Cancer vaccine research facilitated by new fellowship

Saskatoon, SK – Dr. Ayman Mohammad has been named the first recipient of the Terry Fox Postdoctoral Fellowship, to be held at the University of Saskatchewan’s (U of S) College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. The award, jointly provided by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI), provides $50,000 a year for two years, and will bring Dr. Mohammad to the U of S to conduct his leading-edge work alongside Dr. Azita Haddadi, his fellowship supervisor.

Dr. Mohammad is exploring the use of polymeric nanoparticles as a better way of enabling cancer vaccines to stimulate the immune system against tumour recurrence in cancer treatment. The biodegradable particles are attracting scientific attention as potential drug-delivery devices, with a role in targeting specific tissues. Dr. Mohammad’s goal is to generate sufficient evidence to begin testing the approach in human trials.

“This fellowship supports research excellence and connects Dr. Mohammad to a national team of top researchers across Canada who, through funding from the Terry Fox Foundation, work collaboratively on finding solutions for understanding, diagnosing and treating cancer,” said Dr. Victor Ling, TFRI president and scientific director.