The Terry Fox Research Institute announces Dr. André Veillette as new Executive Director for the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network

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FOR RELEASE Wednesday Feb. 16
Embargoed until 9 am EST

Vancouver, BC -- The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) is pleased to announce the appointment of prominent Canadian physician-scientist, Dr. André Veillette, to the role of Executive Director of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network (MOHCCN).

Dr. Veillette is director of the Molecular Oncology Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM—Institut de recherches clinique de Montréal) and a professor of medicine at the University of Montreal (UofM). Currently he is also a member of the Government of Canada Vaccine Task Force on COVID-19.

He is excited to be joining the pan-Canadian initiative at such an important time in Canadian cancer research. “I share the view of the Terry Fox Research Institute and the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network that the next decade will see tremendous progress in our understanding of how cancer develops and how personalized medicine can lead to improved therapies, better survival and more cures,” says Dr. Veillette.  “I also believe that the MOHCCN will provide a proof-of-principle of how collaborations between academic researchers, governments, academic institutions and the private sector at various locations in our vast country can achieve higher and more impactful goals in medicine and biomedical research.”

“We are delighted to have a leader like André join us who brings to our network a superb record in cancer and immunological research, a deep understanding of our health care and research landscapes, and excellent experience working with government, scientific and academic bodies and agencies in Canada,” says Dr. Jim Woodgett, TFRI President and Scientific Director. “Dr. Veillette will strengthen and complement our MOHCCN leadership to transform cancer research as we know it today to accelerate our delivery of the medicine of tomorrow.”

‘’What pride it is for the IRCM to be associated, with this great researcher, Dr. Veillette, with a cause that is so hopeful and so strong in the hearts of Canadians, around the now mythical figure of a modern-day hero, Terry Fox," added Dr. Jean-François Côté, President and Interim Scientific Director of the IRCM.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Québec, Dr. Veillette holds an MD from Laval University. He conducted his speciality training in internal medicine and medical oncology at the Montreal General Hospital and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland. He also completed research fellowships at NCI in the areas of breast cancer and oncogenes. He was at McGill University between 1989 and 1999, and has been at UofM since 1999. He is also an adjunct professor in experimental medicine at McGill University. He served as an assistant physician at Montreal General Hospital from 1989 to 1997.

For the duration of his career, Dr. Veillette has worked in the field of immunology where he help found the area of immune cell activation 30 years ago. Since then, he and his lab team have made important discoveries relating to CD4 and CD8 T cell co-receptors and surface antigens, the protein tyrosine kinases Csk and Lck, the role of the adaptor molecule SAP in immune regulation and the role of innate immune cells in immuno-oncology. These and other findings have provided fundamental insights into the immunological mechanisms in health and diseases including cancer.

Dr. Veillette has served on many national and international scientific committees and boards, is the author of 181 publications that have been cited almost 20,000 times, has supervised nearly 100 research trainees and taught courses in immunology and molecular and cellular biology.

He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a Member of the Royal Society of Canada.  He is the recipient of many honours and awards including the Merck Frosst Prize, the Leo Parizeau Award and the Cinader Award. He has been Canada Research Chair in Signalling in the Immune System (2002-2023) and has received multiple research grants from Canadian funders.

Dr. André Veillette (Photo credit: Mélissa Vincelli)

About IRCM Founded in 1967, the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) is an interactive and multidisciplinary biomedical research institute that conducts cutting edge basic and clinical, in addition to training high-level scientists. Driven by life, the Institute aims at improving health knowledge through research excellence, independence, collaboration and innovation, in order to pave the way towards new generations of solutions and treatments. The Institute brings together over 400 scientists, students and professionals, in 35 laboratories working in the fields of virology, immunology, cancer, neuroscience, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, systems biology and medicinal chemistry. Its research activities are also supported by research clinics specializing in hypertension, nutrition, diabetes, and COVID-19, as well as a Research Centre on Rare and Genetic Diseases in Adults. The IRCM is affiliated with Université de Montréal and associated with McGill University.

About the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network is the realization of a long-standing vision of the Terry Fox Research Institute. Inspired by Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope, the network represents a powerful collaborative platform that will close the gap between research in the lab and patient care in the clinic. Just as Terry Fox united Canadians with his run and dream to end cancer, the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres will unite our cancer researchers to pursue that same goal with precision medicine. www.marathonofhopecancercentres.ca

About the Terry Fox Research Institute The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI), established in 2008, invests in world-class, collaborative cancer research teams and partnerships. Together with its research and funding partners, TFRI is working to inspire the transformation of cancer research in this country by bringing together leading cancer research and treatment organizations in Canada and empowering them under the framework of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. www.tfri.ca

MEDIA CONTACTS:

For Dr. Veillette:
Florence Meney
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Montreal Clinical Research Institute
T. 514-987-5500 ext.  5535
514 755 2516
Email: Florence.Meney@ircm.qc.ca

For Dr. Woodgett:
Kelly Curwin
Chief Communications Officer
Terry Fox Research Institute
Cell: 778-237-8158
Email: kcurwin@tfri.ca