Honouring outstanding contributions to cancer clinical trial research Tuesday, January 02, 2018 CCTG network researchers have been recognized by Governor General Julie Payette who announced the Order of Canada appointments on Friday, Dec. 29. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Pritchard, Dr. Gleave and Dr. Eisenhauer on this wonderful honour and for their outstanding contributions to cancer clinical trial research in Canada. Dr. Elizabeth Eisenhauer, Officer of the Order of Canada Queen’s University’s Dr. Elizabeth Eisenhauer has been appointed as an officer for “her extensive research contributions and leadership within the field of clinical cancer care in Canada.” Dr. Eisenhauer is renowned for her research in ovarian cancer, malignant melanoma, and malignant brain tumours. Her main research interest and activity is the coordination of phase I and II trials of a wide range of novel anticancer agents. In 1982, Dr. Eisenhauer was instrumental in creating the Investigational New Drug (IND) Program for CCTG and later became the Director. In 1982 Dr. Eisenhauer became Director of the Investigational New Drug Program (IND) of the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG), where her major responsibilities lay in identifying and bringing into clinical trial novel cancer agents. Dr. Kathleen Pritchard, Member of the Order of Canada Sunnybrook medical oncologist Dr. Kathleen Pritchard has been recognized for “her contributions to the treatment of breast cancer in women, notably as a leader of influential national and international clinical trials.” Dr. Pritchard was the first CCTG Breast Disease Site Chair who led and supported trials within the breast group that changed practice. The award highlights Dr. Pritchard’s determination in finding new and better ways to treat patients with breast cancer, and her leadership in bringing breast cancer clinical trials to fruition around the world. Dr. Martin Gleave, Member of the Order of Canada Dr. Martin Gleave of the Vancouver Prostate Centre has been honoured for his “research on the mechanisms involved in the propagation of cancer cells and for his leadership in the development of new treatments for prostate cancer.” Dr. Gleave is the former chair of the CCTG Genito-Urinary disease site committee and has continued providing research leadership as a valued committee member. As a clinician-scientist and urologic surgeon his major research focus involves the study of cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating progression of prostate cancer to its lethal stage of androgen independence, developing integrated multimodality therapies that specifically target these mechanisms.
