Life-changing innovation and research

Dr. Liane Feldman

The Future of Cancer Surgery ($22M)

Surgery, while hugely effective in treating many cancers, still has a huge cost to the patient and to society due to the invasive and injurious nature of many surgical interventions. Dr. Liane Feldman wants to use AI to integrate 3-D imaging, robotics and digital video to make cancer surgery safer and more effective for patients and the healthcare system. Her team is creating the next generation of surgical robotic technology here in Montréal.

“Help us make cancer surgery safer, less invasive, more precise with faster recovery times for our patients.”

Dr. Liane Feldman
Surgeon-in-Chief, MUHC
Chair of the Department of Surgery, McGill University

From surviving to thriving: cardio-oncology research, prevention and treatment ($2M)

Better treatments have increased survival rates, yet many cancer therapies can lead to significant cardiac disease years later. Cedars has established a new cardio-oncology program to identify patients at higher risk for developing cardiovascular problems, to provide appropriate surveillance, and to initiate early treatment when needed.

“Interdisciplinary collaboration between oncology and cardiology, between the bench and the bedside, is helping us to offer the best care for our patients and is leading the way for cancer survivors in Canada.”

Dr. Negareh Mousavi
Director, Cardio-oncology Program, MUHC

A new strategy to stop metastasis ($2M)

We know that once cancer metastasizes, survival rates plummet. But how and why metastasis occurs is itself poorly understood. Dr. Cools-Lartigue is testing a ground-breaking therapeutic strategy to stop cancer metastasizing, focusing on the role of neutrophils and systemic inflammation.

“Instead of killing cancer cells, what makes our immune system adopt a tolerant stance that permits ongoing tumor growth and spread? If we change our concept of cancer to a disease of the immune system, the failure of our treatment strategies to date becomes less perplexing. No current treatment effort specifically addresses this abnormal immune function.”

Dr. Jonathan Cools-Lartigue
Thoracic Surgeon, Clinician Scientist, MUHC

Dr. Jonathan Cools-Lartigue

Dr. Cools-Lartigue’s research group was the first to describe Neutrophil Extractor Traps (NETs) as facilitators of cancer development in the context of inflammation.