“With the world facing an unprecedented surge in cancer rates, driven by an aging population and delays in cancer screening and diagnoses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this level of corporate investment and partnership is needed more than ever,” says Dr. Miyo Yamashita, president and CEO of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. “The Foundation is grateful for Yamana Gold’s meaningful investment and partnership, which will create countless stories of hope for cancer patients and their loved ones, close to home, across Canada and around the world.”
The Yamana Gold Discovery to Impact Grant is part of a new program that provides seed funding to Princess Margaret scientists for innovative cancer research projects. The grant will be awarded annually, through a rigorous competitive process, to projects with the greatest potential to improve patient outcomes.
Senior scientists Dr. Rama Khokha and Dr. Thomas Kislinger and clinician investigator Dr. Hal Berman are the inaugural recipients of the grant, which will support their research that explores the potential to prevent breast cancer in high-risk patients by targeting fatty acid metabolism.
Another portion of the investment will enable the recruitment of young scientists to The Princess Margaret through the establishment of two Yamana Gold Cancer Research Fellowships. Attracting passionate post-doctoral fellows from around the world, the fellowships will provide these scientists with the opportunity to take part in training and acquire new knowledge through mentorship by world-renowned cancer scientists.
“The Princess Margaret is uniquely equipped to conduct the full spectrum of discovery, translational, and clinical cancer research as well as provide engaging mentorship opportunities,” says Dr. Aaron Schimmer, director of the Research Institute at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, senior scientist and staff physician. “We’re grateful for Yamana Gold’s gift as it will empower thought-leaders with the opportunity to execute novel discovery research and gain knowledge that will shift the paradigm in cancer biology and redefine the future of cancer care.”
Visit www.thepmcf.ca to learn more about the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
