Cracking cancer's code

Cracking cancer's code

Queen鈥檚 University to lead new cancer pathology research network.

By Anne Craig

September 29, 2016

Share

The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) has announced $3.7 million in funding to form the Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network (OMPRN), which will be based at Queen鈥檚 University and led by Queen鈥檚 researcher Dr. David LeBrun (Pathology and Molecular Medicine).

Dr. Christine Williams, Deputy Director and Vice-President of the OICR, announced the funding today in Kingston. The Network will bring together a number of institutions province-wide.

鈥淲e, as pathologists, are facing a whole new set of challenges,鈥 says Dr. LeBrun. 鈥淭here are hundreds of potential new cancer drugs available for study so we need people doing research into the relevant diagnostics. We need to draw young pathologists into the research community, provide funding for this research and work to have more pathology content integrated into medical school curriculums.鈥

Pathology is key to the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. An accurate diagnosis can provide better prognostic information and allow doctors to better target therapies. Pathology research can also lead to the development of new treatments that target specific cancer-driving mutations, genes and pathways, avoiding ineffective treatments with unwanted side effects. But as researchers鈥 understanding of cancer, and its complexity, deepens, so too has the need for pathologists who can incorporate this new understanding into their daily routine, taking advantage of the latest technologies and knowledge to help patients.

鈥淭he Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network鈥檚 objectives in helping to improve the diagnosis of cancer will accelerate the pace of discovery while fostering collaboration amongst our young pathologists,鈥 says Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. 鈥淭he Ontario government proudly supports this new initiative through the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research for it will help maintain the province鈥檚 continued commitment to the cutting edge of research and development of better treatments for all patients.鈥

The Network will address this challenge by increasing the participation of Ontario cancer pathologists in research, enhancing collaboration across the province and increasing mentorship opportunities for residents and early career pathologists. The ultimate goal of OMPRN is to translate these strategies into improved diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. This could mean more precision medicine, where diagnosis and treatment are linked for individual patients based on advanced diagnostics.

鈥淏uilding capacity in pathology research and training is critical and we are proud Queen鈥檚 is taking a leadership role in this area,鈥 says Richard Reznick, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. 鈥淔uture advances in molecular pathology brings great promise for enhanced care for our patients with a diagnosis of cancer.鈥

The OMPRN has a number of objectives including:

  • Fostering productive collaboration amongst research-oriented pathologists and between pathologists and researchers in complementary disciplines;
  • Research activity through the Network will be encouraged and enabled through the provision of operating grants for research projects;
  • Building awareness of research resources, including analytical expertise, core facilities and biospecimen repositories offered at OICR or elsewhere in the province to facilitate molecular pathology research;
  • The Network will support the development of a cadre of young pathology researchers by encouraging and supporting the involvement of residents and junior pathologists.

A critical mass of research-oriented pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists working within the academic community is necessary to expedite the transition to precision oncology and make its benefits available to Ontarians.

鈥淭oday we are proud to announce the launch of the Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network,鈥 says Dr. Williams. 鈥淔or patients, an accurate diagnosis is key to finding the best treatment for their cancer with the fewest side effects. This new network will enhance expertise in molecular pathology, improving the diagnosis of cancer and accelerating the adoption of more precision medicine for Ontario cancer patients.鈥

For more information visit the website at

Health Sciences