(Please click here for the photos)

The Second Annual Gerald Bronfman Centre Symposium is coming up and will take place November 26, 2012, at 3:00 pm at the Timmins Amphitheatre, MNI.

This year's theme will be Basic Cancer Research.  The Keynote Address will be delivered by Dr. Ann Chambers of the University of Western Ontario, with additional talks by Dr. Morag Park, Incoming Director, Goodman Cancer Centre, and Dr. Antonis Koromilas, Senior Scientist, Segal Cancer Centre.

After the symposium, an Award Ceremony will take place during which 3 meritorious awards will be given out for Excellence in Research, in Teaching and in Service, as well as 2 lifetime Achievement Awards, followed by a wine and cheese reception.

Kudos

Congratulations to Gerald Batist who has been awarded the Canadian Colorectal Consortium research grant by the Terry Fox Research Institute.

This prestigious award is in recognition of Dr. Batist's exceptional achievements in the field of oncology as a result of his innovative work in molecular-based translation cancer care.

Comings

Comings

Kris Jardon, November, 2012 Assistant Professor, Gynecologic Oncology 2012-10-24

Kudos

Congratulations to Michel Tremblay who was awarded the 2012 Prix Michel-Sarrazin from the Club de Recherches Cliniques du Québec (CRCQ).   This prize is in recognition of Dr. Tremblay's significant advancements in the field of science in Quebec.

"Le Prix Michel Sarrazin est remis annuellement à un scientifique québécois chevronné qui, par son dynamisme et sa productivité, a contribué de façon importante à l'avancement de la recherche biomédicale".

Comings

Comings

Marie-Hélène Mayrand, October, 2012 Adjunct Professor, Cancer Epidemiology

Eileen Shaw, October, 2012 M.Sc. Student, Cancer Epidemiology  2012-10-04

Kudos

Congratulations to Eduardo Franco who was recently recognized by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences by being elected a CAHS Fellow. This is one of the highest honour for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community.  Elections are based on a nominating and peer review process that seeks to recognize those who are marked by a record of substantial accomplishment.

The Second Annual Gerald Bronfman Centre Symposium will take place
November 26, 2012, at 3:00 pm at the Timmins Amphitheatre, MNI.

This year's theme will be Basic Cancer Research.  The Keynote Address will be delivered by Dr. Ann Chambers of the University of Western Ontario, with additional talks by Dr. Morag Park, Incoming Director, Goodman Cancer Centre, and Dr. Antonis Koromilas, Senior Scientist, Segal Cancer Centre.

After the symposium, an Award Ceremony will take place during which 3 meritorious awards will be given out for Excellence in Research, in Teaching and in Service, as well as 2 lifetime Achievement Awards, followed by a wine and cheese reception.

To nominate someone for any of the awards, click here

Comings & Goings

Comings	Joanne Alfieri, July, 2012 Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology	Marc Fabian, August, 2012 Assistant Professor, Basic Cancer Research
	Joshua Press, August 2012 Assistant Professor, Gynecologic Oncology	Arman Sarfehnia, August, 2012 Assistant Professor, Medical Physics
Goings	Bruno Gagnon, August, 2012 Assistant Professor, Palliative Care

Toronto Cancer 2012 Education Conference & Medical Exposition

The Toronto Cancer Conference, with a focus on new ideas and innovations of cancer management and an emphasis on topics of practical importance to providers caring for patients along the entire cancer care continuum, is being held from November 22 to 23, 2012.

It will feature over 70 Faculty delivering on over 50 topics and they are expecting upwards of 500+ multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals attending, making this conference one of the most dynamic inter-professional conferences in Canada.   Please click here for the flyer.

www.TorontoCancer.ca

Comings & Goings

Comings	Ghassan El-Baalbaki, July, 2012 Adjunct Professor, Psychosocial Oncology	Karolina Louvanto, August, 2012 Post-Doctoral Fellow, Cancer Epidemiology
	Shireen Sirhan, July 2012 Adjunct Professor, Hematology Oncology	Terence Sullivan, June, 2012 Adjunct Professor, Rossy Cancer Network
Goings	Michael Antwi, August, 2012 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Cancer Epidemiology	Edson Moreira, August, 2012 Visiting Professor, Cancer Epidemiology

Meet the UICC World Cancer Congress Worldwide Acclaimed Speakers

The UICC World Cancer Congress is being held in Montreal from August 27 - 30, 2012.  Professionals in cancer control, research and program implementation who wish to expand their knowledge on new prevention and early detection strategies, can register before July 31, 2012 and save!

Click here for more details.

Comings

Comings

Philip Wong, July, 2012 Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology

Kudos

Issam El Naqa has been awarded a CIHR New Investigator salary award.  Dr. El Naqa's work focuses on Modelling of Radiotherapy Induced Damage in Locally Advanced Lung Cancer by a Novel System Radiobiology Approach.

Kudos

Eduardo Franco has been elected into the Fellowship of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHD) and will be formally inducted at a ceremony at the Annual General Meeting being held at the Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa on September 20 and 21, 2012. Congratulations to Dr. Franco on this well deserved honour.

Renovations are being planned for the Gerald Bronfman Center  to enhance the effectiveness of its divisional teams and to restore the GBC to its original splendor.

Click here for pictures.

The Department of Oncology was one of the proud sponsors of the first McGill-CIHR Drug Development Training Program Retreat that was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in late March. The key note speaker was the Founder and President of Anticancer Inc, Dr. Robert Hoffman. A full account of the DDTP Retreat can be seen here.

