$1.7-million donation to support London, Ont. cancer research centre

a $1.7 million dollar donation was made to the London Health Sciences Foundation from Kirk Baines and the Gerald C. Baines Foundation on Oct. 18, 2023. (Reta Ismail/CTV News London)

Being called a "transformational gift," a $1.7 million donation towards the London Regional Cancer Program was announced by the London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF) on Wednesday.

According to a release, the LHSF announced a donation of $1.7 million gift from Kirk Baines and the Gerald C. Baines Foundation, in support of the London Regional Cancer Program’s (LRCP) Gerald C. Baines Centre for Translational Cancer Research at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) on Wednesday.

“This transformational gift will allow the team at the Baines Centre to scale up existing resources, personnel and clinical trials as well as provide the opportunity to pursue a new area of cancer diagnosis and therapy called computational theranostics,” the release reads.

The Gerald C. Baines Centre for Translational Cancer Research was established in 2010 to provide a space to enable translational cancer research in London at LHSC.

Since its inception, the Baines Centre has created the opportunity to have the expertise of scientists and clinicians in one location with patients in close proximity.

All of these factors have contributed to the ability to conduct “successful” clinical trials and “groundbreaking” imaging research, which in turn improves patient care.

These factors have all contributed to the ability to conduct successful clinical trials and groundbreaking imaging research aimed at improving patient care.

“Translational research brings together the clinicians who see cancer problems every day and the basic scientists who investigate the mechanisms of how cancer behaves and how to treat it,” explained Dr. Glenn Bauman, radiation oncologist at LHSC and director of the Centre for Translational Cancer Research. “The Baines Centre provides the opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of both disciplines and ultimately impact patient care.”

The donation will provide “much needed” funds to further explore and develop novel theranostics capabilities which combines imaging and therapy together, the release reads. The donation will enable the creation of an endowed chair that is focused on computational theranostics along with the development of a brand new laboratory and research program within this research area.

“Theranostics involves the development of novel injectable substances like therapeutic isotopes or drugs, which are designed to target and treat cancer cells in the body but are also traceable using imaging,” explained Dr. David Palma, radiation oncologist and clinician-scientist at LHSC. “This allows medical specialists to see and treat cancer at the same time.”

“We want to give physicians and scientists the tools that they need to develop new cancer treatments that can help save lives,” said Kirk Baines, chair of the Gerald C. Baines Foundation. "My hope is that we can eventually make cancer a treatable disease and not a fatal one.”

The $1.7 million matching gift is part of a larger $5.6 million vision for the Gerald C. Baines Centre for Translational Cancer Research.

According to the release, additional funds will provide sustainability, improved next-generation computing and data storage, upgrades in radiochemistry instrumentation and the advancement of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence tools aimed at enhancing physicians' capabilities in diagnosing and treating cancer, and will also expand the scope of innovative clinical trials and health research initiatives.

“The ability to perform groundbreaking research and transform patient care is only made possible through the support of our generous donors,” said John MacFarlane, LHSF president and CEO. “This transformational gift is a launching pad for a match campaign to help close the gap in the $5.6 million vision for the Baines Centre.”