GCI Welcomes Dr. Drew Pardoll for the distinguished Phil Gold Lectureship in Cancer Research

On June 15th, 2023, the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute welcomed this year’s speaker for the distinguished Phil Gold Lectureship in Cancer Research, Dr. Drew Pardoll.

Every year, the GCI hosts the annual Phil Gold Lectureship Series in honor of Dr. Gold who served as the first Director of the McGill Cancer Center established 45 years ago. Today, the GCI continues to thrive as a hub for excellence in cancer research with over 300 scientists at McGill University. This year, Dr. Nicole Beauchemin welcomed and presented Dr. Drew Pardoll, Abeloff Professor of Oncology, Medicine, Pathology and Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Co-Director of the Cancer Immunology Program at Johns Hopkins, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Over the last few decades, Dr. Pardoll has made significant contributions to cellular immunology, driving our progress in cancer immunotherapy. He and his team have focused on unraveling the mechanisms by which cancer cells evade the immune system, laying the groundwork for several immunotherapies and cancer vaccines.

The faculty, staff, and trainees gathered last Thursday at the GCI for this year’s Lectureship where Dr. Pardoll opened with a brief overview of the history of cancer immunology, followed by addressing the recent advancements in the field. He emphasized the importance of translating the latest findings into the clinic such that at least 50% of cancer patients can benefit from immunotherapy. Dr. Pardoll further highlighted an alternative way to map and select mutation-associated neoantigens-specific T cell clones that can help overcome resistance to PD-1 blockade [REF].

“It was a tremendous honour to host Dr. Pardoll at McGill for the Dr. Phil Gold Distinguished Lectureship. He embodies all the core values of a true physician-scientist, and his body of work ranks him amongst the top cancer immunologists in the world. Our ongoing collaborations with his team and the generosity of his collaborative scientific spirit let us know that there is still a great affinity between McGill and Johns Hopkins going back to the days of Osler.” – Dr. Jonathan Spicer

We extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Pardoll for delivering an incredibly insightful and engaging presentation, enlightening us with his expertise in cancer immunology, and developing innovative immunotherapies. We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated in the event, as your enthusiasm and presence have greatly enhanced the discussion.

Photos by Carlos HF Chan