Pat McDonald Research Award

Ovarian Cancer Canada initiated a partnership with the Cancer Research Society (CRS) in 2014. This provided a granting framework for its largest ongoing research investment and established a dedicated category for ovarian cancer research in the annual CRS operating grant competition.

In support of this competition, Ovarian Cancer Canada provides funding for top ranked submissions and the CRS matches this funding to effectively double the impact of research donations. CRS also provides arm’s length review of submissions to identify promising studies for joint funding.

The resulting call for submissions significantly increased the number of applications focused on this area of study. In the first year, more submissions for ovarian cancer research were received than ever before. Three applications received joint funding from Ovarian Cancer Canada and CRS, and CRS funded four others, to comprise a total 10% of funded projects that year.

In 2016, as tribute to a community champion, Ovarian Cancer Canada named this important contribution the Pat McDonald Research Award.

For each of the following projects, Ovarian Cancer Canada contributed $60,000 which was matched by CRS dollar for dollar:

2020 – Dr. Kirk McManus and Dr. Mark Nachtigal, University of Manitoba. Exploring and exploiting aberrant RBX1 expression in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. To learn more, read Researchers examine new drug target with potential to improve treatment
2019 – Dr. Robert Rottapel, University Health Network. Therapeutic opportunities targeting the relaxin autocrine loop in high grade serous ovarian cancer.
2018 – Dr. Yojiro Yamanaka, McGill University. Live cell extrusion and high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) tumorigenesis in the oviduct epithelium. To learn more, read McGill Researcher receives the Pat McDonald Research Award.
2017 – Dr. Jim Petrik, University of Guelph. Vascular normalization as a mechanism to increase uptake and efficacy of oncolytic viruses and vaccine-induced effector cells for the treatment of advanced stage ovarian cancer. To learn more, read Researchers aim to improve treatment delivery.
2017 – Dr. Trevor Shepherd, University of Western Ontario. Overcoming chemotherapy resistance by autophagy inhibition in metastatic ovarian cancer. To learn more, read Researchers to explore potential cause of chemo-resistance.
2016 – Dr. Patricia Tonin, McGill University. FANCI: Investigation of an emerging ovarian cancer gene. To learn more, read Research into FANCI, an emerging susceptibility gene.
2015 – Dr. Anne-Marie Mes-Masson, Centre de recherche du CHUM. PARP inhibitor response in epithelial ovarian cancer: theranostic biomarkers and combination therapies. To learn more, read Funding awarded to ovarian cancer researchers.
2015 – Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Determining the cell of origin of small cell cancer of the ovary, hypercalcemic type. To learn more, read Funding awarded to ovarian cancer researchers.
2014 – Dr. Dimcho Bachvarov, Université Laval. Dissecting in vivo the biological role of the polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 (GALNT3) in ovarian cancer cell invasiveness and its possible implication in aberrant O-glycosylation of mucin-like targets.
2014 – Dr. Brad Nelson, BC Cancer Agency. Determining the proportion of mutations in the ovarian cancer genome that can be recognized by the immune system.
2014 – Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Ovulation-associated risks for ovarian cancer.