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The Terry Fox Research Institute

Expanding our research portfolio

Since its inception, the TFRI has invested in groundbreaking scientific projects that accelerate discoveries for the benefit of cancer patients. Today, this investment expands beyond our flagship basic science and translational research programs. With support from partners across the country, including the Government of Canada, we now lead two innovative projects that embody Terry Fox's spirit and unite our country to improve the lives of cancer patients through precision medicine: the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network and the Digital Health and Discovery Platform.

Learn more about our Mission and Vision.

Digital Health and Discovery Platform (DHDP) Logo

Digital Health and Discovery Platform (DHDP)

The DHDP is a pan-Canadian initiative co-led by the TFRI and supported by the Government of Canada. The DHDP provides the cutting-edge technological and policy infrastructure needed to share and analyze large amounts of health data generated through the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, allowing us to improve health outcomes for Canadians through the advancement of precision medicine for cancer and other diseases.

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Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network Logo

Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network

The MOHCCN is an unprecedented collaboration led by the TFRI and supported by the Government of Canada that unites the country’s top cancer hospitals and research centres to create the Team Canada of Cancer Research. Just like Terry’s Marathon of Hope united Canadians under a single vision, the Network unites our cancer research community, empowering them to work together to make precision medicine for cancer a reality for all Canadians.

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Newly funded research projects

Investigating how the time of day impacts immune cell function to improve lung cancer treatment

Dakota Rogers is analyzing how the time of day impacts immune cell function in lung cancer treatment and the chance of the cancer spreading to improve treatments and outcomes. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in Canada and despite recent treatment advances that prolong life in some people with lung cancer, therapies still fail to work for a significant number of people....

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Understanding how a specific protein influences progression in neuroendocrine cancers

Nilakshi Kulathunga is studying a protein found at high levels in neuroendocrine tumours to understand how it affects cancer progression and response to treatment. Neuroendocrine tumours are generally slow-growing tumours that arise from hormone-producing cells and are most commonly found in the pancreas and intestines. Although rare, accounting for only 1 in 50 cases of cancer, the incidence is r...

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Investigating different diets and the impact on the response to immunotherapy

Anikka Swaby is analyzing how different diets affect the composition of microorganisms in the gut and the effect of nutrition on immune cells to better understand how immunotherapies work for people with cancer. A type of immunotherapy called immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been very effective for the treatment of some cancers, greatly increasing survival. However, only a minority of peopl...

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Improving cellular therapies for people with multiple myeloma

Lorenzo Lindo is analyzing why some people with multiple myeloma become resistant to immune cell-based therapies and how to modify these therapies to make them more effective, improving outcomes. Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that currently has no curative therapies. Despite this, many people with multiple myeloma are now living longer after diagnosis thanks to treatment advances. One...

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Tumour-host immunodynamics of Bacillus Calmette Guérin refractory bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Canada, with 12,300 Canadians diagnosed in 2023. Smokers, men and older adults are at a higher risk, and numbers are expected to rise as our population ages. “Treating bladder cancer is costly, resource intensive and often unsuccessful,” explains Dr. Madhuri Koti, associate professor in the department of biomedical and molecular scienc...

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Integrated immunotherapy for ovarian cancer

You've heard the saying, "It takes a village." This adage rings especially true in the battle against high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), the most common form of ovarian cancer. Just as a village thrives through the contributions of its members, our immune system depends on a variety of cells to fight this formidable cancer. Some cells, like killer T cells, play a more prominent role, but th...

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Porphysome nanoparticle enabled image-guided cancer interventions - III

It’s been over a decade since the groundbreaking lipid nanoparticles (Porphysomes) were first discovered in the lab of Dr. Gang Zheng’s team at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM), University Health Network. With funding from Terry Fox, the team has explored the potential of these amazing tiny, non-toxic particles to transform image-guided cancer treatments. With a veterinary cli...

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Strategies to divert malignant potentials in acute leukemia

  • Aly Karsan / Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre

Understanding acute leukemia is like trying to solve a complex puzzle. The DNA sequence of our cells forms the puzzle pieces, but these pieces can change their appearance – and alter the overall appearance of the puzzle – depending on the colours they acquire. These colours represent epigenomic changes, and a long-funded team of blood-cancer researchers in BC believe the key to better ...

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  • Funding Programs

    The Terry Fox Research Institute functions as the research arm of The Terry Fox Foundation. In this capacity, the Institute invests and manages approximately $27 million in combined funding for discovery and translational research and training for future scientists and clinicians in cancer research.

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  • Our Research

    We know more about cancer today thanks to the biological, molecular and genomic discoveries, new technologies, tests and treatments made possible with research funding from The Terry Fox Foundation and through the translational work undertaken by TFRI. As a result, we have better ways to detect, diagnose and treat cancer today. This is helping cancer patients to live, to live longer and with a better quality of life.

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  • Terry Fox and the Terry Fox Foundation

    Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977.

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  • Digital Health and Discovery Platform

    The Digital Health and Discovery Platform (DHDP) is a pan-Canadian initiative that seeks to improve health outcomes for Canadians by deploying cutting-edge technologies that advance precision medicine.

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  • Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network

    The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network is a bold vision led by The Terry Fox Research Institute and The Terry Fox Foundation with support from dozens of research and funding partners across Canada.

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Updates

Updates

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    2021-22 Facts

    • 26.6 Million Dollars for Cancer Research and Training
      Million Dollars for Cancer Research and Training
    • 47 currently funded projects for team science and research
      Funded Projects for team science and research
    • 98 Partners in Funding and Research
      Partners in Funding and Research