BioCanRx’s seventh scientific conference is now on the books! Ottawa, Ontario, was the setting for the 2023 Summit for Cancer Immunotherapy (Summit4CI) held from October 1-4. Network members, scientists, clinicians, trainees and economists along with representatives from industry, patient groups, charities and government gathered in the nation’s capital to explore the latest progress in cancer immunotherapy from scientific, clinical, industry and patient perspectives. Summit4CI included internationally recognized speakers, scientific presentations, and Oxford-style debate, poster sessions, panel discussions and networking.
“It was wonderful to see so many members of our network join us from across the country,” commented Dr. Stéphanie Michaud, President & CEO of BioCanRx and Summit Co-chair. “The Summit allowed for various participants to share the latest from their respective areas – from our network investigators, trainees and members of the patient community to our partners and sponsors. Everyone has a part in helping to move immunotherapy cancer research forward in Canada.”
At the Opening Night Welcome Dinner, delegates were honoured to have a blessing from Claudette Commanda, an Algonquin Elder, Knowledge Keeper, member of the Algonquin Anishinaabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg First Nation and Chancellor of the University of Ottawa. Chancellor Commanda’s moving and hopeful message was followed by Learning Institute (LI) introductions. Patient members of the LI each shared their personal cancer story and their hopes for the conference and research in Canada. The LI has become an integral part of Summit4CI by bringing together leaders from the oncology patient community and academics from the immunotherapy research community. Participants took part in webinars in the lead up to the conference to gain a better understanding of cancer biology and immunotherapy, attended plenaries and engaged in knowledge exchange activities. These activities support our ultimate goal of increasing patient scholar-researcher collaboration. We’ll have more on the Learning Institute in our December newsletter when we’ll share its Dissemination Report plus a story featuring the patient and HQP perspectives of the LI. Our thanks to CIHR’s Institute of Cancer Research for sponsoring this important initiative again this year.
The Scientific Programming Committee planned an impressive lineup of plenaries and speakers.
This included distinguished keynote speakers Pieter Cullis, of the University of British Columbia, who spoke about Lipid nanoparticles are enabling gene therapies and Dr. Steven Rosenberg, of the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, who talked about Lymphocytes as a “Living Drug” for the treatment of cancer. BioCanRx was also privileged to have two patient keynote speakers at the Summit – Camille Leahy, a cancer survivor and patient advocate who participated in the 1st made-in-Canada CAR T clinical trial, funded by BioCanRx and other partners, and Melinda Bachini, a 14-year survivor of cholangiocarcinoma. The patient keynote talks were inspirational, reminding all in attendance of the patients that are always at the heart of our cancer research projects.
“There were so many terrific talks at this year’s Summit,” said Dr. John Bell, BioCanRx Scientific Director and Co-chair of the Summit. “It’s impressive to see immunotherapy research progressing in many therapeutic areas and indications. The Summit again proved to be a great place to share ideas and forge collaborations for future research projects. It was also inspiring to see the presentations by our trainees during the plenaries and in the poster sessions.”
The conference wrapped up with an impressive Closing Session where LI patient participants shared their key takeaways from the Summit. The Closing also celebrated our trainee award winners, supported by the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization. This year’s honours went to:
- Top Undergraduate Poster: Xiu Xia Sherry Tan, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
- Top Graduate Posters: Allyson Moore, McMaster University; Jaahnavi Dave, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Yara Haddad, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre.
- Top Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate Poster: Tyler Dyer, BC Cancer.
- Top Speed Posters: Gillian Carleton, Deeley Research Centre and Zaid Taha, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Top Oral Plenary Presentation: Rebecca Burchett, McMaster University.
- Plain Language Talk Award (sponsored by Virica Biotech): Shannon Snelling, University of Calgary.
A few days before the Summit, BioCanRx held its annual, virtual Public Forum, supported by Merck. This year’s forum focused on “Envisioning an ‘Own the Podium’ Strategy for Cancer Immunotherapy in Canada. You can watch it here.
A huge thank you to all of our Summit4CI sponsors! Sponsor support is key to making the Summit happen! Thanks also for the hard work and dedication of the Scientific Programming Committee, HQP Working Group, Learning Institute Working Group and all of the organizers and speakers. Many thanks to everyone who participated!
