Fueled by Passion: Dr. Carman Giacomantonio Named QEII Ramia Chair in Surgical Oncology
December 3, 2024
By: Dayna Park
Dr. Giacomantonio (BSc'87, PGM'97, MSC'98) has served as a surgical oncologist at the QEII Health Sciences Centre for the past 25 years. He is a professor of surgery at Dalhousie University and is also a senior clinician scientist of the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute.
Personal loss, profound curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to cancer research have driven Dr. Carman Giacomantonio's path to a successful career in surgical oncology.
After the loss of his father to lung cancer when he was young, he admits to developing legitimate fear of the disease; one that continues to haunt him from time to time.
"But I guess my response to this fear was to confront it head on, total immersion if you will—hence my career in medicine, specifically cancer research and surgical oncology," says Dr. Giacomantonio.
His early life experience sparked his dedication to understanding and fighting cancer, ultimately leading him to his recent appointment as the Gibran & Jamile Ramia Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Research.
Pioneering Cancer Immunology
Dr. Giacomantonio's research career began in transplant immunology, when he first began to wonder if he could translate the fundamentals that exist in transplant immunology—efforts to keep patients’ immune systems from rejecting transplanted organs—to a cancer perspective.
His original groundbreaking research on this subject, published in 2004, validated his hypothesis that tumors could be “immunized” to activate a cancer-specific immune response, a concept that coincidentally has recently revolutionized cancer treatment, and an approach Dr. Giacomantonio is expanding on in his current research.
However, it hasn’t always been a smooth road.
Launching his first lab, dedicated to tumor biology, cancer metastasis, and cancer immunology in the Tupper Building at Dalhousie in 2013 was no small feat, Dr. Giacomantonio recalls. In fact, it was also a major philanthropic donation through the QEII Foundation that supported this “leap of faith”, reports Dr. Giacomantonio.
"Keeping the lights on in a translational research lab is not easy; funding is difficult to come by and grant writing is very time-consuming and at times, a daunting challenge. Less than 10 per cent of peer reviewed research proposals are funded each year,” he says.
There is little recognition for failed efforts, too. The time dedicated to constantly competing for grants and seeking other, additional funding in an environment where research funding is becoming increasingly difficult to secure, is among the challenges that had Dr. Giacomantonio considering retirement in recent years, despite his passion for advancing cancer treatment.
Then he received the news that he would be named the Gibran & Jamile Ramia Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Research.
A Transformational Gift
The Gibran & Jamile Ramia Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Research, which the Ramia family funded through the QEII Foundation, revitalized Dr. Giacomantonio’s work and provided the resources necessary to push forward with groundbreaking research.
"For nearly 25 years, the Gibran & Jamile Ramia Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Research has supported the region's best cancer care leaders and played an instrumental role in fueling a world-class cancer research program at the QEII Health Sciences Centre,” says Susan Mullin, President and CEO of the QEII Foundation.
Being named ‘the Chair’ marks a pivotal moment for Dr. Giacomantonio and his research.
"This position will enable me to fully embrace my role as a translational scientist,” he says.
“I am now spending 50 per cent of my time in the clinics and operating room, and 50 per cent in the lab. The Chair position allows me to support a full team of researchers as well as engage with international collaborators to further explore our novel research in cancer immunotherapy."
What’s more, support from the Ramia Chair opens opportunities for undergraduate students, medical, and surgical residents, and post graduate students to experience the world of cancer research in a supported and structured environment, and to fuel their minds and imaginations as future scientists.
A Research Revolution
Dr. Giacomantonio's current research focuses on a cutting-edge treatment involving the unique properties of gold nanorods.
"This research uses a toxin-free gold nanorod made by Sona Nanotech Inc., a Nova Scotia based company. It’s shaped like a grain of rice, but much, much smaller,” he explains.
Multitudes of these nanorods are injected into a cancerous tumor and then passed over with a laser. The laser energy is transformed into moderate heat by the nanorods, raising the tumor core temperature to 42-45 degrees. This fever-like response causes selective tumor cell death, killing them without harming surrounding tissues or the immune system.
Importantly, the body’s natural reaction to this treatment is to activate an immune response to the dying cancer cells.
This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment because it can eliminate tumors without the severe side effects associated with conventional, less precise, systemic therapies.
For Dr. Giacomantonio, the drive to advance cancer treatment remains deeply personal.
"I am so passionate about this work because I see the patients every day that are impacted by it,” he says.
“It's not just the patients you cure, but maybe even more so, the ones you don't that keep you going. I truly have an innate drive to do this work. I think it's my late Dad, who’s always in the back of mind, that I owe it all to. Ultimately, medicine is a humanity, and in the bigger picture, that's what’s always drawn me to it."
The Impact of Philanthropy
The significance of philanthropic support is not lost on Dr. Giacomantonio.
"I am very lucky and proud to be the Gibran & Jamile Ramia Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Research,” he says. “I am so excited for the possibilities this creates in cancer research.”
Dr. Giacomantonio asserts that none of this happens without philanthropy.
“The Ramia’s are not only philanthropic, but visionary, and I know that our hopes and dreams are aligned for the future of cancer research. In my world, philanthropy is everything—I have been a benefactor of the vision of the QEII Foundation to support medical research for years because they (the foundation) know that in the right hands, we can make real change.”
The sentiment is echoed by Susan Mullin.
“The recent appointment of Dr. Carman Giacomantonio as the new chairholder is a prime example of the revolutionary and lasting impact that the Ramia family is making possible through their visionary gift,” she says.
“On behalf of the cancer patients and families who will ultimately be impacted by this milestone and important research, we extend our sincere gratitude to the Ramia family."
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Dr. Giacomantonio is preparing to take his research to the next level with clinical trials. Next up in this research, thanks to the Ramia Chair position, is a clinical trial where he and his team will use this novel gold nanorod-induced, precision hyperthermia to treat melanoma cancer. The trial will treat patients who have failed all other standard therapies, offering new hope and bringing new insights into cancer immunotherapy.
His enthusiasm and commitment to improving cancer treatment are palpable.
"This will change cancer research. This will cure people."
Dr. Giacomantonio's story is one of dedication, innovation, and the profound impact that research, supported by visionary philanthropy, can have on the lives of countless people. As the Gibran & Jamile Ramia Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology Research, he stands at the forefront of a new era in cancer treatment, to make a lasting difference.
