Thank you so much for attending the latest in our Breakthrough Breakfast series, Pioneering Possibilities in Cancer Research.

You can find the recording of our speakers here.

Dalhousie is the hub of a world-class cancer research community in Atlantic Canada. More than 50 principal investigators lead a vigorous team effort, involving approximately 250 postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, research assistants, coordinators, and technicians. Over a delicious breakfast, we’ll hear from three researchers who are working together and with partners across the region to understand cancer and find ways to better detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent this too-prevalent disease.

Meet the Speakers!

Dr. Jeanette Boudreau is an associate professor at Dalhousie University in the Departments of Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology and the Scientific Director of the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, an Atlantic Canada-wide consortium of cancer researchers. Dr. Boudreau’s training and research programs are interdisciplinary, weaving fundamental cellular and molecular biology and genetics, with model systems and clinical samples analysis. She works closely with clinical collaborators to conduct research that reflects the diversity of cancer conditions, including, and especially, the diversity of their immune genes. In particular, the Boudreau laboratory is keen to understand how natural killer (NK) immune cells influence disease processes, response to therapies, and can be leveraged for precise anticancer therapies.

Dr. Robin Urquhart is an Associate Professor and Canadian Cancer Society (Nova Scotia Division) Endowed Chair in Population Cancer Research in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, with cross-appointments in the Department of Surgery and Division of Medical Education at Dalhousie University. She is a Senior Scientist with the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute and an Affiliate Scientist at Nova Scotia Health. Dr. Urquhart is also the Nova Scotia Lead of the Atlantic Cancer Consortium and Scientific Director of the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (Atlantic PATH). Spanning the entire cancer continuum, from primary prevention to survivorship and end-of-life care, Dr. Urquhart's research examines issues related to access, quality, equity, and effectiveness in cancer care and control, and investigates ways to improve care delivery and patient, family, population, and health system outcomes.

Dr. Mahmoud Elsawy is an Assistant Professor of Hematology and a Hematologist/Transplant Physician at Dalhousie University. He graduated from Cairo University School of Medicine, Egypt in 2007 and finished his Medicine and Hematology/Oncology training at NCI, Cairo University. Dr. Elsawy has special interests in management of myeloid malignancies in older adults and in providing Immune Effector Cell Therapy (IEC) e.g., CAR T-cell therapy. He leads an interdisciplinary team who have established the first CAR T-cell therapy Program in Atlantic Canada, and he currently serves as the Medical Director of Nova Scotia Health IEC (CAR T-cell) Therapy.