Annual Family BBQ

All members of the Department of Oncology and their families are cordially invited to the Annual Family BBQ. [For pictures, please click here]

Date: June 20, 2012
Time: 5pm - 7 pm
Place: Royal Victoria College Courtyard
3425 University Street (Between Milton and Sherbrooke)

RSVP:  Naomi Scobie, naomi.scobie@mcgill.ca; 514-398-2264

Kudos

Congratulations to Issam El Naqa who recently received an FRSQ salary award.

Comings

Comings	André-Guy Martin, April, 2012 Adjunct Professor, Radiation Oncology	Ari Meguerditchian, February, 2012 Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
	Satomi Yamaguchi, April, 2012 Visiting Scholar, Palliative Care Research

Kudos

Heartfelt congratulations go out to Eduardo Franco who, in November 2011, was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada as an elected RSC Fellow. This richly-deserved honour was bestowed upon him in recognition of his work on identifying the human papillomavirus infection as the cause of cervical cancer and his studies of vaccination and screening which have led to new approaches in preventing this disease.

Associate Member Howard Bergman has recently been appointed to the position of Chair of the Department of Family Medicine. We congratulate him on this well-deserved nomination and wish him well as he implements his vision for Family Medicine.

Palliative Care McGill is proud to announce the launching of its new website at www.mcgill.ca/palliativecare.   Project leader Dawn Allen designed the website, with the invaluable assistance of Nadia Conte and the guidance of Bernard Lapointe who provided the gorgeous photographs.  Congratulations to the team on this wonderful accomplishment.

Kudos

Congratulations to Alain Nepveu whose appointment as a James McGill Professor has been renewed for an additional period of seven years.  This renewal recognizes the continuation of his scholarly work during the past seven-year tenure as a McGill Professor and hails him as one of McGill's most respected scholars.

Kudos

Congratulations to Aimée Fleure Gallant, a Radiation Oncology Fellow, who was recently  accepted to attend the 14th ECCO-AACR-EORTC-ESMO Workshop on Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, to be held in Flims (Switzerland) from 23 - 29 June 2012.   Congratulations on this accomplishment!

MUNACA Strike ends!

The MUNACA Strike finally ended on December 6th, 2011.  A hasty pizza lunch was put together at the Gerald Bronfman Center to celebrate the return of our MUNACA Staff members.  It was an emotional reunion, relished and enjoyed by everyone - with hugs all around!

Below are the Fall 2011, and recent items of interest.

Registration Call for UICC World Cancer Congress 2012

The UICC World Cancer Congress is being held in Montreal from August 27 - 30, 2012.  Professionals in cancer control, research and program implementation who wish to expand their knowledge on new prevention and early detection strategies, can register early and save up to $290!

Click here for more details.

Gerald Bronfman Center:  Celebrating 20 years

The Gerald Bronfman Center for Clinical Research in Oncology established in 1992, thanks to the Bronfman family's vision and desire to join in the fight against cancer, has celebrated its 20th anniversary.  Several events took place on November 20th and 21st to commemorate this major milestone.  Pictures and description of the special events can be seen by clicking on the links below.

http://publications.mcgill.ca/medenews/2011/10/26/centre-buys-patients-time-offers-hope/
http://publications.mcgill.ca/medenews/2011/12/08/gerald-bronfman-centre-celebrating-20-years/
http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2011/11/with-dr-eduardo-franco-interim-chair-of-the-department-of-oncology-and-director-of-the-gerald-bronfman-centre-for-clinical-research-in-oncology/

Celebration honours Michel Tremblay

On December 12th, a celebration was held to honour Michel Tremblay's enormous impact on The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre.  The event provided an opportunity for many to express their appreciation for his monumental efforts and achievements which have made the Centre the success it is today.

Peter Siegel has agreed to serve as Interim Associate Director of the Goodman Cancer Research Centre until a permanent Director of the Centre has been selected.

"Whole Person Care A New Paradigm for the 21st Century"
Tom A. Hutchinson (Ed.)

Whole Person Care A New Paradigm for the 21st Century, from Editor:  Tom A. Hutchinson, was launched in style with a reception at the McGill bookstore on November 18th, 2011. For pictures of the event, click here.  http://www.springer.com/medicine/family/book/978-14419-9439-4

Kudos

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences has elected Gerald Batist as a "CAHS Fellow, one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community. Elections are based on a nominating and peer review process that seeks to recognize those who are marked by a record of substantial accomplishment."  We congratulate Dr. Batist on this honor.

Sabbatic Leaves

Nicole Beauchemin, Michel Tremblay and Maria Zannis-Hadjopoulos will be on Sabbatic leave during the 2011-2012 academic year.

Comings

Comings	Isabelle Dumont, November, 2011 Adjunct Professor, Psychosocial Oncology	Ziad El-Khatib, September, 2011 Post-Doctoral Fellow, Cancer Epidemiology
	Sandra Isidean, September, 2011 Ph. D. Student, Cancer Epidemiology	Victor Sandor, November, 2011 Adjunct Professor, Clinical Science Research
	Fabiano Santos, September, 2011 Post Doctoral Fellow, Cancer Epidemiology	Peter Siegel, January, 2012 Associate Member, Basic Science Research

Temporary Stoppage

N. B. Due to the MUNACA strike, there will be no further updates to the Oncology Department’s website until January 2012. We regret this inconvenience.

Palliative Care McGill Research News 

The Fall 2011 issue of “Palliative Care McGill Research News” is now available on the Palliative Care McGill page. 

Kudos

Heart felt congratulations to Balfour Mount who will receive the 2011 Canadian Medical Association's (CMA) Medal of Service at the Canadian Medical Association's Annual Meeting.

