Advancing Lung Cancer Research 

Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Canada, it remains one of the least funded areas in research. To help reverse this trend, CRS launched a program aimed at accelerating progress in early detection, the development of new treatments, and the understanding of resistance mechanisms to existing therapies.

Initially planned to support four projects, the program was able to fund a fifth thanks to the exceptional quality of the proposals received and the commitment of our partners. CRS warmly thanks the Gosselin Family Foundation, The Molson Foundation, the Lung Health Foundation, and the George Papadopoulos Memorial Fund for their vital support in expanding the reach and impact of this initiative.

Through this program, CRS reaffirms its leadership in advancing cancer research by supporting projects that will bring concrete solutions to those affected by this disease.

Selected through a rigorous peer-review process, each of the five funded projects will receive $500,000 over three years:

• Scott McComb – University of Ottawa
  Finding a Safe and Effective Delivery Strategy for High Potency Mesothelin-BiTEs in Lung Cancer
• Ayman Oweida – Université de Sherbrooke
  Overcoming radiotherapy resistance in lung cancer by targeting immune regulatory mechanisms
• Rasika Rajapakshe – BC Cancer
  Artificial Intelligence solution to personalize lung cancer screening intervals
• Jonathan Spicer – The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
  Correlating post-operative ctDNA clearance to depth of pathologic response in resectable NSCLC
• Michael Weinfeld – University of Alberta
  Targeting DNA repair to enhance chemo- and immunotherapy of lung cancer