Atlantic researchers join forces, receive $3.6 million in new provincial and national funding to accelerate precision medicine for cancer patients

MONCTON, NB, Aug. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - With a commitment to work together and $3.6 million in new funding from provincial and national partners, doctors and scientists at leading cancer centres, hospitals and research in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador have formed an alliance focused on providing improved cancer outcomes.

The group will work together under a joint pilot project over two years with the goal of becoming a member in the Terry Fox Research Institute's new Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network (MOHCCN), a novel and federally funded pan-Canadian network to accelerate precision medicine for cancer patients.

"We are extremely happy to officially launch the Atlantic Cancer Consortium (ACC) and to see funding and research partners across the region come together for the first time ever to work on this important project," said Dr. Sherri Christian, ACC project leader and immunologist at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's. "Our goal is to harness the talent that already exists in the region to solve cancer problems that affect our diverse populations."

TFRI is providing ACC $1.5 million over two years, with other national and provincial partners providing matching funds in kind and in cash.

"This is a remarkable achievement for cancer research and care in Atlantic Canada as well as across the country. We are extremely grateful to our national and regional partners for their financial contributions, and for their trust in this novel approach, a new roadmap for accelerating precision medicine for patients," said Dr. Tony Reiman, TFRI's Atlantic Node Leader, ACC co-investigator, and medical oncologist, Saint John Regional Hospital.

Consortium members will be involved in five sub-projects that will: create the Atlantic Canada Biobank Consortium (ACBC): the inter-provincial integration of biological material and clinical data from patients treated within the ACC, develop a bioinformatics core for data sharing between centres, enrich and expand the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute trainee program for young investigators and launch two scientific research projects focusing on lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

"This collaboration in our Atlantic region is a key milestone in our quest to create a pan-Canadian network of cancer research centres that is not only transformational, but is also inclusive and truly representative of our diverse Canadian reality," said Dr. Jim Woodgett, TFRI president and scientific director. "Our hope is that members of this consortium will join the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network as designated members in the next year."

When designated, the ACC will join the Quebec Cancer Consortium, the BC Cancer Consortium and the Ontario-based Princess Margaret Cancer Consortium as full members of the MOHCCN, as well as the Prairies Cancer Research Consortium, expected to join later this year.

The MOHCCN is funded with a $150-million contribution from the Government of Canada, to be matched by research partners. The MOHCCN is creating linkages between researchers and institutions across Canada, enabling cancer researchers to share data, knowledge and resources like never before. This is helping create the Team Canada of Cancer Research, which will work together to advance precision medicine for all Canadians.

ATLANTIC CANCER CONSORTIUM

RESEARCH PARTNERS

Nova Scotia:
Dalhousie University
Nova Scotia Health- QEII Health Sciences Centre

New Brunswick:
Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre
Vitalité Health Network
Saint John Regional Hospital
Horizon Health Network
Atlantic Cancer Research Institute

Newfoundland & Labrador:
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Eastern Health

FUNDERS

National
MITACS Canada
AstraZeneca Canada
Pfizer Canada
Hoffmann-La Roche Limited

Nova Scotia:
Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute (BHCRI)
QEII Foundation
Research Nova Scotia

New Brunswick
New Brunswick Health Research Foundation
New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

Newfoundland & Labrador
Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN)
Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, Govt. of Newfoundland & Labrador

ABOUT THE MARATHON OF HOPE CANCER CENTRES NETWORK:

The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network is the realization of a long-standing vision of the Terry Fox Research Institute. Inspired by Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope, the network represents a powerful collaborative platform that will close the gap between research in the lab and patient care in the clinic. Just as Terry Fox united Canadians with his run and dream to end cancer, the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network will unite cancer researchers to pursue that same goal with precision medicine.

ABOUT THE TERRY FOX RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Established in 2007, TFRI invests in world-class, collaborative cancer research teams and partnerships. Together with its research and funding partners, TFRI is working to inspire the transformation of cancer research in this country by bringing together leading cancer research and treatment organizations in Canada and empowering them under the framework of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network and the Digital Health and Discovery Platform. www.tfri.ca; www.marathonofhopecancercentres.ca; www.dhdp.ca

SOURCE Terry Fox Research Institute

MEDIA CONTACTS: Newfoundland and Labrador, Kelly Foss, Communications Advisor, Faculty of Science, Memorial University, [email protected], 709-864-2019; Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Health Media Relations, [email protected], Toll free: 1-844-483-3344; New Brunswick, Kris McDavid, Media Relations - Horizon Health Network, [email protected], [phone]; Peter Mothe, Communications Specialist, Terry Fox Research Institute (Moncton based), [email protected]; 604-773-2827; National, Kelly Curwin, Chief Communications Officer, Terry Fox Research Institute, 778-237-8158; [email protected], www.tfri.ca

Related Links

www.tfri.ca