The news release can be found here: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2011/16/c4061.html

Kudos

Congratulations to Michael Witcher who was recently notified that his CFI proposal in the 2011 CFI LOF competition has been fully funded.

Goings & Comings

Goings	Sara-Marcil Johnson, August, 2011 Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator, Palliative Care	Nathalie Slavtcheva, July 2011 Research Nurse, Cancer Epidemiology
Comings	Vanessa Dumeaux, August, 2011 Assistant Professor, Basic Cancer Research	Hope Makena, August, 2011 Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator, Palliative Care
	Edson D. Moreira Jr., August, 2011 Visiting Professor, Cancer Epidemiology	Deborah Ummel, August, 2011 Research Assistant, Palliative Care
	Nathaniel Bougamin, July, 2011 Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology	Scott Owen, July, 2011 Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology

Kudos

Congratulations to Carolyn Freeman who has been elected President of the International Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society for 2011-2014.

Comings

Comings

Annie Carbonneau, July, 2011 Faculty Lecturer, Radiation Oncology Nathalie Johnson, July, 2011 Assistant Professor, Hematology Miltiadis Paliouras, July, 2011 Assistant Member, Basic Science Research Beatrice Wang, July, 2011 Assistant Member, Skin Cancer Siham Sahri, August, 2011 Assistant Professor, Basic Science Research 2011-07-20

Kudos

Congratulations to Louis Souhami who has been selected as a 2011 ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO) inductee. This distinguished honour is conferred in recognition of his leadership and significant service to ASTRO and his contributions to the field of radiation oncology.

"Whole Person Care A New Paradigm for the 21st Century"
Tom A. Hutchinson (Ed.)                                                    

Congratulations to Tom Hutchinson on the recent publication of Whole Person Care A New Paradigm for the 21st Century. "This work is a ground-breaking volume and the first of its kind to concisely outline and explicate the emerging field of Whole Person Care by organizing the disparate strains of literature on the topic." http://www.springer.com/medicine/family/book/978-14419-9439-4

Carmen Loiselle Appointed as Christine and Herschel Victor/Hope & Cope Chair in Psychosocial Oncology

A special celebration honouring Dr. Carmen Loiselle as the inaugural Christine and Herschel Victor/Hope & Cope Chair in Psychosocial Oncology was held June 14th at the Faculty of Medicine Deanery.  Click here for photos.

Comings

Comings

Jean Archambault, June, 2011 Adjunct Professor, Radiation Oncology

Annual Family BBQ

All members of the Department of Oncology and their families are cordially invited to the Annual Family BBQ. 

Date: June 15, 2011
Time: 5pm - 7 pm
Place: Royal Victoria College Courtyard
3425 University Street (Between Milton and Sherbrooke)

RSVP:  Naomi Scobie, naomi.scobie@mcgill.ca; 514-398-2264

Promotions

Mark Basik has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure in the Departments of Oncology and Surgery.

Announcement

Dr. Thierry Alcindor has been appointed Director of the joint "McGill /Université de Montréal Visiting Speakers Program in Oncology" and will be responsible for coordinating with colleagues at both institutions. Administrative support will be provided by Winie Celestin. Link to VSPO

Goings

Goings

Marc Tischkowitz, June, 2011 Associate Professor, Human Genetics

Promotions

Lucy Gilbert has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Oncology.

Comings

Comings

Jamil Asselah, April, 2011 Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology Marie Vanhuyse, April, 2011 Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology

"Thérapeutique du cancer"
Coauteurs: Robert Turcotte, Thierry Alcindor et David Roberge

Plus de soixante spécialistes francophones ont contribué à cette seconde édition de ce livre, dont les membres du Département d’oncologie de McGill Robert Turcotte, Thierry Alcindor et David Roberge.     Publié par Springer, vous retrouverez aux chapitres 36 et 37 leur approche interdisciplinaire sur les traitements innovants des sarcomes des parties molles et de l’os. Thérapeutique du cancer Morère, Jean-François; Mornex, François; Soulières, Denis, Eds 2ième ed., 2011, XX, 1028p Editeur : Springer

Bassam Abdulkarim is new Director of Radiation Oncology

The Department of Oncology extends a warm welcome to Bassam Abdulkarim who has just arrived from the University of Alberta's Cross Cancer Institute, to take up the position of Director of the Division of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Abdulkarim will be Chief of Radiation Oncology at the MGH-MUHC, and as an accomplished MD/PhD clinician-scientist, will develop a major program in translational radiation biology at the Research Institute of the MUHC, along with colleagues across the University. Additionally, he will participate in clinical and research activities at the Segal Centre/JGH, providing a unifying spirit and force.

Goings & Comings

Goings	Lorraine Portelance, March, 2011 Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology 2011-04-05
Comings	Frank Bladou, January, 2011 Professor, Surgical Oncology 2011-03-30

Promotions

Walter Gotlieb has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Oncology.

Acting Chair

Eduardo Franco has been appointed Acting/Interim Chair of the Oncology Department as of January 1, 2011.

First Christine and Herschel Victor, Hope & Cope Chair goes to Carmen Loiselle

Carmen Loiselle has been named the first Christine and Herschel Victor, Hope & Cope Chair in Psychosocial Oncology. This newly established Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology at McGill University is based at the Jewish General Hospital site of the Segal Cancer Center, the Louise Granofsky-Psychosocial Oncology Program (LG-POP) and Hope & Cope.  

Promotions

Jan Seuntjens, Director of the Medical Physics Unit, has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Oncology.

