A 2024 BC Cancer Emerging Multidisciplinary Research Program made possible through a BC Government grant to the BC Cancer Foundation to support enhancements to research.

Brain cancers are among the most deadly and debilitating forms of cancer in adults and children. This is especially true for high-grade gliomas (HGG) where fewer than 1 in 20 patients survive 5 years after diagnosis.

Our multi-disciplinary team have developed a translational research program in brain cancers here, at BC Cancer. ReCoN – the Research Consortium for Neurooncology. Our team of molecular biologists, genome scientists, and clinicians from across career stages and with expertise in neuro-oncology focus on accrual of samples and data and deep profiling of HGG brain tumours from patients, leading to the creation of sophisticated cancer models and the interrogation of disease mechanisms. This foundational work employs cutting-edge technologies to shed new light on glioma biology and enables new opportunities to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools. 

Importantly, our team have established a process for neuro-oncology patient centered research in BC. It is our hope that in the long term ReCoN will expand beyond high-grade gliomas to build a robust network spanning neuro-oncology research for British Columbians.

ReCoN

Our Team

Principal Investigator 

Carol Chen, PhD Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer

Co-Investigators 

Rebecca Harrison, MD  Medical Oncologist and Clinical Associate Professor, BC Cancer 

Marco Marra, PhD  Distinguished Scientist, Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer

Poul Sorenson, PhD Distinguished Scientist, Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer

Peter Stirling, PhD  Distinguished Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer

Stephen Yip, MD/PhD FRCPC Medical Director, Centre for Clinical Genomics, BC Cancer Neuropathologist, Vancouver General Hospital

Mostafa Fatehi Hassanabad, MSc MD FRCSC Neurosurgeon and Clinical Instructor, Vancouver General Hospital

Manik Chahal, MD FRCP, PhD Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer

Serge Makarenko, MD, FRCSC Neurosurgeon, Vancouver General Hospital

Team Members

Pariya Azarafshar

Melanie Bailey

Yaron Butterfield

Tiffany Chang

Richard Corbett

Dan Jin

Jieun Kim

Nigel O'Neil

Parsa Seyfourain

Hannah Schoenroth

Yuka Takemon

Diane Trlihn

Kira Tosefsky

Program Manger

Amanda Kotzer, PhD PMP  Terry Fox Laboratory,  BC Cancer

Contact us akotzer@bccrc.ca