BHCRI New Scientific Director
BHCRI is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jeanette Boudreau as the Institute’s next Scientific Director.
Dr. Boudreau’s term will officially begin January 1, 2023, taking over from outgoing Scientific Director Dr. Gerry Johnston.
Dr. Boudreau is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the DMRF Cameron Cancer Scientist and has been a member of BHCRI since she came to Dalhousie in 2016. She received a New Investigator grant from BHCRI, which helped initiate Dr. Boudreau’s research and led to Dr. Boudreau receiving over $9M in external funding, including a TFRI New Investigator Award – the first in Atlantic Canada. Additionally, many of her trainees have been in the Cancer Research Training Program.
Dr. Boudreau is well integrated in national networks and cancer research organizations, including BioCanRX, Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society and Ovarian Cancer Canada as well as the Marathon of Hope Atlantic Cancer Consortium. She is a founding member of the Canadian Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium’s research webinar series.
The Boudreau laboratory investigates how human natural killer cell immunogenetics program immune responsiveness to cancer and infectious diseases. They use samples from healthy donors and patients with cancer to conduct studies using bioinformatics, humanized and sophisticated cancer models, cell-signal analysis, spatial biology, and highly-parametric flow cytometry to understand how genetic variation creates diversity in human immune potentials. The Boudreau laboratory approaches science as an interdisciplinary collaborative project, working with patient partners, physicians, caregivers, and community members to devise effective and precise approaches to treat cancer.
As Scientific Director, Dr. Boudreau will provide leadership in the operationalization of BHCRI’s new 2023 – 2028 strategic plan.
And lastly, heartfelt thanks to outgoing Scientific Director, Dr. Gerry Johnston. Gerry’s passion for cancer research is evident in everything he does. Under Gerry’s leadership, BHCRI established partnerships with national organizations, including CCRA and DHDP, was part of a national cancer awareness campaign (Beatrice Hunter – Digital Article) and has expanded the Cancer Research Training Program to allow access to a greater number of students. Dr. Johnston has left BHRCI poised to make an even bigger impact on the cancer research landscape.