Walter Gotlieb and the Benefits of Robotic Surgery

"Results of a series of studies published in the The Journal of Robotic Surgery and The International Journal of Gynecological Cancer show that robot-assisted surgery dramatically improves outcomes in patients with uterine, endometrial, and cervical cancer." Walter Gotlieb, Head of Gynecologic Oncology at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre states that "patient quality of life is dramatically improved, their hospital stays are much shorter and they use far less narcotic pain medication."Link to article.

Comings

Comings

Melissa Henry, February, 2011 Assistant Professor, Psychosocial Oncology Emilie Soisson, January, 2011 Assistant Professor, Medical Physics   Alasdair Syme, March, 2011 Assistant Professor, Medical Physics Ivan Topisirovic, February, 2011 Assistant Professor, Basic Research Science

Palliative Care Upcoming Event

Continuing Medical Education Day

Please join us on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the McGill New Residence Hall, 3625 ave du Parc, Montreal for our 2nd Palliative Care McGill CME Day.

 Click here for more details.

RSVP to naomi.scobie@mcgill.ca or 514-398-2264

Kudos

Gerald Batist was inducted into the McGill Chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society in recognition of his academic achievement, leadership and community service, at their annual event on November 17, 2010. 

Comings

Comings	Sylvain Néron, June, 2010 Assistant Professor, Psychosocial Oncology Hananel Holzer, December, 2010 Associate Member, Gynecologic Oncology Sender Liberman, December, 2010 Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology Agnihotram Ramana-Kumar, January, 2011 Assistant Professor, Cancer Epidemiology

Kudos

Radiation Oncology Resident, Philip Wong was recently honored at the 24th CARO Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver where his talk was voted the “Best Resident Oral Presentation”.

Kudos

Neil MacDonald will be receiving the “7^th Annual John Mendelsohn Award” at a ceremony in Houston, Texas  in October.  Established by M. D. Anderson Hospital to pay tribute to the work of John Mendelsohn, this award  honors  individuals who have made outstanding contributions to  the development of the field of Palliative Care. 

In the News

The Inaugural appointee to the  "The Phil Gold Chair in Medicine", established to honour Dr. Gold's life-long achievements at McGill and at the Montreal General Hospital, is Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, Director of the RI-MUHC.  McGill med/E-news.

Comings

Comings	Issam El-Naqa, June, 2010 Associate Professor, Medical Physics	Myndessa Kastner, July, 2010 Secretary, Clinical Research Program
	Michael Witcher, August, 2010 Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology

In the News

The May 20th edition of the McGill Reporter contains an Entre Nous series interview with Michel Tremblay, Director of the Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Center, long-time researcher and brand new daddy!  Click here for the full article.

Kudos

Salah Mahmud has received the Governor General's Gold Medal from the University of Manitoba.  This prestigious award reflects his outstanding work in his doctoral studies for which he has also received the Distinguished Thesis Award.

Comings

Comings	Neena Bindra, May, 2010 Accounting, Clinical Research Program	Stephanie Larocque, February, 2010 Secretary, Clinical Research Program
	Cynthia Perna, May, 2010 Summer Clerk, Clinical Research Program

Goings

Goings

Kingsley Cheung, May, 2010 Website Maintenance Oncology Department

Brenda Lee, May, 2010 Administrative Coordinator Clinical Research Program

Annual Family BBQ

All members of the Department of Oncology and their families are cordially invited to the Annual Family BBQ. 

Date: June 16, 2010
Time: 5pm - 7 pm
Place: Royal Victoria College Courtyard
3425 University Street (Between Milton and Sherbrooke)

RSVP:  Naomi Scobie, naomi.scobie@mcgill.ca; 514-398-2264

Palliative Care Kudos

Medical students Megin Fong and David King are the winners of the 2010 Winifred M. Ross Award in Palliative Care.  For pictures, click here.

Congratulations to Hallie Coltin who represented McGill at the National Interprofessional Institute in Palliative Care held at McMaster University, May 10th - 14th , 2010. 

 

2010-05-14

Kudos

Laurent Azoulay, an epidemiologist with expertise in population-based studies of cancer risk based on database analysis, was awarded an FRSQ Chercheur-boursier Junior 1 as well as an FRSQ Epidemiology Research award.

Sarit Assouline, a hemato-oncologist, was awarded as FRSQ Chercheuse-clinicienne for translational research studies to discover new molecular targets in tumors and new treatments based on them.

Sylvie Aubin, a psychologist, was awarded as FRSQ Chercheuse-boursier to study how young adults with cancer face their problems and deal with sexual dysfunction.  She was also awarded an FRSQ Cancer Research Grant.
 

2010-05-04

Comings

Comings	Ann Burchell Adjunct Professor Cancer Epidemiology	Celia Greenwood Associate Professor Cancer Epidemiology
	Ajay Gupta Adjunct Professor Experimental Therapeutics	Charles Hackett Faculty Lecturer Palliative Care
	Chandra Martens Faculty Lecturer Radiation Oncology	Luke McCaffrey Assistant Professor Basic Science Research in Cancer
	William Parker Assistant Professor Medical Physics	Horacio Patrocinio Assistant Professor Medical Physics

2010-05-04

In the News

In its Entre Nous series, The McGill Reporter recently interviewed Tom Hutchinson to learn more about the McGill Programs in Whole Person Care in the Oncology Department and his hope for future medical practitioners and the importance of mindfulness. Click here for the full article.

2010-03-23

Kudos

Eduardo Franco has been awarded ASCCP Lifetime Achievement Award. Established in 2008 by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, this award recognizes the contributions of individuals to the field of colposcopy and the screening and managment of lower genital tract disease. The ASCCP sites his work as being instrumental in highlighting the importance of prevention programs for HPV-associated diseases such as cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination. We congratulate him on this well-deserved honour!

