Doubling down on support for new generations of cancer experts

Since 2019, the Hold’em for Life Charity Challenge has championed cancer research and education through its significant support for clinician-scientist fellowships at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and its partner hospitals. Now, a generous new donation has established 12 new professorships for early-career clinician-scientists working in a broad range of cancer-related fields at U of T-affiliated hospitals across Toronto.

“Our goal is to help further strengthen the talent pipeline for cancer researchers, educators and patient care experts across the city,” says Andrew Hoffman, chair of Hold’em for Life and the chief executive officer of the residential development company, CentreCourt.

The dozen inaugural recipients of the Hold’em for Life Early Career Professorships in Cancer Research represent a wide range of cancer-related fields, including surgery, radiation oncology and obstetrics and gynaecology, among others (see below for a full list). All recipients are within the first five years of their practice, and will hold their new professorships for three-year terms.

Clinician-Scientists: A Valuable Dual Perspective

Clinician-scientists, like those who being supported by the new Hold’em for Life Early Career Professorships in Cancer Research, are physicians who both care directly for patients and pursue research. While it is estimated that fewer than two per cent of all physicians are clinician-scientists, they have historically played an oversized role in driving important new health advances.

“I see the value of this dual perspective every day,” says Patricia Houston, Temerty Medicine’s interim dean and U of T’s interim vice-provost, relations with health care institutions. “Your work with patients informs your research, and vice versa. It feeds innovation and drives the translation of scientific concepts into realized patient care solutions.”

But, as Houston explains, the journey to becoming a clinician-scientist is far from straightforward. The career path requires many years of extra training and, even when complete, clinician-scientists often struggle to thrive in an increasingly challenging funding environment.

“This is why the Hold’em for Life Oncology Fellowships – and now the new Hold’em for Life Early Career Professorships in Cancer Research – are so important,” she says. “The organization’s support lessens these barriers and ensures we can train and retain new generations of Canadian clinician-scientists working to advance understanding of cancer and improve treatments.”

Hold’em for Life: Betting on People to Drive Solutions

Hoffman co-founded Hold’em for Life in 2006 in tribute to his late sister Katie, whose lifelong battle with cancer began with her first cancer diagnosis at the age of 19.

Since then, the organization’s gala Texas Hold’em poker tournaments have brought together Toronto industry leaders to raise tens of millions of dollars in support of cancer research initiatives at institutions across Toronto.

“You would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t been personally impacted by cancer in some way,” says Hoffman. “There has been much progress made in the past few decades – with better forms of diagnosis and new treatments. But cancer still cuts short the lives of tens of millions of people each year. We need to keep investing in the people who will drive new advances and ultimately help save more lives.”

Hoffman takes particular pride in the more than 200 fellows who have benefitted from U of T’s Hold’em for Life Oncology Fellowships since 2019 – and now is looking ahead to further impact through the organization’s new namesake professorships.

“Any one of these 200 fellows – and now our 12 new early-career professors – could hold the key to the next great leap in our understanding of cancer. I know I speak for everyone involved with Hold’em when I say how proud we all are to have this opportunity to support them and their work through U of T.”  

Inaugural Hold’em for Life Oncology Early Career Professors

Husam Abdel-Qadir
Assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a scientist at Women’s College Hospital

Andrea Covelli
Assistant professor of surgery at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a surgical oncologist/surgeon-investigator at Sinai Health and UHN

Lawson Eng
Assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a medical oncologist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Robert Grant
Assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a clinician-investigator in hepatic, biliary, and pancreatic cancer at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Rachel Soyoun Kim
Assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a gynaecologic oncologist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Jennifer Kwan
Assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a staff radiation oncologist and clinician-scientist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Long Nguyen
Assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a scientist and staff medical oncologist with UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Danielle Rodin
Assistant professor of radiation oncology and the Department of Radiation Oncology’s Equity, Inclusion and Professionalism director at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, as well as a staff radiation oncologist and director of the Global Cancer Program at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Samuel Saibil
Assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a medical oncologist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Erica Tsang
Assistant professor of medicine and a clinician investigator at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Kim Tsoi
Assistant professor of surgery at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a surgeon-investigator in orthopaedic oncology at Sinai Health

Christopher Wallis
Assistant professor of surgery at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and a urologic oncologist at Sinai Health