An Update on ICR’s Active Listening Tour
Message from Scientific Director, Dr. Fei-Fei Liu
As I begin my first term as Scientific Director at CIHR-ICR, I would like to take this opportunity to share what I have learned from our community of cancer researchers, partners, patients, and care providers.
Over the past few months, CIHR-ICR Assistant Director, Dr. Emma Ito and I have been on a cross-Canada active listening tour to connect with as many cancer research communities as possible. From East to West —Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia—we have had the chance to meet with hundreds of cancer researchers, and are truly impressed with the breadth and depth of their talent. We have also met with Indigenous researchers and are grateful for their unique insights and accomplishments. Moreover, we have a vibrant and highly engaged patient partner community, which keeps us focused on our research priorities as we continue our mission to improve the health and well-being of people living with and beyond cancer.
You might be wondering, what has our community said thus far? Many messages were centered on the importance of community and research development ranging from increased support for early and mid-career researchers, to multidisciplinary team opportunities, to industry partnerships, to developing integrated data sharing networks…just to name a few.
CIHR-ICR’s active listening does not end here. We are releasing our Community Engagement Survey soon in the hopes of gaining valuable insights from more of our community members, especially those whom we did not have the opportunity to meet on our listening tour. Please stay tuned for this opportunity to share your feedback and guidance with us, so that we can better align CIHR-ICR research priorities with your needs as a community member.
As we make small, but mighty strides towards a cancer-free world, I am proud to represent such an innovative, diverse and dedicated community of researchers, partners, patients, and care providers. I look forward to engaging with you all in the year to come.
Fei-Fei Liu, MD FRCPC FASTRO FCAHS
Scientific Director, Institute of Cancer Research
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