2010-02-18

In the News

Balfour Mount was recently featured in an in-depth article by Pauline Gravel in 'Le Devoir'. For the complete text, click here.

2010-02-09

 

 

2010 Oncology Summer Scholarship Application

The 2010 Oncology Summer Scholarship is now open for applications. This year's application deadline is April 2, 2010. For more details regarding application procedures and past projects, click here.

2010-02-02

 

Comings

Comings	Wamied Abdel-Rahman Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology	Prosanto Chaudhury Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
	Tanya Fitzpatrick Assistant Professor, Geriatric Oncology	Jeff Golan Associate Member, Surgical Oncology
	Tarek Hijal Faculty Lecturer, Radiation Oncology	Gabriella Stroian Assistant Professor, Medical Physics
	Josie Ursini-Siegel Assistant Professor, Basic Science & Translational Research

2010-01-28

Winifred Margaret Ross Prize in Palliative Care

The Department is pleased to announce the establishment of the Winifred Margaret Ross Prize in Palliative Care which has been created to encourage interest in Palliative Care. Two prizes, valued at $1,500 each, will be awarded for the best reflective essays written in the field of palliative care. The deadline for the first competition is February 5, 2010. See details here.

2010-01-20

Kudos

Emeritus Professor, Balfour Mount, Palliative Care pioneer and long time member of the Department of Oncology, has been named one of the Great Montrealers of 2009 by the Montreal Board of Trade. We congratulate Dr. Mount on this notable honour.
Click here for Montreal Board of Trade Announcement.

Kudos

Phil Gold, co-discoverer of the carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), will be inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in April, 2010. MUHC Press Release.

 

2009-10-21

Announcement

Gayle Shinder is one of the new members of the Hope & Cope Executive Advisory Board.

 

2009-10-21

Goings

Goings

Jacques Galipeau, October, 2009 Associate Professor, Hematology

2009-10-21

Pfizer-FRSQ Innovation Fund Awards $1,500,000 to Gerald Batist's Research Team

The Pfizer-FRSQ Innovation Fund has awarded one of its first two grants in support of research to Gerald Batist and Q-CROC in the amount of $1,500,000 for the project entitled “Prospective study for identifying and validating biomarkers of therapeutic resistance in metastatic colorectal cancer”. FRSQ Press Release

 

2009-10-08

Bernard Lapointe Appointed as Eric M. Flanders Chair in Palliative Medicine

On September 9th, a reception was held at the Francesco Bellini Life Sciences Atrium to celebrate the appointment of Dr. Bernard Lapointe to the Eric M. Flancers Chair in Palliative Medicine at McGill University.  Click here for photos.

 

2009-10-07

Vincent Giguère Elected as Fellow to Royal Society of Canada

In a ceremony to be held in Ottawa in November, Vincent Giguère will be inducted as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada. "His groundbreaking work has led to major advances in our understanding of the roles played by nuclear receptors and their natural and synthetic ligands in embryonic development, adult physiology and several diseases, most notably hormone-dependent cancers and metabolic disorders."

McGill Press Release

2009-10-07

Comings and Goings

Comings	Dawn Allen, October, 2009 Associate Director, Palliative Care
Goings	Martin Chasen, November, 2009 Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology

2009-10-07

Comings and Goings

Comings	Valerie Badro, September, 2009 Research Assistant, Whole Person Care	Luc Levesque, August, 2009 Adjunct Professor, Pharmaco-Oncology
	Slobodan Devic, August, 2009 Assistant Professor, Medical Physics	Virginia Manning, September, 2009 Administrator, Cancer Genetics
	Melissa Henry, September, 2009 Adjunct Professor, Palliative Care Research	Carolynna Olha, August, 2009 Secretary, Clinical Research Program
Goings	Samina Chanda, August, 2009 Project Manager, Cancer Genetics	Wei-Ju Chen, September, 2009 Website Maintenance, Oncoogy Department

Scientific Breakthrough!

Jacques Galipeau has lead a team of researchers at the JGH's Lady Davis Institute that has "found an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) that reverses the disorder in mice and could do the same for humans." See Montreal Gazette Article and Nature Medicine.

has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor, GFT-U, in the Department of Oncology, Human Genetics and Medicine and has been named a James McGill Professor.

Arthur Porter has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor, GFT-H, in the Department of Oncology.

The 2009 Northwest Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Award, presented at the ASCRS Meeting in May, went to the co-authors of “Neoadjuvant High Dose-Rate Endorectal Brachytherapy in the Era of Total Mesorectal Excision for Patients with Rectal Cancer: Ten Year Follow-Up”, which include Dawn Anderson and Té Vuong.

Raquel Aloyz has been awarded a Charles O Monat Award by the Faculty of Medicine.

Isabelle Dumont, July, 2009
Assistant Professor, Psychosocial Oncology

Koren Mann, July, 2009
Assistant Professor, Cancer Research

Anna Derossis has replaced Roger Tabah as Director of the Surgical Oncology Residency Program as of July 1st.

Samina Chanda, July, 2009
Program Administrator, Cancer Genetics Program

2009-07-07

Bernard LaPointe Named Eric Flanders Chair & Director of Palliative Care

Bernard LaPointe

Dr. LaPointe is a visionary whose take of palliative care as a fully integrated aspect of cancer care, from initial diagnosis on, has been formally recognized at the international level by the European Society of Medical Oncology and who, last year, was honoured by the Canadian Hospice Association. He is an excellent leader, facilitator, rassembleur and mentor committed to integrating palliative care across McGill and across Quebec. He will help to strengthen McGill palliative care research and training activities and will be working on improving the quality and capacity of the professional life of the palliative care providers.

