Staff Achievements!

The Co-PI team of Dr. Lorenzo Ferri, Veena Sangwan PhD and Swneke Bailey PhD received a CIHR project grant ($753,525, five years) - "Investigating the Molecular Determinants of Peritoneal Metastasis from Gastro-Esophageal Adenocarcinomas at the beginning of the year.

Photo: Thoracic Surgery & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories

January 2020

Congratulations to our newest PhD: Stephen Gowing

We are pleased to announce that Stephen Gowing, who  successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis today under the supervision of Dr Lorenzo Ferri. Congraturations!

Photo: Thoracic Surgery & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories

June 2019

Congratulations to Henry Jiang on his PhD defense

Congratulations to Henry Jiang on the success of his Ph.D. defense. He joined the Thoracic and Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories in 2013 under the supervision of Dr. Lorenzo Ferri. His research project focused on the role of NOD1/CARD4 in colon cancer metastasis.

Photo: Thoracic Surgery & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories

February 2019

RI-MUHC researchers among recipients of a $34M grant to fight cancer

Researchers from McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal are part of a multinational team led by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), whose project was recently selected for funding through Cancer Research UK’s (CRUK) Grand Challenge competition — an international funding initiative that aims to address some of the biggest global challenges in cancer research. The multidisciplinary team will receive 20 million British pounds (nearly 34 million Canadian dollars) over four years to explore the links between chronic inflammation and cancer.

Photo: RI-MUHC

January 2019

Opening of the Wajcer-Vatch Family Laboratory in Esophageal Diseases at the MGH; June 12th, 2018

The establishment of this laboratory, made possible by a kind gift from Lawrence Vatch and Evelyn Wajcer, opens up exciting new avenues for research into esophageal diseases. Its location close to the treatment areas and operating rooms of the MGH allows rapid study of patient-derived samples, as well as generation of model systems including patient-derived cell lines, xenografts and organoid cultures.

Photo: MGH Foundation
June 2018

Save the date - October 13, 2018!
McGill's 2nd Annual Symposium on Upper Gastro-Intestinal Cancers

Following the success of last year’s first Annual Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, we are honoured to invite you to McGill’s 2nd Annual Symposium on Upper Gastro-Intestinal Cancers held in Montreal on October 13, 2018.

Photo: Owen Egan

October 2018

Register now! The Division of Thoracic and Upper GI Surgery is hosting its first annual symposium on October 21, 2017.

The symposium will be focusing on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer.

The conference will feature an exclusive and stimulating program, with international leaders in the field of Thoracic Surgery sharing their medical and surgical expertise while highlighting innovations and future directions in current practice.

Establishing Quality Care for Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive cancer caused primarily by the inhalation of asbestos fibers, a construction product used until the 1980s that continues to be present in many buildings. It is an extremely lethal disease with only 5% of patients still alive 5 years after diagnosis. [...] Making a diagnosis of MPM is difficult and most patients experience significant delays from the time they develop symptoms, to diagnosis and further delays before obtaining treatment.

Photo: Julia Marois
November 2016

Teaching is beyond the classroom

Grade 6 students from the Study - a private education all-girls school came to visit the Thoracic and Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories and learn from the lab members. The visit allows students to be exposed to science and explore their interests at a young age. Maybe they will become the next-generation of scientists?

Photo: Thoracic Surgery & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories
January 2016

Research on the front lines of cancer care
A series of RCN grants is looking at ways to improve the delivery of care across the network

Faster treatment for oesophago-gastric cancer patients

Surgeon Lorenzo Ferri has a hunch that ramping up coordination is the best way to improve care for patients with oesophago-gastric cancer — and he’s hopeful this will ultimately improve survival, too.

Photo: Sophie Lorenzo
Rossy Cancer Network
Fall 2015

A warm welcome to Dr. Spicer as Principal Investigator and all new lab members

The month of July brings exciting additions to the lab as Dr. Jonathan Spicer officially joins the Thoracic Surgery and Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories as a Principal Investigator.

Also, we are delighted to have the following students joining the lab: Roni Rayes - Post-doctoral Fellow, Vivian Stavrakos - Master's student & Phil Vourtzoumis - Master's student.

Photo : Thoracic Surgery & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories
July 2015

Émission - Radio-Canada 
Découverte

Ce soir à Découverte, des chercheurs de l’Université McGill à Montréal, identifient un nouveau mécanisme de propagation du cancer dans l’organisme.

Photo : Radio-Canada - Découverte
December 2014

Infections et cellules cancéreuses :
un dangereux mélange

Une équipe de chercheurs du Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM), à Montréal, a découvert un nouveau mode de propagation du cancer, qui peut se déclencher après une opération. La bonne nouvelle : il existe déjà des médicaments qui pourraient prévenir ce mécanisme.

Photo : Radio-Canada
December 2014

10 DÉCOUVERTES 2013 :
Cancer et globules blancs: liaisons dangereuses

En bon chirurgien, le docteur Lorenzo Ferri aime le travail bien fait. Alors, quand un de ses patients atteint de cancer est mort, il y a quelques années, malgré une intervention chirurgicale réussie, il est demeuré perplexe.

Photo : Dr Jonathan Cools-Lartigue
Québec Science
December 2014

More than $3 million awarded to MUHC clinician-researchers

More than 80 clinician-researchers representing a variety of disciplines were recognized during the evening. All of whom have demonstrated exceptional promise in the work they are undertaking.

Dr. Jonathan Spicer, a thoracic surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital, was among the recipients and received the Bell Media Fellowship.

Photo : McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
October 2013

White blood cells and the spread of cancer: an interview with Drs. Lorenzo Ferri and Jonathan Cools-Lartigue, McGill University

As surgeons who take care of cancer patients, we have observed a troubling association between patients who suffer from infections after surgery and the rapid spread of their cancer.

Photo : Pierre Dubois, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
NewsMedical.net
July 2013

Une percée dans le traitement du cancer

Notre corps pourrait être un allié du cancer. En effet, le système immunitaire, qui combat les infections, activerait puis favoriserait la propagation de cellulaires cancéreuses, selon une étude du Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM), publiée lundi.

Photo : Pierre Dubois, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
Journal Métro
July 2013

Des globules blancs alliés du cancer

Il y aurait des traîtres dans le système immunitaire, ce grand protecteur de notre corps! Des chercheurs canadiens des universités McGill et de Calgary affirment que les globules blancs qui combattent les infections jouent un rôle dans l'activation des cellules cancéreuses et leur propagation vers des tumeurs secondaires appelées métastases.

Photo : iStockphoto
Radio-Canada
July 2013