BC Cancer Foundation Establishes First Immunotherapy Research Chair

BC Cancer Foundation is proud to announce the creation of the Lynda and Murray Farmer Immunotherapy Research Chair, a new position that will be held by BC Cancer – Victoria’s world-renowned immunotherapy expert Dr. Brad Nelson. 

Established through a generous $2 million donation from longtime supporters Lynda and Murray Farmer, the Chair represents a major milestone for BC Cancer – Victoria and for immunotherapy research in British Columbia. 

Dr. Nelson received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and in 2003 became the founding director of BC Cancer’s Deeley Research Centre – a position he holds to this day. He is also the Scientific Director of BC Cancer’s provincial Immunotherapy Program. 

“We’re grateful for this opportunity to take our program to an even higher level,” says Dr. Brad Nelson, Director of the DRC and now the inaugural Chairholder. “This position will allow us to expand our research capacity, pursue new ideas and accelerate the development of life-saving therapies for patients across the province.” 

As Chair, Dr. Nelson will continue leading BC Cancer’s groundbreaking immunotherapy research program, which includes the CLIC (Canadian-Led Immunotherapies in Cancer) series of clinical trials, in partnership with The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. These trials are testing genetically engineered immune cells — known as CAR-T cells — to treat patients with aggressive cancers who have run out of treatment options. 

Results from their first CAR-T trial, CLIC-01, showed a 43% complete response rate in participants with leukemia and lymphoma. The team recently launched CLIC-02, which includes pediatric patients, and targets a different protein on leukemias and lymphomas. The goal is to expand the treatment’s efficacy to more patients.  A third trial, CLIC-03, will target the deadliest solid tumours such as ovarian and pancreatic cancers. 

The creation of this Chair provides the dedicated funding and long-term stability required to fuel this bold and complex research. It will enable BC Cancer to: 

• Attract and mentor top scientific talent — from graduate students to postdoctoral researchers 

• Expand access to clinical trials for patients across British Columbia 

• Multiply impact by leveraging donor funds to secure national research grants and partnerships 

• Accelerate progress on the development of made-in-B.C. cancer treatments 

This is the first named research Chair at BC Cancer dedicated to immunotherapy, and the first Chair held at BC Cancer – Victoria. It builds on the legacy of donor-funded innovation at the DRC, which was established in 2003 thanks entirely to philanthropic support. 

“We’ve supported BC Cancer for over 20 years because we believe in the vision, the talent and the results we’ve seen here in Victoria,” say Lynda and Murray Farmer. “This Chair is an investment in the future — in breakthroughs still to come and in the patients whose lives will be saved by them.”

The announcement builds on the Foundation’s $6.8 million fundraising campaign to expand BC Cancer’s immunotherapy research program — a provincial effort that brings together scientists, clinicians and patients in a shared mission to expand these innovative treatments to more British Columbians. 

“Immunotherapy is one of the most promising areas in cancer research,” says William Litchfield, Associate Vice President, BC Cancer Foundation – Vancouver Island. “The establishment of this Chair reinforces BC Cancer’s position as a national leader in the field and will help ensure this momentum continues for years to come.”