Kudos

Eduardo Franco has been renewed as a James McGill Professor for seven years.

William Foulkes has been renewed as a William Dawson Scholar and will be appointed a James McGill Professor upon his promotion to Full Professor, which is imminent.

Comings

Laurena Deligny, May 2009
Ethics Secretary, Clinical Research Program

BBQ Cancellation

Due to ongoing construction at Royal Victoria College, regrettably we will not be able to hold the Annual Oncology Family BBQ this year which was planned for June 17th.

Changes in Radiation Oncology Leadership

Carolyn Freeman has submitted her resignation as Director of McGill's Radiation Oncology Program. After almost 30 years of successful leadership, she will remain active with the MUHC and McGill, and has agreed to stay on in the interim as Director, until a search committee recruits a new leader. The search committee will begin this work in June. A formal opprotunity to honour her is being planned
.

Luis Souhami has resigned as Associate Director of Radiation Oncology at McGill after 18 years of strong leadership. He has been central in advancing the development of Radiation Oncology at McGill in terms of research, teaching and clinical care and has made important contributions as a leader through the RTOG. He will remain active in this and in other activities at both the MUHC and McGill.

Té Vuong has been appointed as the new Associate Director in Radiation Oncology at McGill and the Director at the Segal Cancer Centre/Jewish General Hospital radiation facility. A gifted teacher and clinical scientist with an international reputation, Té has created a research consortium that is both Quebec-wide and worldwide in scope, which innovates in brachytherapy for gastrointestinal cancers. As an accomplished team-builder she is enthusiastic about working with everyone as she begins her new leadership position.

Joint Reception Held To Celebrate 20 Years of Service

On May 8th, the McGill Cancer Centre and the Oncology Department held a joint coffee & cake reception at the Goodman Cancer Centre, to celebrate 20 Years of Service to McGill and to show appreciation to the following individuals.

To mark the occasion, honorees were thanked by Gerald Batist and Michel Tremblay for their long service, presented with a commemorative pin and given a congratulatory letter with instructions on how to select their gift from Birks & Mayors. Click here for photos

Comings & Goings

Comings:

Wei-Ju Chen, April, 2009
Website Maintenance

Goings:

Nancy Gair, May, 2009
Secretary, Whole Person Care

2009 Summer Scholarship Winners

Penny Toliopoulos and Brady Eason are the winners of the 2009 Summer Scholarships. Penny's research project will study the "Implication of Tab GTPase in Breast Cancer Metastasis" in Moulay Alaoui-Jamali's lab. Brady's project with Morag Park, will look at "Linking Met Receptor Signaling to Cell Polarity in Cancer".

Kudos

Carmen Loiselle, Director of our Oncology Nursing Program, has been awarded an FRSQ Chercheur-boursier Senior 1. 

Kudos

Thierry Muanza has been awarded an FRSQ Chercheur-clinicien junior 1 salary award. Dr. Muanza's work combines radiobiology with imaginative chemistry and novel therapeutics, as well as biomarker discoveries.

Floor Hockey Champs

The Coveted Oncology Cup this year went to Captain Penny Chipman and her Blue Team: Petr Kavan, Michel Tremblay, Wilson Miller, Cristiano Ferrario, Walter Gotlieb and son Steven who defeated the Multicolored Team 3-2. Click here for photos.

Comings

Sylvie Aubin, April 2009
Assistant Professor, Psychosocial Oncology

Sherry Hogan, April 2009
Clinical Research Coordinator, Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology

Anthony Zeitouni, April 2009
Associate Professor, Head and Neck Oncology

Walter Gotlieb Appointed Director of Surgical Oncology

The Department of Oncology is pleased to announce that Walter Gotlieb has been appointed Director of the Division of Surgical Oncology at McGill for a 5 year term.

Kudos

Heartfelt congratulations go to Martin Black, who has been named “Mentor of the Year” by the Quebec  Regional Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and will be the recipient of its “Prix d’excellence”.

The Department of Oncology wishes to express its appreciation to Ervin Podgorsak, founding Director of the Medical Physics Unit, for 30 years of exceptional service.

Jan Seuntjens has been appointed Director of the Medical Physics Unit for a five-year term beginning January 15, 2009.  We wish him much success in his new leadership role.

The Winter 2009 Special Issue of “Palliative Care McGill Research News” is now available and features selected highlights of the 17th International Congress on Palliative Care held September 23-26, 2008.

The  Department  of  Oncology  is  pleased  to  announce  the  establishment  of  the McGill  Rectal  Cancer  Radiation  Program  under  the  directorship  of Dr. Té Vuong.

Dr. Vuong’s innovations, insights and international stature along with her clinical research activities, publications, funding rates and capacity to encourage participation and to network make her an exceptional leader for this initiative.

It is expected that the newly created McGill Rectal Radiotherapy Program (MRRP) will be a multi-and inter-disciplinary program of the McGill Department of Oncology with activities and leadership in both McGill hospitals with radiation facilities - the JGH and the MUHC.

All members of the Department of Oncology are cordially invited to a
Holiday Cocktail Party.

