “We could always count on Carol for her wise and sound judgement. It was a real privilege to have known and worked with her.”
Her contributions to TFRI reflected the qualities for which she was known throughout the Canadian research community: scientific rigour, wisdom, generosity, sound judgement, and an unwavering focus on improving outcomes for patients.
“Carol was the one of the warmest, most insightful and generous people I have ever known and was very supportive of me joining TFRI,” said Dr. Spencer Gibson, lead of TFRI’s Prairie Node.
“Carol was among the key architects of TFRI and pushed for standards of excellence and consideration. She leaves a huge legacy for Alberta and Canada, as well as setting an example of leadership and compassion. We owe her so much,” said Dr. Jim Woodgett, President and Scientific Director of TFRI.
Dr. Carol Cass shares how she first learned of Terry Fox’s incredible Marathon of Hope and the privilege of later being named a Terry Fox Research Scientist.
A pioneering cancer researcher
Dr. Cass was internationally renowned for groundbreaking research into nucleoside transport and metabolism that improved understanding of how anti-cancer drugs enter cancer cells and can be used more effectively.
Over a distinguished career at the University of Alberta, she became the first permanent Chair of its Department of Oncology and later Director of the Cross Cancer Institute. She also served as Canada Research Chair in Oncology and became the first woman to chair the National Cancer Institute of Canada’s Advisory Committee on Research.
Her many honours included election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, receiving the National Cancer Institute of Canada’s Robert L. Noble Prize, and recognition as a Terry Fox Cancer Research Scientist.
Across these many roles, Dr. Cass remained a passionate advocate for scientific excellence and collaboration. Her influence lives on in the researchers she mentored, the institutions she helped lead, the discoveries she made, and the collaborative cancer research community she helped build.
At TFRI, we are deeply grateful for Dr. Cass’s role in shaping our Institute and its values. Her insistence on excellence, her wisdom, and her belief that the best cancer research must ultimately benefit patients remain central to our mission today. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, colleagues, and the many researchers whose lives and careers she influenced.