Student Grants for Summer Work

Cancer Care Nova Scotia announced today that the agency has awarded 12 grants worth a total of $50,000 to health and medical science university students undertaking summer research or clinical projects in the field of cancer.

Peggy Davison, chair of the Cancer Care Nova Scotia advisory board, said four of the recipients are from Halifax Regional Municipality. Ernest Tan, Kerry Ann Hewitt, Matthew Montgomery and Pam Mansfield are doing research and writing reports in the cancer field this summer.

The remaining recipients are from other areas of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Nunavut, the new territory in Canada's North. There are also two international students.

Dr. Gerry Johnston, a cancer researcher and board member of Cancer Care Nova Scotia, said the awards are being offered to encourage future careers in oncology.

"We're hoping to entice some of the best students to seriously consider the field of oncology as a career," said Dr. Johnston. "In the meantime, these studentships bring enthusiasm, fresh perspectives, and inquiring minds to the clinic and the lab. We're looking forward to a productive summer."

In making the announcement, Ms. Davison reinforced that a long- range goal of the studentships is to supply the Atlantic provinces with locally trained oncology professionals, a specialty that is currently in high demand and short supply across Canada.

All recipients will be working out of the Cancer Care Program of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

Cancer Care Nova Scotia is a program of the provincial Department of Health. Its mandate is to co-ordinate, strengthen and evaluate cancer services in Nova Scotia.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following is a list of award recipients and their summer research projects:

• Julia Wildish, Saint Andrews, N.B. Ms. Wildish is a second-year medical student. She is doing clinical research, as well as research into working with children with cancer.

• Luella Johnson, Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory Ms. Johnson is a fourth-year honour student in biochemistry. She is building on her current research on the characterization of a specific protein regulated by a female hormone.

• Kerry Ann Hewitt, HRM, N.S. Ms. Hewitt is a fourth-year honour student in biochemistry. She is characterizing an enzyme that may provide further development of chemotherapy agents.

• Mohammed S. Osman, Kuwait Mr. Osman is a third-year honour student in biochemistry. He is examining a unique regulation of gene expression involved in the development of lymphoma in an animal model.

• Darren Costain, Riverview, N.B. Mr. Costain is a second-year medical student. He is attempting to harness the cell's immune system to enhance tumour-killing activity as a way of dealing with metatastic disease.

• Pam Mansfield, HRM, N.S. Ms. Mansfield is a first-year medical student. She is working with oncologists at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre to understand the relationship between oncologists and breast cancer patients.

• Ernest Tan, HRM, N.S. Mr. Tan is a fourth-year honour student in biology. He is examining the role of a particular enzyme in human colorectal cancer cells.

• Siew-Lee Goh, Malaysia Mr. Goh is a fourth-year honour student in microbiology and immunology. He is examining how cells regulate gene expression using yeast as a simple model system for the human cell.

• Jennifer Pothier, Yarmouth, N.S. Ms. Pothier is a second-year honour student in biochemistry and microbiology. She is examining the role of a modifying enzyme that is in normal and pathologic ovarian biology.

• Chris Murphy, Yarmouth, N.S. Mr. Murphy is a second-year medical student. He is reviewing literature to compile research in pediatric palliative care and identifying standards of care and information to be recorded in chart reviews.

• Matthew Montgomery, HRM, N.S. Mr. Montgomery is a first-year medical student. He is reviewing policies, objectives and guidelines related to end-of-life care for children.

• Shannon MacDonald, Victoria Mines, N.S. Ms. MacDonald is a second-year medical student. She is writing a paper on the people, events and accomplishments that have shaped cancer care in Nova Scotia over the years.