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Awards honour those who make cancer clinical trials a reality


May 11, 2017

Two study groups from The Ottawa Hospital received the Investigational New Drug Program Team Award from the Canadian Cancer Trials Group. This annual award is presented to non-physician teams of clinical research associates, nurses, pharmacists and others to acknowledge excellence in the conduct of a clinical trial.

Teams from The Ottawa Hospital have received five of these awards in the last four years, demonstrating that our hospital is a centre of excellence for new drug development.


The first team led by Caroline Lalonde is managing the world’s first clinical trial of a combination of 2 immunotherapies (Durvalumab and Tremelimumab) with platinum-doublet chemotherapy for patients with incurable tumours. The positive results have led to a new trial for patients with lung cancer.

Team members: Caroline Lalonde, Deborah Keller, Nancy Drummond-Ivars, Sopear Tep, Saren Roeun, Kathy Lebreux, Natascha Parisien, Caroline Dean, Maria Lalonde, Louiselle Godbout, Lise Thaw, Alison Sutherland, Lena McAleer, Emma Webster, Femina Kanji, Elina Iordanidi, Lisa MacMullin, Jennifer Knudson, Sharon Kelly, Marie-Claude Reeves


The second team led by Julie Wells is managing the world’s first clinical trial of a new therapy that uses a combination of two viruses to attack and kill cancer cells, and stimulate an anti-cancer immune response. See our FAQ on viral therapy for cancer.

Team members: Julie Wells, Saara Ali, Kaitlyn Chambers, Sara Richardson, Kathy Lebreux, Natascha Parisien, Caroline Dean, Maria Lalonde, Louiselle Godbout, Lise Thaw, Alison Sutherland, Lena McAleer, Emma Webster, Lisa Turriff, Amy Henderson, Elina Iordanidi, Lisa MacMullin, Ruth Simpson, Sharon Kelly, Marie-Claude Reeves



The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion


The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas


The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

Media Contact


Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca