The Canadian Cancer Society has announced this year’s recipients of its annual Awards for Excellence in Cancer Research competition. Three of the six awards have been granted to researchers at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM): Dr. Hansen He received the 2022 Bernard and Francine Dorval Prize, awarded to an early career researcher who has made exceptional contributions to fundamental research that advances our understanding of cancer treatments; Dr. Amit Oza received the 2022 O. Harold Warwick Prize, given to individuals who have made remarkable contributions to cancer control research; and Dr. Frances Shepherd received the 2022 Lifetime Contribution Prize, recognizing an acclaimed researcher who has made a significant impact on cancer research beyond traditional achievements.
Dr. Hansen He | 2022 Bernard and Francine Dorval Prize
Dr. He is a Senior Scientist at PM whose scientific interests focus on applying experimental and computational approaches to understand epigenetic mechanisms underlying cancer development, progression and therapy response.
Dr. Amit Oza | 2022 O. Harold Warwick Prize
Dr. Oza is the Medical Director of the Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Co-Director of the Bras Drug Development Program, Head of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, and Senior Scientist at UHN. He has made extensive contributions to clinical research and drug development efforts in Canada, and has spearheaded a number of trials using targeted drugs for the treatment of gynecological cancers.
Dr. Frances Shepherd | 2022 Lifetime Contribution Prize
Dr. Shepherd is a Senior Scientist and Clinician Investigator at PM. She is considered to be one of the world’s most distinguished scientists in clinical lung cancer research and has built an illustrious career that has spanned more than four decades. She has designed and led multiple clinical trials that have resulted in the approval of new therapies to treat lung cancer.
Congratulations to Drs. He, Oza and Shepherd on attaining these recognitions.