ICR Newsletter - November 2008

Table of Contents

Message from the Scientific Director

ICR's original research priorities:

  • Access to Quality Cancer Care
  • Clinical Trials
  • Early Detection of Cancer
  • Training
  • Canadian Tumour Repository Network
  • Palliative and End-of-Life Care
  • Risk Behaviour and Prevention
  • Molecular and Functional Imaging
  • Breast Cancer

Message from the Scientific Director

Dr. Morag ParkDear colleagues,
 
As I begin my term as Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), I would like to reflect on some of the achievements of the Institute’s inaugural Scientific Director, Dr. Philip Branton. Several transformative research initiatives were launched during ICR’s first eight years, which have subsequently had a major impact on underserved domains, such as cancer-related health services research. The first was the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Initiative that was launched in 2003 in partnership with eight CIHR Institutes and eight external partners for a total investment of $16.5 million over six years, making it the largest single investment into palliative and end-of-life care research in the world at that time. This was followed by the Access to Quality Cancer Care initiative launched in partnership with 13 partners, including eight provincial cancer agencies. Both of these initiatives have had a dramatic impact on the Canadian cancer research landscape and have succeeded in building much needed capacity in identified priority areas. Other ICR priorities, such as Early Detection of Cancer, were addressed through smaller scale initiatives, which built on a number of short term funding opportunities towards the eventual launch of the $5 million Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative in 2006. Additional ICR investments have supported strategic training centres, research to reduce tobacco abuse and nicotine addiction and the creation of the Canadian Tumour Repository Network. The links herewith provide a short overview of all ICR’s strategic research priorities from 2000-2008, including the funding opportunities launched, the projects funded and the role of partnerships, and they also highlight some of the early results and outcomes of this research.

In addition to leading ICR, Dr. Philip Branton was truly an outstanding ambassador for the cancer research community and his remarkable achievements in establishing and nurturing partnerships and alliances within the cancer community will continue to have a positive impact on cancer control in Canada. With the support of the ICR team, Dr. Branton played a key role in the final realization of the goals and objectives of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (CSCC) through the creation of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC). As the founding Chair of the Research Action Group of CSCC, and later CPAC, Dr. Branton provided critical advice and support to ensure the launch of a large translational research initiative and the development of a national cancer cohort, both of which are now being managed by CPAC. He was instrumental in the creation of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (CCRA), an alliance of the major Canadian cancer research funding organizations and affiliated partners, and led the development of the Canadian Cancer Research Survey, ensuring membership of CCRA in the International Cancer Research Portfolio.
 
In the coming months, I will be working with the ICR team, partners, our Institute Advisory Board (IAB), and the cancer community to develop a strategic plan for the next five years. A planning meeting held in May 2008, prior to Dr. Branton’s departure, convened past and present IAB members and representatives from key stakeholder groups to provide recommendations for future research priorities. However, I would also like to hear from the cancer control and research community at large, and so I invite you to write to me at ic.icr@mcgill.ca with your suggestions for potential research priority areas that would benefit from targeted funding.  We are planning in the near future to strengthen interactions with our researchers through improvements to our ICR website, the organization of research workshops on upcoming ICR priorities and the development of regular newsletters for our community. In the meantime, please send me your ideas and do take a few minutes to read our overview documents listed above.
 
I look forward to working with all of you,
 
Morag Park, Ph.D.
Scientific Director, Institute of Cancer Research
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

ICR's original research priorities

Access to Quality Cancer Care:  ICR works with provincial cancer agencies to improve access to quality cancer care across Canada.

Clinical Trials:  ICR invests $3.5 million to support cancer clinical trials.

Early Detection of Cancer:  ICR supports research to advance population-based screening for colorectal cancer in Canada.

Training:  Investing in the future: ICR and partners support 22 cancer training centres.

Canadian Tumour Repository Network:  ICR provides funding to establish the Canadian Tumour Repository Network (CTRNet) - a network linking Canada’s largest tumour banks.

Palliative and End-of-Life Care:  ICR and partners invest more than $16.5 million to make Canada a world leader in palliative and end-of-life care.

Risk Behaviour and Prevention:  ICR supports research on nicotine addiction and tobacco control through the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (CTCRI).

Molecular and Functional Imaging:  ICR promotes the development of novel and improved imaging tools and technologies through the Novel Technology Applications in Health Research initiative.

Breast Cancer:  ICR, as CIHR’s representative in the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA), continues to support breast cancer research through the operating grants competition and targeted initiatives.