Our In Their Words feature highlights our researchers and the work they do to improve cancer immunotherapy and work towards making all cancers curable diseases. Today, we hear from Megan Levings, who is working with the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute.
1) What is the project you are working on in partnership with BioCanRx? What is your end goal with this project?
We are working to finishing scaling up a project to make a cellular therapy. We need to test our method to make sure it is reproducible and produces cells that fit the required specifications. The end goal is to have all the data we need to apply to a clinical trial application.
2) How has funding from BioCanRx allowed you to pursue this project?
– this funding has filled a critical gap in our project. It is extremely hard to find funding for scale up work. Without the support of BioCanRx we would not be able to move this project forward.
3) Where does your current project fit in the ecosystem of Canadian cancer immunotherapy?
It is part of the network of people trying to use cells as “living drugs” to modulate immune responses. In comparison to a traditional drug, cells are like a “poly-pharmacy”, able to make many different products that can re-shape the immune response of the patient. Cell therapy has many unique challenges, being able to network and learn from other cell therapy scientists in the BioCanRx network is a huge advantage.
4) What is the most satisfying part of your work?
Training new people and being part of their evolution from a keen young person to a highly skilled scientist able to run their own research programs.
5) What difference do you hope to make for cancer immunotherapy in Canada?
Through training to increase capacity for immunotherapy more broadly. The more skilled people Canada has, the more the immunotherapy field will grow and support the discovery and translation of many products.
