Since 1978, the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute and its team of world-renowned cancer researchers have been making exciting breakthroughs that are unravelling the mysteries of cancer. In 1965, the carcinoembryonic antigen – now the most frequently used antigen for diagnosing cancer – was co-discovered by our investigator Dr. Phil Gold, who became the first director of the McGill Cancer Centre. In 2008, the Centre was renamed the Goodman Cancer Research Centre in recognition of major benefactors Rosalind and Morris Goodman. In February 2020, the centre received McGill Senate approval to become an Academic Institute and in May 2021, it officially became known as the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI).

Today the GCI has big plans to employ an interdisciplinary approach to cancer research that will harness the power of fundamental, translational and clinical research. By uniting researchers and clinicians, teachers and learners from the biomedical, physical, social and computational sciences, and including experts in artificial intelligence, the Institute will develop a culture of creativity and collaboration. This will enable data and ideas to flow freely from the laboratory to the clinic and back, providing clear pathways for knowledge translation that will lead to tangible benefits for cancer patients.

Over the years, the partnership with the Défi Canderel and the continuous and unwavering support of this important initiative by Jonathan Wener has become a cornerstone of the Institute’s strategy to pursue excellence in cancer research. Funds raised by the Défi Canderel have contributed directly towards 1) high-risk-high-payoff research projects where preliminary data is generated and subsequently used to secure competitive grants, 2) recruitment of new faculty members with dynamic and cutting-edge research programs, 3) trainees’ stipends that ensure their time can be entirely dedicated to research, and 4) supporting trainees’ travel to national and international conferences to present their research findings.

Testimonials

“Thank you for the generous Canderel Graduate Studentship Award which will support my research in the clinical implications of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer patients. Under Dr. Zogopoulos’s supervision, I am researching the prevalence and clinical impacts of a genetic subtype of pancreatic cancer. The receipt of this studentship is a great honour and will further my research by funding me through my next year of studies as well as make me a desirable candidate for future cancer research opportunities.”

“I am truly honoured to be a recipient of the Canderel Graduate Studentship Award which has permitted me to pursue my PhD degree at McGill University. Under Dr. Lawrence Kazak’s laboratory at the GCI, our research focuses on obesity, which is the second-leading cause of cancer. Our work will help find new therapies that can prevent obesity-driven cancer progression. Thank you for your support and permitting me to achieve my academic goals.”

Founded 75 years ago, the Institut du cancer de Montréal financially supports fundamental and clinical research to find new treatments for cancer and to ultimately cure the disease.

The Institute, affiliated with the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) and the Université de Montréal, is an important vector for research advances in the scientific community as it supports innovative projects and financially assists its member researchers and their teams in cancer research. Thanks to the collaboration and contribution of the Institut du cancer de Montréal, the CRCHUM's Cancer Research Axis has the privilege to count on the support of a foundation dedicated exclusively to the pursuit of excellence in oncology research.

With its values of commitment, collaboration, integrity, excellence and entrepreneurship, the Institut du cancer de Montréal supports the scientific development priorities of the CRCHUM's Cancer Research Axis, the ultimate goal of which is to improve cancer prevention, screening and treatments, as well as patients' quality of life.

In keeping with its mission, the Institute also makes a significant contribution to financially supporting the recruitment and career development of young researchers who will be the leaders of tomorrow in oncology.

For over 30 years, the Défi Canderel has been supporting, through important annual donations, investments in the training and education of the next generation of researchers, a component intrinsic to the raison d'être of the Institut du cancer de Montréal.

In 1998, the “Canderel Scholarships” were created and are awarded annually to masters and doctoral students through an internal competition. A few years later, a second category of recognition was created: “The Canderel Scholarships of Excellence”, recognizing students who have earned highly competitive national and international scholarships.

Since the beginning of the collaboration between the Défi Canderel and the Institut du cancer de Montréal, millions of dollars have been invested in training programs to support the continuous efforts of young scientists in oncology research.

Canderel's commitment over the years has been outstanding in supporting our talented researcher members and their teams to make real achievements in cancer research and bring us one step closer to winning the battle.