Recipients of BC Cancer Foundation 2024 Rising Stars Award competition announced
Congratulations to the recipients of the BC Cancer Foundation (BCCF) 2024 Rising Stars Award competition!
This year’s awardees are:
News
Cancer-like mutations in healthy cells point to origins of breast cancer
Researchers at BC Cancer, the University of British Columbia (UBC), Harvard Medical School and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have pinpointed what could be the early genetic origins of breast cancer—cancer-like mutations appearing in the cells of healthy women.
Dr. Poul Sorensen receives esteemed Doctors of BC Terry Fox Medal
Dr. Poul Sorensen is the recipient of the 2024 Doctors of BC Terry Fox Medal, a prestigious award recognizing outstanding individuals who have achieved success in clinical practice, research and/or teaching to advance cancer care. A distinguished scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute (BCCRI) and professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Dr. Sorensen was selected based on his remarkable contributions to the field of pediatric cancer research and in translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice.
Drug discovery could prevent spread of childhood bone cancer
Despite decades of advancement in treatment, cancer spreading to multiple parts of the body remains one of the biggest challenges facing patients and their health care teams.
This is particularly true for osteosarcoma, the most common bone cancer in children and teenagers. While survival rates are approximately 70 per cent for people with localized disease, there is a high risk of metastatic spread to the lungs, after which the odds of survival fall dramatically to 20 per cent or less.
Dr. Poul Sorensen and Dr. Kevin Hay receive CIHR Project Grant
Dr. Poul Sorensen (Molecular Oncology), with co-investigators Dr. Kevin Hay (Terry Fox Laboratory) and Dr. Wei Li (University of Pittsburgh), received a Project Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for their project titled, “Targeting metabolic vulnerabilities in childhood cancers using immunotherapy.”
Dr. Haifeng Zhang receives young independent investigator grant from the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research
Dr. Haifeng Zhang (Molecular Oncology), with the support of Dr. Poul Sorensen as mentor, received a young independent investigator grant from the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (Rally).
The award is tied to a project titled, “Immunotherapeutic targeting of IL1RAP in rare pediatric cancers.”
Rally helps fund all levels of promising research initiatives, from science at the bench to translational, and includes fellows, young investigators and independent investigators.
Congratulations to Dr. Zhang on this achievement!
BC Cancer Foundation is the fundraising partner of BC Cancer, which includes BC Cancer Research. Together with our donors, we are changing cancer outcomes for British Columbians by funding innovative research and personalized treatment and care.