RSVP to naomi.scobie@mcgill.ca or 514-398-2264

Special Performance by
The Soulstice a Cappella Singers

Claude Richard, November, 2008
Research Nurse, Cancer Epidemiology

Katia Bellegarde, December 2008
Research Nurse, Cancer Epidemiology

Hope and Cope

Angelica Todireanu, October, 2008
Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator, Whole Person Care

Dr. Annette Herscovics
(1938 - 2008)

Annette Herscovics passed away on September 6, 2008, after a long battle with breast cancer. She was professor at the McGill Cancer Centre and the Department of Biochemistry. Annette was a McGill graduate and obtained her Ph.D. degree in 1963 from the Department of Anatomy, which she also joined after her graduation. She subsequently went to the Massachusetts General Hospital, where she had a successful and productive career in glycobiology. In 1982, she came back to McGill and joined the McGill Cancer Centre.

Annette was an accomplished and respected scientist and was involved in several national and international collaborations. She made numerous significant contributions to her field of research. In recognition of her contributions, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She also joined the editorial board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a position that she held for several years.

Annette was also an accomplished violinist, a member of the McGill Faculty of Medicine orchestra 'I Medici di McGill' and of several string quartets and chamber ensembles. She was valued mentor to staff and students, always offering sound advice. She will be sadly missed by all her friends and colleagues.

Formerly at Institut Gustave-Roussy, where he led a very productive research program and directed the Melanoma Group of the EORTC, Dr. Spatz joins as a new Professor of Pathology and Oncology at McGill, as the Pathologist-in-Chief at the Jewish General Hospital and as the Director of the Research Pathology Program at the Segal Cancer Centre/Lady Davis Research Institute.

Dr. Spatz is a tremendous collaborator and is enthusiastic to interact with Department members on common interests. Please join us in welcoming Alan and his family to Montreal and to McGill.

Comings:

Kingsley Cheung, September, 2008
Website Maintenance

Jonathan Wan, September, 2008
Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology

Goings:

Eileen Lavery, September, 2008
Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator, Whole Person Care

Jasper Palfree, September, 2008
Website Maintenance

Comings:

Annett Körner, August, 2008
Associate Member, Psychosocial Oncology

Goings:

Chandra Martens, August, 2008
Adjunct Professor, Radiation Oncology

Heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Henry Shibata who was honored with the Distinguished Investigator Life Time Achievement Award by the NSABP on June 14, 2008.

Comings:

Sam Ratnam, July, 2008
Adjunct Professor, Cancer Epidemiology

Helen Trottier, July, 2008.
Adjunct Professor, Cancer Epidemiology

Goings:

Carmelita McNeil, August, 2008
Research Assistant, Palliative Care Research

Cara Schwartz, June, 2008
Data Entry Clerk, Cancer Epidemiology

Megan Wainwright, August, 2008
Clerical Support, Whole Person Care

All members of the Department of Oncology and their families are cordially invited to the Annual Family BBQ.

• Date: June 18, 2008
• Time: 5pm - 7pm
• Place: Royal Victoria College Courtyard
  3425 University Street (Between Milton and Sherbrooke

RSVP: naomi.scrobie@mail.mcgill.ca, 514-398-2264

Lorenzo Ferri, June 2008
Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology

François DeBlois, May 2008
Assistant Professor, Medical Physics

Golda Tradounsky, May 2008
Faculty Lecturer, Palliative Care

Comings:

Sara Marcil-Johnson, May 2008
Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator, Palliative Care

Jasper Palfree, May 2008
Website Maintenance

Christine Sgherri, May 2008
Administrative Coordinator, Cancer Nutrition & Rehabilitation Program

Goings:

Kingsley Cheung, April 2008
Website Maintenance

The Department of Oncology congratulates Keira Hodkinson and Jordan Isenberg, who are the winners of the 2008 Summer Scholarships.

Ms. Hodkinson's project, supervised by Dr. Raquel Aloyz, is entitled "Evaluation of the effect of DNA-PK inhibitors on platinum-induced DNA-damage and cell cycle progression in human colon cells".

Mr. Isenberg's project, supervised by Dr. Miguel Burnier, is entitled "Detection of circulating malignant cells derived from an Imatinib uveal melanoma animal model".

Howard Bergman, April, 2008
Associate Member, Geriatric Oncology

Jamila Adnaan, March, 2008
Secretary, Clinical Research Program

Congratulations to Ph.D. students Marie-Helene Mayrand and Andrea Spence from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology on their recent honours.

Ms Spence received a merit award for the best paper presented at the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Dr. Mayrand has been awarded a McGill Principal's Dissertation Fellowship.

Mary Jane MacDonald, January, 2008
Administrative Coordinator, Cancer Nutrition & Rehabilitation Program

Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa, December, 2007
Assistant Professor, Cancer Genetics Program

Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year!
Click here to see the photos from Christmas Party 2007.

All members of the Department of Oncology are cordially invited to a
Holiday Cocktail Party.

Date: December 19, 2007
Time: 5:00 - 8:00
Place: Faculty Club, Main Dining Room
3450 McTavish Street.

RSVP to naomi.scobie@mcgill.ca or 514-398-2264

"Dr. Jacques Galipeau and colleagues have obtained a CIHR Proof of Principle 1 Grant to study the Ex Vivo Generation of Suppressive Cells for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis." *

"Dr. Raquel Aloyz and Dr. Gerald Batist have obtained an NIH grant in collaboration with Dr. Sylvain Martel of the École Polytechnique, to assess the use of magnetotactic bacteria to target tumors." *

*As announced in the "Lady Davis Insider.

Dr. Bernard Lapointe has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Award of Excellence which will be presented to him on November 4th at the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association in Toronto.

