BC Cancer Agency, UVic Join Forces to Fight Cancer
Cancer research and education on Vancouver Island got a shot in the arm today with the signing of an agreement between the University of Victoria and the BC Cancer Agency at its Vancouver Island Centre.
Under the five-year agreement, BC Cancer Agency researchers and clinicians and UVic faculty members will pool their considerable expertise and other resources to pursue joint research and medical education programs to improve the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer.
Through cross appointments, members of the Agency's staff will be able to teach at UVic and supervise graduate students, enhancing the University's course offerings and programs related to cancer. UVic researchers will join their BC Cancer Agency counterparts in collaborative research projects and will gain access to valuable clinical data and provincial cancer database information through the Agency. The partnership is expected to enhance the opportunities for attracting funding for cancer research at the Agency's Vancouver Island Centre.
"The collaborative agreement being signed today will harness the energy of the BC Cancer Agency and UVic to work together in establishing a better, longer and more hopeful life for patients afflicted with cancer," explains Dr. Brian Weinerman, Regional Vice President, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre.
"We are delighted to join in this partnership with the BC Cancer Agency and to expand the University's involvement with the Vancouver Island Centre," says UVic's President Dr. David Turpin. "UVic researchers are making important contributions to medical knowledge across a wide range of fields, and this partnership enhances their opportunities to build on this work. We also appreciate the contributions that Vancouver Island Centre personnel will be making to the education of UVic students as the University expands its role in providing health education to meet the needs of British Columbians."
Faculty members and students from the University of Victoria and scientists and clinicians at the BC Cancer Agency's Vancouver Island Centre are already involved in several joint research projects [see attached backgrounder].
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