Institute Leadership

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. 

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.

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.

Associate Director, Basic and Translational Research

Dr. Aaron Goodarzi currently leads the Robson DNA Science Centre and serves as the Institute’s Lead for Science Communications and Public Outreach. He is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Scientific Director of the Evict Radon National Study.

Since joining the University of Calgary as faculty in 2011, Dr. Goodarzi has developed a highly successful and internationally recognized research program in alpha particle irradiation and DNA damage and repair mechanisms, alongside a strong translational research program focused on radon gas exposure testing and population health analyses. His work has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of how radon exposure affects health and identifying populations most at risk of developing lung cancer.