This honour notes Dr. Lapointe as being an exemplary individual whose excellence is devoted to quality hospice palliative care in Canada. His achievements have made a difference in the quality of life for patients facing a life threatening illness and their loved ones and have had a positive impact on the hospice palliative care movement within the international community as well as in Canada. *

*From CHPCA Letter of Award (October 10, 2007)

Dr. R. Thomas Jagoe has arrived at McGill to begin his tenure as Director of the Cancer and Nutrition Rehabilitation Program in the Oncology Department. Dr. Jagoe's research lab and clinical activities will be conducted at the Segal Cancer Centre and he will be working in close partnership with both Dr. Martin Chasen, Clinical Director of the CNRP and Founding Director, Dr. Neil MacDonald.

Comings:

Pamela Hodgson, October, 2007
Research Assistant, Palliative Care

Promotion & Tenure

Comings:

Lucy Saunders, August, 2007
Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator, Palliative Care

Goings:

Marie-José Martirene, July, 2007
Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator, Palliative Care

Morag Park

"Dr Park is considered an international leader in understanding the mechanisms underlying activation of human cancer. Her work now focuses on the tumour microenvironment relevant to human breast cancer and the molecular events that occur during cancer progression and invasion." *

Deadline: July 31st.

Nicole Beauchemin

Comings:

Nada Jabado, April, 2007
Associate Member, Pediatric Oncology

Winie Celestin, March, 2007
Acting RUIS and Visiting Speaker Coordinator; Accounts Administrator

Goings:

Joanne Miller, March, 2007
Acting RUIS and Visiting Speaker Coordinator; Accounts Administrator

Michael Pollak

Janusz Rak, February, 2007
Associate Member, Hematology/Oncology

Congratulations to Oncology’s High Enroller!

Brian Leyland-Jones has resigned his professorship in the Department of Oncology to become the Director of the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta.

Over 150 researchers and students from all over Quebec congregated at the JGH for the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Montreal Centre for Experimental Therapeutics in Cancer, October 26 -27, 2006.

This year’s clinical research theme, in addition to highlighting discoveries currently being tried in the clinic and those approaching clinical trials, featured the Clinical Research Unit at the Segal Cancer Centre which provides the opportunity for translational medical research by linking innovative work at the laboratory bench to clinical experience at the bedside. http://www.ctecm.ca

Dr. Carmen Loiselle has been appointed Director, Oncology Nursing Program. This newly established program will exist in both the Department of Oncology and in the School of Nursing of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University.

The specific goals of the Oncology Nursing Program are:

• To provide a platform for academic and professional activities and exchanges among nurse researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, nurse managers, clinical specialists and nursing staff.
• To encourage trans-disciplinary collaboration across cancer-related fields such as epidemiology, medicine, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and social work.
• To increase the visibility of oncology nursing at McGill University, its affiliated health centers and abroad.

Comings:

Esther Schirrmacher, November, 2006
Assistant Professor (P-T), Experimental Therapeutics & Pharmacology

Linda Ofiara, November, 2006
Associate Member, Medical Oncology

Robert Turcotte, November, 2006
Associate Member, Surgical Oncology

Kingsley Cheung, November, 2006
Website Maintenance

Goings:

Christine Talbot, November, 2006
Website Maintenance

Thanks largely to the efforts of Lawrence Panasci, the Oncology Department now has a fellowship of $40,000 per year for two years from Bayer Canada Inc.

The first recipient of the Bayer Fellowship in Oncology is Cristiano Ferrario who is working on combining new agents with traditional chemotherapy and integrating translational research in search of predictors of response.

The Internal Scholarship and Awards Committee of the Research Institute of the MUHC has recently announced that the following awards will be presented at their Awards Dinner at the St. James Club on October 18th.

• Martin Chasen - The Simone & Morris Fast Award
• Fabio Cury - The MGH 175th Anniversary Award
• Thierry Muanza - The Simone & Morris Fast Award
• George Shenouda - The Olive Williamson Award
• Té Vuong - The RVH Centennial Award & The Howard W. Pillow Memorial Award

Comings:

Carmela Pepe, July, 2006
Assistant Prof. (GFT-H), Medical Oncology

Polymnia Galiatstos, July, 2006
Associate Member, Medical Oncology

Fabio Cury, September, 2006
Assistant Prof. (GFT-H), Radiation Oncology

Mary Ellen Macdonald, May 2006
Faculty Lecturer, Psychosocial Oncology Program

Anna Ciarciello, April 2006
Accounts Administrator & Visiting Professor Program Coordinator

Dr. Krzysztof Bujko from the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre in Warsaw Poland will be giving the following presentations on September 6th and 7th.

The Polish rectal cancer trial comparing two preoperative radiotherapy schedules: Implications for clinical practice.

The role of preoperative radiotherapy on sphincter preservation in rectal cancer: The implications from Polish randomized trials.

Dr. Michel Tremblay

On June 27th, 2006, Dr. Walter Gotlieb was awarded a grant of $20 000 by the Canadian Foundation for Women's Health.

Dr. Antonis Koromilas was promoted to full professor June 1, 2006

In April 2006, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada conducted its accreditation review of all medical teaching programs across Canada. The surveyors' recommendation to the RCPSC regarding McGill's Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Palliative Care programs is that they all be granted full approval.

Dr. George Shenouda has been placed on the Faculty of Medicine's Honour List for Educational Excellence.

Congratulations to the winners of the Oncology Summer Scholarship!

Michael Dunn "The expression of the DNA repair proteins XPD and Xrcc3 as indicators of platinum resistance in ovarian cancer" under the guidance of Dr. Raquel Aloyz, and Wenyong Tong "Structure and Activity relationship between Ganglioside CG2 and its ligands" under the guidance of Dr. Uri Saragovi.