Biography – ICR Scientific Director: Dr. Fei-Fei Liu
Dr. Fei-Fei Liu was named Scientific Director of the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) effective September 1, 2022. Dr. Liu is a Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer Centre and Professor in the Departments of Radiation Oncology, Medical Biophysics, and Otolaryngology at the University of Toronto.
She has worked for more than three decades as a clinician-scientist at PM, bringing unique clinical and research expertise to the Institute. Prior to her role as Scientific Director, Dr. Liu served as Chief of the Radiation Medicine Program at PM, Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University Health Network and Chair of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto for a decade.
Dr. Liu is an internationally recognized leader in radiation oncology research and holds many highly distinguished awards and honours, including Fellowship in both the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). She was the inaugural University of Toronto/Princess Margaret Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Chair in Radiation Medicine, and a recipient of many mentorship Awards, including the ASTRO Mentorship Award. She was also recently appointed as Chair-Elect of the American Association of Cancer Research – Radiation Science Medicine (AACR–RSM) Working Group.
Dr. Liu’s research focuses on investigating and developing novel molecular therapeutic strategies that can be delivered in conjunction with radiation therapy for head and neck, breast, and cervical cancers. More recently, Dr. Liu and her team have focused on unraveling the fundamental mechanisms and identifying therapeutic strategies for radiation fibrosis and lymphedema; two common side effects of cancer therapy with deleterious impact on cancer survivors. Over the course of her career, Dr. Liu has authored over 220 peer-reviewed publications and filed three patents.
As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Liu demonstrates a commitment to excellence in research and patient care, as well as a strong determination to build research capacity through training. She is the founding Director of STARS21 (Strategic Training in Transdisciplinary Radiation Science for the 21st Century), a CIHR/Terry Fox Foundation initiative that is training the next generation of transdisciplinary scientists in radiation medicine. As ICR Scientific Director, Dr. Liu aims to develop and advance research and training initiatives that address cancer research priorities in Canada, while supporting the implementation of CIHR’s Strategic Plan.
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