BC Cancer Foundation and Leon Judah Blackmore Foundation announce new Chair in Lung Cancer Research and $1.5M gift
March 8, 2017
Found in News
VANCOUVER, B.C. – The BC Cancer Foundation and the Leon Judah Blackmore Foundation today announce the official recipient of its first Chair in Lung Cancer Research, Dr. Stephen Lam, who is the chair of the Provincial Lung Tumour Group and director of the MDS-Rix Early Lung Cancer Detection and Translational Research Program at the BC Cancer Agency.
Dr. Lam’s new title is bolstered by a $1.5-million gift from the Blackmore Foundation that will bring more talent to the Lung Cancer Screening Project at the BC Cancer Agency, which Dr. Lam leads.
“The Blackmore Foundation is thrilled to support Dr. Lam as the BC Cancer Foundation’s Chair in Lung Cancer Research,” says Nicola Brailsford, Trustee, Leon Judah Blackmore Foundation. “Mr. Blackmore passionately believed in the remarkable lung cancer research and screening program led by Dr. Lam, and we know that this gift will help to continue to propel his critical research forward.”
Mr. Leon Blackmore was a participant of Dr. Stephen Lam’s lung cancer prevention project, having enrolled in 1996, and continued to be a large proponent of Dr. Lam’s work, which is centred primarily in lung cancer early detection, as well as chemoprevention.
“With immense thanks to the Blackmore Foundation, this tremendous investment will continue to grow our work and our vision: to prevent, detect and cure lung cancer – goals which have been generously supported and fueled by Mr. Leon Blackmore,” says Dr. Lam.
Dr. Lam’s current research focuses on defining the role of risk factors, such as air pollution and genetic susceptibility, to identify individuals at high risk of lung cancer. He and his team are also working to develop computer vision technology to detect early signs of lung cancer through CT scans.
“The BC Cancer Foundation is proud to congratulate Dr. Stephen Lam, a brilliant scientist and compassionate physician, as the awardee of the Leon Judah Blackmore Chair in Lung Cancer Research,” says Sarah Roth, President and CEO, BC Cancer Foundation. “We applaud the late Leon Judah Blackmore and his foundation trustees for their generous investment in world-class talent to ensure cancer patients today, and in years to come, benefit.”
Located in Vancouver, the Leon Judah Blackmore Foundation was established in 2005 and supports many causes and needs that were close to Mr. Blackmore, who had a successful career as a real estate developer in Greater Vancouver and Victoria.
Media enquiries:
Hayley Judge
Communications Specialist
t. 604.707.5907
c. 604.764.0666
e. hayley.judge@bccancer.bc.ca
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The BC Cancer Foundation is the bridge that connects philanthropic support and research breakthroughs in cancer knowledge. As the fundraising partner of the BC Cancer Agency and the largest charitable funder of cancer research in this province, we enable donors to make contributions to leading-edge research that has a direct impact on improvements to cancer care for patients in British Columbia. We fund with the goal of finding solutions. Visit www.bccancerfoundation.com to learn how you can make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.
