Facilitating the research of numerous nationally and internationally recognized scientists, in over sixty labs across British Columbia, to improve cancer care.

BC Cancer Research strives to improve the lives of patients through the integration of basic biomedical research, genomics, clinical trials, health services research, cancer surveillance, population health, and the development of innovative new technology, programs, and interventions. Organized through departments and programs with various themes, BC Cancer supports groundbreaking cancer research and personalized care approaches through world-class facilities and platforms including genomics, bioinformatics, imaging, drug development and tissue banking.

Our Research

The success of BC Cancer is driven by the people and their passion to reduce the impact of cancer on people and society. Our 2022 Research Report showcases how BC Cancer continues to be internationally recognized for our excellence in cancer research and its integrated model of cancer planning and care. 

Read the 2022 BC Cancer Research Report. 

News & Events

Nikki Rose Hunter-Porter: Inspiring change in Indigenous cancer care

This Indigenous Nurses Day, get to know Nikki Rose Hunter-Porter, who has joined BC Cancer in a new role as clinical nurse specialist, Indigenous Cultural Safety.

April 10, 2024 is Indigenous Nurses Day – an opportunity to recognize the irreplaceable role Indigenous nurses play in British Columbia’s (B.C.) and Canada’s health care system. BC Cancer’s Indigenous nurses provide culturally inclusive health care in communities across the province and are a significant source of comfort and safety for many Indigenous Peoples who access our systems of care.

New study finds that cancer-causing proteins in Ewing sarcoma and prostate carcinoma prompt tumour cells to release certain RNAs to turn off the immune response

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that certain cancer-causing proteins can switch on parts of a person’s genetic material that were previously inactive, potentially contributing to the development and progression of Ewing sarcoma and prostate cancer. This finding helps researchers understand why the environment around a tumour may cause inflammation and suppress the immune system, which can make it challenging to successfully treat solid tumours with immunotherapy. 

Research Recovery Resources

BC Cancer Research is taking a gradual and careful approach to re-opening research activities to protect our staff, patients and communities.

Access our COVID-19 recovery resources.

Our Strategic Plan

Our Strategic Plan outlines our direction to strengthen our research capabilities and collaboration with departments and partners to improve our ability to generate knowledge, enhance the impact of our research, and support innovation in clinical care.  

Read the BC Cancer Research Strategic Plan.

Facilitating research excellence through management of day-to-day operations.

Office of Research Administration

Conducting research to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.

Cancer Control Research

Developing and deploying genomics technologies and services in support of cancer and life sciences research.

Genome Sciences Centre

Making novel discoveries in the biology underlying normal development and cancer progression.

Terry Fox Laboratory

Characterising the molecular changes that underpin the progression and pathogenesis of cancer.

Molecular Oncology

Researching the optical, radiobiological and genetic properties of cancer.

Integrative Oncology

Improving patient outcomes by gaining a deeper understanding of lymphoma biology and progression, for use in clinical applications.

Lymphoid Cancer Research

Defining better intervention strategies for individuals diagnosed with aggressive cancers.

Experimental Therapeutics

Clinical Research

Harnessing the immune system to detect and treat cancer.

Deeley Research Centre

The Nursing and Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation department promotes innovation and excellence in interprofessional research and knowledge mobilization to drive evidence-informed improvements in care, better patient outcomes and increased system performance.

Nursing and Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation

Publications

ARID1A orchestrates SWI/SNF-mediated sequential binding of transcription factors with ARID1A loss driving pre-memory B cell fate and lymphomagenesis.

Cancer cell, 2024
Barisic, Darko, Chin, Christopher R, Meydan, Cem, Teater, Matt, Tsialta, Ioanna, Mlynarczyk, Coraline, Chadburn, Amy, Wang, Xuehai, Sarkozy, Margot, Xia, Min, Carson, Sandra E, Raggiri, Santo, Debek, Sonia, Pelzer, Benedikt, Durmaz, Ceyda, Deng, Qing, Lakra, Priya, Rivas, Martin, Steidl, Christian, Scott, David W, Weng, Andrew P, Mason, Christopher E, Green, Michael R, Melnick, Ari
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Discovery and preclinical development of a therapeutically active nanobody-based chimeric antigen receptor targeting human CD22.

Molecular therapy. Oncology, 2024
McComb, Scott, Arbabi-Ghahroudi, Mehdi, Hay, Kevin A, Keller, Brian A, Faulkes, Sharlene, Rutherford, Michael, Nguyen, Tina, Shepherd, Alex, Wu, Cunle, Marcil, Anne, Aubry, Annie, Hussack, Greg, Pinto, Devanand M, Ryan, Shannon, Raphael, Shalini, van Faassen, Henk, Zafer, Ahmed, Zhu, Qin, Maclean, Susanne, Chattopadhyay, Anindita, Gurnani, Komal, Gilbert, Rénald, Gadoury, Christine, Iqbal, Umar, Fatehi, Dorothy, Jezierski, Anna, Huang, Jez, Pon, Robert A, Sigrist, Mhairi, Holt, Robert A, Nelson, Brad H, Atkins, Harold, Kekre, Natasha, Yung, Eric, Webb, John, Nielsen, Julie S, Weeratna, Risini D
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