Congratulations to Maziar Divangahi who was awarded a $2 million team grant (including $1.5 million from CIHR and $500,000 from BioCanRx) to study trained immunity and how immune responses influence cancer risk, aiming to develop new prevention strategies. He was one of 19 successful team grants. His team members include: Victor McPherson, William Muller, Ajitha Thanabalasuriar, Daniela Quail from McGill, and Marie-Claude Rousseau from the INRS.
The Government of Canada and several research partners invested over $41 million in a national initiative to advance cancer prevention and early detection research. The funding is supporting 19 research teams across Canada over five years through CIHR’s Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grants program. Researchers will investigate innovative approaches to reduce cancer risk, including studying the role of the gut microbiome, lifestyle factors, aging, early tumor development, cancer vaccines, and preventive therapies. The initiative aims to translate biological discoveries into strategies that prevent cancer, detect it earlier, and reduce the disease’s significant health and economic burden in Canada, where up to 40% of cancers may be preventable.
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Government of Canada and partners invest over $41M to advance cancer prevention research and improve early detection. Government of Canada. February 26, 2026.
CIHR and partners invest $4 million in cancer prevention research at The Institute. Maziar Divangahi and David Labbé part of largest CIHR-led investment in cancer prevention. The Institute News. March 3, 2026.