Summer 2014                                                 Vol. 4

 
 

The Windsor Cancer Research Group has had a busy Spring participating in a number of community events. We'd like to share with you some of our news, accomplishments and upcoming community events.
From left to right: Dora Cavallo-Medved (WCRG/University of Windsor), Karen Behune Plunkett (WEtech Alliance), Rakesh Naidu (WEEDC), Sandra Pupatello (WEEDC), Deborah Livneh (WEtech Alliance), Lisa Porter (WCRG/University of Windsor)
PASSPORTS UPDATE  

On May 27th, WE-tech invited WCRG to join Windsor Essex Economic Development to tour the Henry Ford Innovation Institute with head, Dr. Scott Dulchavsky. After the tour, the WCRG met with Henry Ford Hospital CEO Dr. John Popovich and introduced our PASSPORTS campaign, which is focused on building and faciliating cross-border research networks. Dr. Popovich also expressed his commitment to fostering these international relationships. This meeting was a good first step as WCRG works to make cross-border cancer research a priority.  

 
UPCOMING EVENTS
On November 22, 2014, the WCRG will be hosting it's 2nd Biennial Cancer Research Conference at Caesars Windsor. This event will highlight clinical, psycho-social and basic biomedical research going on in Ontario and collaborating centres in the USA. Based on the success of the 2012 event, we anticipate that there will be over 300 participants. We are very excited to be featuring two world-class keynote speakers:
  • Dr. Craig Earle, Program Lead, Health Services Research, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
  • Dr. Ronny Drapkin, Principal Investigator, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  
WCRG IN THE COMMUNITY  

This May, WCRG participated in a number of events, beginning with the University of Windsor's Research Showcase. This event brings research to the community by setting up kid friendly displays at the Devonshire Mall. Many kids enjoyed our popular healthy choice hopscotch. The following weekend, we were one of many groups that had the pleasure of interacting with future scientists at Science Rendezvous. Over 1000 people participated! Our life size board that allowed kids (and adults!) to picture themselves as a WCRG scientist or doctor was a hit. And our "Can you guess the cancer?" board was very popular with parents.


 

On May 12th, Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved led members of our Volunteer Committee to deliver the WCRG Cancer Research Workshop to Canada Wide Science Fair participants, part of a week long event that attracts the brightest science students from as far away as British Columbia and Nova Scotia. After a 15 minute presentation introducing students to cancer biology, the students were put to work! They looked through a series of microscopes that showed them the progression of cancer, played at being a pathologist and ended the workshop with a Jeopardy game. Feedback was extremely positive and participants called the workshop "informative" and "fun".

 

 

Thank you to the students from the WCRG Volunteer Committee and to WCRG Members, Krista Naccarato, Dr. Jim Green, Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved, Dr. Siyaram Pandey and Dr. Lisa Porter for helping to make WCRG's events a success.

 
To learn more about the WCRG: