Leadership & Committees

The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute is overseen by a leadership team and several committees focused research, education, community engagement, grant reviews and EDI initiatives

Leadership

Jennifer Chan

Dr. Jennifer Chan

Scientific Director

Dr. Jennifer Chan is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pathology, Oncology, and Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary. She received her BA in Biochemistry from Dartmouth College, her MD from McGill University, and completed her clinical and research training at Harvard University. Prior to joining the U of C, she was Pathology Leader at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Now in Calgary since 2008, Dr. Chan is a practicing pathologist, a CIHR-funded scientist, and has also served as the Deputy Director of the Charbonneau Cancer Institute for the past 7 years. Her research interests are in the areas of brain tumour biology and genetics. In addition to pursuing those research interests, she contributes to several large-scale projects to discover new genes and therapeutic targets in a variety of cancers through her expertise in biobanking and patient-derived model generation. Dr. Chan is passionate about creating links between the lab and the clinic, and about building a vibrant research environment. 

Melissa Shea Budgell

Melissa Shea-Budgell

Lead, Research Strategy and Partnership

Melissa Shea-Budgell is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology at the University of Calgary. She received her MSc in Nutrition at Simmons University in Boston and her MBA from the University of Calgary. She has held progressive leadership positions in cancer research since coming to Alberta in 2007, when she joined the former Alberta Cancer Board. Her experience at Alberta Health Services includes cancer prevention research and programming, cancer clinical practice guideline development and evaluation, and most recently serving as Assistant Scientific Director of the Cancer Strategic Clinical Network. She joined the University of Calgary in 2017 as Research Strategy and Partnerships Lead for the Charbonneau Cancer Institute. Since then, Melissa has co-led several large grants involving diverse, multidisciplinary teams. She is interested in research focused on improving the health system and care delivery. In her role as Lead (Strategy and Partnerships), Melissa will be focused on continuing to build a collaborative research environment in Calgary and ensuring the Charbonneau Cancer Institute is strategically positioned for success.

Dr. Corinne Doll

Dr. Corinne Doll

Associate Director, Clinical and Population Research

Dr. Corinne Doll is a radiation oncologist at Tom Baker Cancer, and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology at the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine. She obtained her MD and FRCP(C) in Radiation Oncology from the University of British Columbia, and Fellowship training at the University of Toronto. She is the leader of the Gynecology Radiation Oncology Group at the Tom Baker Cancer Center, the Leader of Translational Research for Radiation Oncology, and Co-Chair of the NCIC Cervical Cancer Working Group. Her clinical practice and research interests are in Gynecology and Gastrointestinal malignancies.

Dr. Doug Mahoney

Dr. Doug Mahoney

Associate Director, Basic and Translational Research

Dr. Douglas Mahoney is a translational scientist at the Charbonneau Cancer Institute and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine with 20+ years of experience studying human health and disease. Over the past 15 years, he has made important contributions to the development of several cancer immunotherapies that have been commercialized and tested in human clinical trials. Currently his lab is focused on engineering “designer cells and viruses” to treat various forms of cancer in children and adults. His lab uses cutting-edge synthetic biology, high-resolution in vivo imaging and robotic screening technologies, amongst other methodologies, and works collaboratively with leading genomics and immunology labs in Alberta.

Dr. Mahoney is the Scientific Director of a research initiative called ACTION (Alberta Cellular Therapy and Immune Oncology), launched in 2020 in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society. Within ACTION, Doug’s team is focused on developing innovate next-generation designer cell therapies against novel targets identified on high-fatality cancers.

 

 

Committees

The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute Executive Committee provides operational oversight and decision making for the Institute. The committee meets monthly and is responsible for overseeing the creation and implementation of the Institute’s research, education, peer mentorship, communication, and equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies and operational plans.

  • Dr. Jennifer Chan (Chair)
  • Dr. Corinne Doll
  • Dr. Doug Mahoney
  • Ms. Melissa Shea-Budgell
  • Ms. Carmen Coelho
  • Ms. Shilpa Salgia
  • Dr. Aaron Goodarzi
  • Dr. Jennifer Corcoran
  • Dr. Gareth Williams
  • Dr. Darren Brenner
  • Dr. Paola Neri
  • Dr. Fiona Schulte
  • Dr. Doreen Ezeife
  • Ms. Allie Miller
  • Mr. Kyle Heemskerk
  • Ms. Stephanie Hawes

The Research and Innovation committee identifies, develops, and implements strategies to enhance Charbonneau research programs. The committee meets monthly and meets its objective by:

  • Identifying opportunities for new research initiatives and/or further development of existing programs.
  • Identifying needs for new infrastructure to support and enhance our research programs.
  • Identifying areas and develop ideas for recruitment of new researchers.
  • Identifying new points of collaboration and synergy across Charbonneau research programs, and between Charbonneau and research groups across the Faculty, University or AHS.
  • Identifying opportunities for research commercialization.

Co-Chairs: Dr. Danny Heng and Dr. Paola Neri

The Trainee Education and Professional Development Committee oversees our Institute’s education program, which cuts across all themes and disciplines of research. The Trainee Education and Professional Development Committee seeks to develop the next generation of scientists and leaders in cancer research by.

  • Developing and implementing opportunities to enhance the trainee research experience.
  • Developing opportunities for trainees to present their research.
  • Developing the Institute’s strategies to recruit new trainees.
  • Identifying and implementing opportunities for trainees to enhance their research, communication and professional skills.
  • Identifying and developing resources to guide trainees through their choice of career paths.
  • Recognizing, promoting, and celebrating trainee successes.

Chair: Dr. Gareth Williams

 

The Faculty Development and Mentorship Committee promotes initiatives to help faculty members maximize their research and leadership potential.  The committee meets monthly and its objectives focus on:

  • Providing mentorship to faculty throughout their research careers.
  • Implementing Institute programs to provide peer review for grants and research programs.
  • Developing opportunities for faculty members to enhance professional and leadership skills.
  • Recognizing, promoting, and celebrating faculty successes.

Co-Chairs: Dr. Fiona Schulte and Dr. Jennifer Corcoran

The Community Engagement Committee promotes and showcases Charbonneau to our broad scientific and public communities by highlighting what we do, how we meet the community’s needs, and why our research matters. The committee’s objectives focus on:

  • Identifying and developing opportunities for public outreach and communication.
  • Developing and maintaining the Institute’s website, social media platforms, newsletter, and other communications to showcase our research successes.
  • Enlisting Institute members to engage in scientific and public outreach.

Chair: Dr. Aaron Goodarzi

Building on existing strategies developed by Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee will help translate EDI principles into clear action plans within the Institute. The committee objectives are to:

  • Develop approaches for furthering equity, diversity, and inclusion across all activities within the Institute.
  • Identify ways to strengthen inclusion for groups who experience marginalization.
  • Perform self-assessment and data gathering on diversity and inclusion within the Institute.
  • Raise awareness of issues relating to EDI across the cancer research spectrum.

Co-Chairs: Dr. Doreen Ezeife