Part of the largest CIHR-led cancer prevention investment, McGill researchers will develop approaches to reduce cancer risk and improve early detection.
Four McGill researchers have received $7.9 million total in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and partners through the Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grants program, anounced today by the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Canada’s Minister of Health.
Over $41 million in funding was announced to support 19 teams that will work over the next five years to develop and share new approaches that support cancer prevention, reduce cancer risk, and improve early detection for some of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Canada and the world.
The funding is led by CIHR in partnership with the Terry Fox Research Institute, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, the Cancer Research Society, and BioCanRx. It is the single largest CIHR-led investment in cancer prevention research to date.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, and it is estimated to cost the health care system, patients, and families nearly $37.7 billion every year. Up to 40% of cancer cases could be prevented through changes in lifestyle and environmental factors, including prevention strategies and early detection.
“Research can save lives and reduce the burden of cancer. Scientists, clinicians, trainees, survivors, families, cancer advocates, and others all have a role to play. When one of us succeeds, we all benefit from that success,” said Honourable Marjorie Michel. “Today’s announcement is a great example of how by working together across countries, and across disciplines, we can build a stronger, more resilient, and healthier Canada.”
Recipients of McGill-led projects:
Mark Basik, Professor, Department of Oncology and Surgery; Full Member, McGill Centre for Translational Research in Cancer; Senior Investigator, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at the Jewish General Hospital
Advancing Risk Stratification in Young Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer
CIHR funding: $999,957 over 5 years
Canadian Cancer Society funding: $1,000,000 over 5 years
Maziar Divangahi – Professor, Department of Medicine; Strauss Chair in Respiratory Diseases, Principal Scientist; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Unlocking the Power of Trained Immunity in Cancer
CIHR funding: $1,500,000 over 5 years
BioCanRx funding: $500,000 over 5 years
Luke McCaffrey, Associate Professor, Department of Oncology; Researcher, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre
Decoding Breast Cancer: How Intrinsic Factors and Distinct Tissue Microenvironments Collaboratively Drive Breast Cancer Initiation
CIHR funding: $1,000,000 over 5 years
Canadian Cancer Society funding: $1,000,000 over 5 years
Michael Pollak, Alexander Goldfarb Research Chair in Medical Oncology; Professor, Departments of Oncology, Pharmacology and Medicine; and Principal Investigator, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at the Jewish General Hospital
Incretin-mimetic drugs for cancer prevention: Mechanisms and clinical potential
Terry Fox Research Institute funding: $1,975,000 over 5 years
