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Culturing T Cells for Clinical Trials

October 15, 2015

Hello, my name is Victoria Hodgson and I’m very pleased to be blogging this month!

Currently, I work as a research assistant at the Deeley Research Centre (DRC) for the upcoming T cell adoptive therapy clinical trials. I joined the team in March 2015 following the completion of my degree in Biochemistry at the University of Victoria.

Before coming to the DRC, I conducted research for Agriculture and Agrifoods Canada and industry in Japan. My passion for health and wellness extends beyond my clinical duties and I work as a fitness and first aid instructor.  

When immunotherapy clinical trials get underway, my primary role will be to culture massive amounts of immune cells to be re-infused back into patients to target their cancer. A specialized facility is currently being built at the DRC where these cells will be cultured and expanded – this is a critical component of the immunotherapy clinical trials.

Cancer research is a rewarding and motivating area of study – the complexity of how the immune system responds to cancer is fascinating to me! Having a family history of cancer and seeing patients and their family members come to the BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Island Centre for treatment motivates me in my daily work.

Victoria