Harold Atkins, MD
Chair, HQP Development Committee, BioCanRx
Clinician Scientist, The Ottawa Hospital

Megan Mahoney, PhD
Manager, BioCanRx Training Program

Adam Nelson, PhD Candidate, Brent Johnson Lab, Dalhousie University
My research focuses on combining Natural killer T (NKT) cell immunotherapy with oncolytic virus therapy in pancreatic cancer. I combine NKT cell immunotherapy with a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that expresses the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-15 to further boost antitumor immunity.

Douglas Chung, PhD Candidate, Pamela Ohashi Lab, Princess Margaret Hospital
I am investigating the role of innate lymphoid cells in tumour immune microenvironment. I am also passionate about science communication and S.T.E.A.M outreach.

Jason Knapp, PhD Student, Byram Bridle Lab, Guelph University
Decitabine, an epigenetic modifier, is under clinical investigation for treating acute leukemia patients, and although showing promise, relapses are both common and difficult to treat. I am investigating the effectiveness of treating acute leukemia patients by combining decitabine and oncolytic viruses to kill systemically distributed leukemia cells.

Kitty Liu, PhD Student, Tracy McGaha Lab, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
My position and institution are: graduate student at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University of Toronto. My current research is investigating the interaction between CD8+ T cells and the tumour microenvironment (TME), including microbial metabolites and immunosuppressive macrophages, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). With better understanding of the TME, we hope to develop new therapeutic approaches to combat PDAC.

Stacey Lee, PhD Student, Jeanette Boudreau Lab, Dalhousie University
My research aims to determine whether Natural Killer cells can be used for precision immunotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic¬ cancer. We expect that this will be accomplished when the constellation of ligands expressed on the tumour surface can be measured and targeted using NK cell populations that are refractory to a tumour’s inhibitory signals and stimulated by its activating signals. We study these NK cell-tumour interactions by using a combination of flow cytometry, in vitro cytotoxicity assays, and our novel humanized, immune-competent pancreatic cancer xenograft mouse model.

Taylor Jamieson, MD/PhD Student, Carolina Ilkow Lab, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
My research aims to explore the expression of artificial microRNAs from oncolytic viruses. Specifically, my project centres on the expression of an artificial microRNA from the oncolytic virus, VSV, to sensitize resistant BRCA1/2 mutated breast and ovarian cancers to PARP inhibitor therapy.