Douglas Nelson

Thank you Dr. Shah for sharing with us the amazing progress you have seen in cancer genome research, and your involvement in the recent breast cancer breakthroughs at the BC Cancer Agency. Before I introduce our June guest blogger, I’d like to highlight a couple of upcoming events: Father’s Day is just around the corner, and for many this is an opportunity to share with loved ones and honour those who have been affected by cancer. I encourage you to consider the gift of cancer research this Father’s Day. It is a meaningful gift that can make a difference. Please visit our website to learn...

…just a brief interruption of Dr. Shah’s posts, to share some exciting breaking news: This morning, we announced the largest charitable bequest to a single beneficiary in British Columbia’s history. The late John Jambor gifted the astounding $21.4 million Jambor-McCarthy legacy to the BC Cancer Foundation, together with William P.J. McCarthy, businessman, Jambor’s grandson, and executor of his estate. The Jambor-McCarthy legacy will accelerate improvements in cancer outcomes and improve the long-term health and wellness of thousands of cancer patients with a $15 million permanent endowment...

On behalf of everyone at the BC Cancer Foundation, I am so thrilled to introduce you to our epic new event– Bust a Move for Breast Health . Launched this afternoon with an exhilarating outdoor fitness session at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Georgia St. Plaza, Bust a Move will change the face of breast cancer research for the benefit of patients across the province and beyond. On April 13, 2013 hundreds of participants will converge at the Richmond Olympic Oval for the MOVEment of the year: a day-long fitness fundraising extravaganza that will make a difference for the more than 3,200 British...

What a month! April was an exciting month for milestone achievements at the BC Cancer Agency. On April 22, the Agency’s own Dr. Karen Gelmon was honoured for her contributions to breast cancer research and her new partnership with Israeli scientists at the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) at a sold-out gala event co-hosted by the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Following the triple negative breast cancer announcement by only a few days, scientists at the Agency announced a major research breakthrough: the identification of at least ten new subtypes...

I spoke at a news conference today for the second time in two weeks, to share another groundbreaking discovery in breast cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency. This new discovery will be a catalyst for bringing hope to breast cancer patients across the province and beyond. For the first time, the BC Cancer Agency’s breast cancer research team, led by Dr. Sam Aparicio, has identified new genes that could form the basis of next generation, targeted treatments for breast cancer. By reclassifying the disease into at least ten completely new subtypes, BC Cancer Agency researchers are placing new...

Before I introduce our next guest blogger, I must interrupt the schedule briefly here to share some exciting news with you. I am pleased to bring news today of another groundbreaking discovery in breast cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency. This new discovery is adding to the strong momentum of hope and change in cancer research in British Columbia. For the first time, the BC Cancer Agency's breast cancer research team, led by Dr. Sam Aparicio, has decoded the genetic make-up of triple negative breast cancer—the most deadly form of breast cancers. Triple negative breast cancer currently...

Thank you Courteney Lai, Graduate Student (PhD), for sharing your behind the scenes experience at the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre, in the Terry Fox Laboratory. Your post explaining blood cancers and leukemia was interesting, and I wish you good luck in the next steps of your career. Now, here we are in March, and I’m excited to introduce our next guest blogger, Dr. Marianne Sadar. She is the Provincial Program Leader for Prostate Cancer Research at the BC Cancer Agency. Dr. Sadar is a leading researcher in B.C. --her work has attracted international attention from the research and...

Thank you to Dr. Julian Lum for sharing your experience at the BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Island Centre with us. Your immunology research is interesting, and your passion and dedication to your work is inspiring. Your post about cancer’s “sweet tooth” was an eye opener as well. For February, we are handing over the reins to graduate student Courteney Lai. She is a PhD student in the Terry Fox Laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre, supervised by Dr. Keith Humphries and Dr. Sam Aparicio (a previous guest blogger). Please stay tuned as Courteney will be sharing her research...

It’s with a heavy heart that I must raise your attention today to the passing of a great friend to the BC Cancer Foundation and a model Vancouver citizen. On New Year’s Eve, Vancouver business leader Milton K. Wong succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Mr. Wong was enthusiastic about adding to the vibrancy of Vancouver and a powerful ambassador of the importance of philanthropy and research. As co-chair of the Foundation’s Millennium Campaign, he was instrumental in helping to raise millions of dollars to construct the BC Cancer Agency’s Research Centre where researchers are making breakthrough...

Thank you Dr. Aly Karsan for guest blogging with us last month about the Personalized Medicine Project (PMP) – it is an excellent example of the leading-edge research taking place at the BC Cancer Agency. I am now pleased to introduce our final guest blogger for 2011: Dr. Brian Toyota. Dr. Toyota is the Provincial Chair of Neuro-Oncology at the BC Cancer Agency and he is going to blog about BrainCare BC, as well his experience at the BC Cancer Agency. Please welcome Dr. Brian Toyota and follow his posts this month. Festive regards, Douglas