New Hold’em for Life Early Career Professors in Cancer Research announced
The Hold'em for Life Charity Challenge is continuing its significant investment in the next generation of cancer researchers at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine and its partner hospitals.
Fueled by the organization’s philanthropic support, nine new Hold’em for Life Early Career Professors in Cancer Research began their terms on July 1. Each faculty member will receive three years of funding to help protect their research time and accelerate their work advancing cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
With this latest cohort, Hold'em for Life has now established 27 early-career professorships since 2024, building on the organization's longstanding commitment to strengthening support for clinician-scientists. Since 2019, Hold'em for Life has also supported more than 300 Hold’em for Life Cancer Fellows that support U of T residents and clinical fellows conducting cancer research at any of the Faculty’s 14 affiliated teaching hospitals.
“Becoming an independent researcher is one of the most challenging and important transitions in an academic career,” said Lisa Robinson, dean of Temerty Medicine and U of T’s vice-provost, relations with health care institutions. “By supporting both fellows and early-career researchers, Hold’em for Life is helping exceptional clinician-scientists build the skills, confidence and research programs needed to drive the next generation of advances in cancer care.”
Founded in 2006 by Andrew Hoffman, CEO of CentreCourt, and Tony Reale, Hold'em for Life has united Toronto's business community through its signature charity poker tournaments that have raised millions of dollars for cancer research and education. Inspired by loved ones affected by cancer, the volunteer-run organization continues to invest in researchers whose work has the potential to transform care for patients across Toronto and beyond.
The 2026 cohort of Hold'em for Life Early Career Professors reflects the breadth of cancer research underway across Temerty Medicine and its affiliated hospitals, spanning immunotherapy, precision medicine, radiation oncology, brain tumours, pediatric cancers and survivorship research.
2026 Hold'em for Life Early Career Professors in Cancer Research
Anirban Das
Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Focus: Developing personalized, biomarker-driven immunotherapies for aggressive childhood and young adult cancers with DNA replication repair deficiencies, particularly glioblastoma, to improve treatment response, reduce toxicity and increase survival.
Bruno Ferreyro
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Sinai Health
Focus: Improving the safety of CAR T-cell therapy by identifying patients at risk of life-threatening complications, developing better tools to distinguish treatment-related inflammation from infection, and informing supportive care to improve outcomes.
Rachel Glicksman
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Focus: Optimizing radiation therapy for prostate and other genitourinary cancers by developing personalized treatment strategies that improve cancer control, delay or synergize with systemic therapy and preserve quality of life.
Jelena Lukovic
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Focus: Improving outcomes for patients with gastroesophageal cancers by optimizing the use of radiation therapy to personalize treatment, preserve quality of life, and improve oncologic outcomes.
Andrew McPartlin
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Focus: Optimizing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer by advancing adaptive and personalized treatment approaches that improve outcomes, preserve immune response and reduce treatment intensity where appropriate.
Ying Meng
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Focus: Developing minimally invasive technologies, including focused ultrasound, to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours by enhancing therapy delivery, reducing the need for conventional surgery and advancing patient outcomes.
Ambika Parmar
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Focus: Advancing sustainable, high-value cancer care by using real-world evidence and health technology assessment to inform policy decisions and ensure new cancer therapies deliver the greatest benefit to patients.
Enrique Sanz Garcia
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Focus: Advancing precision medicine through blood-based biomarkers that monitor treatment response and detect residual disease, enabling more personalized care and earlier intervention for patients with head and neck and lower gastrointestinal cancers.
Adam Yan
Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Focus: Harnessing digital health, artificial intelligence and electronic health record technologies to improve the quality, safety and personalization of care for children.
