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VANCOUVER - Three outstanding cancer research teams will receive nearly $13 million to continue their investigations into rare tumours, an inherited disorder (Li-Fraumeni Syndrome) and the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound to improve treatments for breast cancer.
Two teams primarily based in Ontario and the other in BC will receive the funding from the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) as winners of its 2018 Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grant (PPGs) competition.
“These three teams have demonstrated that they are able to think outside the box and create really innovative projects that tackle some of the most challenging problems in cancer research. They bring together leading researchers with complementary skills to investigate different aspects of a given area of cancer research to find solutions that could yield positive results for patients in the short term,” says Dr. Victor Ling, TFRI president and scientific director.
The projects were selected after a rigorous process that saw a committee of international experts visit six short-listed labs before making a final decision on the award recipients.
Familiar faces, innovative approaches
All three research teams have a proven track-record in cancer research and have received funding from the TFRI before. With this new funding, the teams hope to continue building on previous discoveries with the hopes of beginning to transition their ground-breaking research out of the lab and into clinics.
“The only way you can do this type of research is through a team grant,” says Dr. David Huntsman (UBC, BC Cancer), lead investigator for the renewed forme fruste program. “The New Frontiers Grant is Canada’s premiere grant for team science cancer research and has allowed us to take on a large challenge – something much greater than any of us would be able to tackle as individuals – and be able to deliver discoveries that would otherwise be impossible to find.”
Learn more about the research of the 2018 Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grant winners:
From left to right: Drs. Greg Czarnota (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre), David Malkin (Hospital for Sick Children) and David Huntsman (BC Cancer, UBC).
About The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI)
Launched in October 2007, The Terry Fox Research Institute is the brainchild of The Terry Fox Foundation and today functions as its research arm. TFRI seeks to improve significantly the outcomes of cancer research for the patient through a highly collaborative, team-oriented, milestone-based approach to research that will enable discoveries to translate quickly into practical solutions for cancer patients worldwide. TFRI collaborates with over 70 cancer hospitals and research organizations across Canada. TFRI headquarters are in Vancouver, BC. www.tfri.ca
For more information, contact:
Peter Mothe
Communications Specialist
604-675-8000 ext.7630
C: 604-773-2827
pmothe@tfri.ca