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The Cancer Warrior Unleashed
On the front lines
of immunotherapy
Our cancer experts work together to
take ideas from the lab to the clinic
DR. Tracy McGaha
Senior Scientist
DR. Naoto Hirano
Associate Director, Research,
Tumor Immunotherapy Program
Dr. Tracy McGaha likes a challenge. What
motivates him is the opportunity to help
people through his research. Years ago, he
lost his father to prostate cancer. While his
father battled cancer, Dr. McGaha realized
just how much was left to discover about
cancer’s ability to co-opt immune processes
to protect itself. This is now his area of study.
He studies how the body protects itself from
immune attack and how immune protective
mechanisms affect attempts to fight tumors.
For Dr. Naoto Hirano, the true value of research occurs when it
can be translated into making a difference in patients’ lives.
To him, that is the beauty of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
He and his team aim to turn discoveries into practical solutions
for patients and make adoptive T-cell therapy available for every
cancer patient who could benefit. His research aims to invent
new and personalized anti-tumor immunotherapeutic models
that can cure cancer. Dr. Hirano attended medical and graduate
school at the University of Tokyo. He was an Assistant Professor
at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School,
before joining The Princess Margaret five years ago.
DR. David
Brooks
Senior Scientist
Dr. David Brooks got his start
studying immune responses to
persistent viruses – an interest
that came from seeing his parents’
work with AIDS patients. Through
his understanding of the immune
system’s response to chronic
infections, the transition to cancer
research was natural. It became
clear to him that many suppresive
strategies of chronic viruses are
also present in cancer. He leads
a team at The Princess Margaret
that seeks to manipulate the
immune system to take on cancer.
Lee-Anne
Stayner
Clinical
Research Nurse
Co-ordinator
Lee-Anne Stayner is on the front
lines of immunotherapy clinical
trials at The Princess Margaret.
Through her interaction with
patients, she is dedicated to
providing the highest level of
care. Stayner sees the difference
clinical trials can make in the
quality of life for patients. As a
Nurse Co-Ordinator, Stayner is
a liaison between patients and
scientists. She is involved in the
delivery and assessment of patient
care to facilitate clinical trials.
Cancer Experts
DR. DEREK
CLOUTHIER
head, immune
profiling team
Dr. Derek Clouthier is one of the
newest members of the Tumor
Immunotherapy Program.
He came to The Princess
Margaret late last year, after
finishing his PhD in immunology.
He is a Scientific Associate and
the Program Manager of the Terry
Fox Research Institute-sponsored
immunoTherapy NeTwork
(iTNT). Some of his work with
TIP involves working with clinical
trials and managing the workflow,
distribution, and analysis of
patient samples.
