ROTC

2025 Report to the Community

Meeting the cancer challenge — together.

Our impact: Stories from 2025

Addressing cancer requires a continuum of research — from generating new discoveries, to advancing leading-edge treatments, to creating real-world insights — spanning the biology of a single tumour to the complexities of the entire health system. Across this spectrum, we are committed to advancing knowledge, transforming care and improving outcomes for every patient we serve.

In 2025, we are proud of the progress achieved across these areas of cancer research. The stories that follow showcase the dedication and impact of our investigators, trainees and research teams as they work collaboratively, with the generous support of our community, to confront the cancer challenge - together.

 

Our focus areas in 2025:

Generating new discoveries and insights

New discoveries are the engine that drives progress against cancer. Each insight into how cancers arise, evolve and respond to treatment opens the door to new strategies for prevention, earlier detection and more effective therapies.

Advancing leading-edge treatments

Clinical trials are the essential bridge between discovery and new standards of care, translating scientific breakthroughs into safe, effective treatments to provide patients access to the most leading-edge options available for their cancer.

Creating real-world insights and impacts

The ultimate goal of research is impact — translating insights from the laboratory and clinical trials into real-world interventions, applications, and standards of practice to improve outcomes for patients and those at risk of cancer.


Learn more about some of the impacts we made in 2025:

Generating new discoveries and insights

Advancing leading-edge treatments

Creating real-world insights and impacts

Advancing precision oncology across the prairies and beyond

About PR2C

Learn more about the Prairie Cancer Consortium

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Uncovering protein structure to advance precision oncology: Launch of APACE

About Mass Spec Studio

Learn more about the Mass Spec Studio, a powerful data analytics platform developed in Dr. David Schriemer's lab.

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APACE

Unlocking new clues to improve targeted cancer therapies

About the centre

Learn more about the Robson DNA Science Centre

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Bringing novel detection to environmental exposures — a “most read” research story of 2025

UToday Story

UCalgary scientists want your toenail clippings for a study related to lung cancer

Read story

UToday Story

The toenail study featured among UCalgary's most-read research news of 2025

Read story

Radon team

Detecting breast cancer earlier: A new blood test for women at high risk

About Syantra

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About Onco-ID™

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Tina Rinker

Redefining thyroid cancer care with Thyroid GuidePx®

About Qualisure Diagnostics

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About Thyroid GuidePx®

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Bathe Stretch

Understanding patients with rare tumours: Focus on neuroendocrine and endocrine tumours

Leap Magazine Story

Raising awareness of neuroendocrine and endocrine tumours: Medical oncologist Dr. Alda Aleksi explains the importance of knowing about this lesser-known cancer.

Read the article

Aleksi

Ohlson Research Initiative bridges evidence and care to advance head and neck cancer outcomes

About the program

Learn more about the Ohlson Research Initiative

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Building Canadian-made CAR T-cell therapies for blood cancer

About the project

Learn more about the CLIC-2201 trial

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Hay

Extending the power of CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma

About the project

Learn more about BCAR1

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About the program

Learn more about the Multiple Myeloma Research Program

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myeloma lab

Moving the needle on survivorship: Exercise, survival and leadership in colon cancer research

About the trial

Learn more about the CHALLENGE trial

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CHALLENGE

Advancing hope in glioblastoma: A promising new approach with NiacinCRT™

UToday Story

UCalgary study investigates the use of common vitamin to treat the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma

Read the article

Niacin trial

Real-world evidence, real-world impact: Advancing cancer care through data and discovery

About the program

Learn more about Oncology Outcomes (O2)

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RWE Day

Understanding Canada's cancer landscape through national data

About the program

Learn more about the Cancer Screening, Detection and Risk Reduction Research Program (CanDoR)

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2025 Canadian Cancer Statistics Report

Read the report

Canadian Cancer Statistics Dashboard

The Canadian Cancer Statistics Dashboard (CCSD) provides user-friendly and interactive visualizations including up-to-date, projected estimates of cancer incidence and mortality across population groups and geographic regions.

Explore the dashboard

CanDoR

Global equity in focus: Redefining the cancer burden through data

Calgary Herald article

Younger cancer survivors 11 times more likely to die prematurely years later: U of C study

Read the article

Miranda Fidler-Benaoudia

Transforming lung cancer care through evidence, partnership and patient voices

About the program

Learn more about the Glans-Look Lung Cancer Research program

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About the study

Learn more about the PROPEL Study

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PROPEL

Propelling precision radiation therapy through integrated research and care

Calgary Herald article

Six months in, Calgary's new cancer centre is making life-altering differences: Hear the stories from the doctors, scientists and patients at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre

Read the article

Team

Earlier support, better journeys: Expanding access to palliative care

About the project

Learn more about the Palliative Care Early and Systematic (PaCES) Project

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PaCES

Cultivating compassion across care: Redefining quality in health systems

About the Compassion Research Lab

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About the Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire

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About EnACT

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UToday Story

UCalgary researcher Dr. Shane Sinclair named new Cross Canada Chair in Compassionate Care

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Sinclair

Evaluating how best to empower patients during and beyond cancer treatment

About the program

Learn more about SPHERE (Strategies for Precision Health in Breast Cancer)

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About the study

Learn more about the Sapphire study

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Sapphire