Novartis Oncology Young Investigator Awards (NOYCIA) return for 21st year at ASCO 2024

MONTREAL, June 11, 2024 – Novartis Canada has proudly announced the winners of the 2024 Novartis Oncology Young Canadian Investigator Awards (NOYCIA). This annual competition is dedicated to promoting oncology research by supporting Canadian researchers in the field. The awards ceremony took place on June 2nd at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, marking the 21st year of this initiative.

NOYCIA annually honors ten Canadian researchers who have had their abstracts accepted at ASCO and have demonstrated exceptional work in their respective fields. A dedicated Scientific Panel conducted an extensive and objective evaluation to select the ten winners based on the merit of their research. Each winner receives a grant to support their ongoing research efforts.

Sophia Kajla, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Novartis Canada, remarked, "At Novartis, we leverage the innovation of our world-class scientists, strategic partnerships, and one of the industry's most competitive pipelines to make next-generation medicines a reality." She highlighted that since NOYCIA's inception in 2004, past winners have become medical experts who continue to contribute significantly to the field of oncology.

The 2024 NOYCIA recipients are:
1. Arkhjamil Angeles, Resident, B.C. Cancer Agency: Studied delayed immune-related adverse events in advanced melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
2. Matthew Dankner, Resident, McGill University: Researched the role of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein in breast cancer metastasis.
3. Mitchell Elliott, Resident, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Evaluated circulating tumor DNA response and progression in metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer.
4. Mercedes Herrera, Fellow, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Investigated endogenous retrotransposable elements as predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response.
5. Sameena Khan, Fellow, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Conducted the ctDNA Lung DETECT study.
6. Ronan McLaughlin, Fellow, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Examined GATA6 expression in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma as a prognostic and predictive biomarker.
7. Erick Saldanha, Post Doctoral Fellow, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Studied circulating metabolic profiling as a biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade efficacy.
8. Xin (Kevin) Wang, Fellow, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Conducted a phase II trial of olaparib and durvalumab in recurrent IDH-mutated gliomas.
9. Matt Warkentin, Post Doctoral Associate, University of Calgary: Researched the risk of developing a subsequent primary cancer among adult cancer survivors.
10. Martin Zarba, Fellow, University of Calgary: Analyzed systemic treatments in metastatic renal cell carcinoma using real-world evidence from the international mRCC Database Consortium.

Dr. Paul Wheatley-Price, Chair of the NOYCIA Scientific Panel and medical oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital, expressed his honor in recognizing the expertise of emerging oncology researchers in Canadian institutions. He emphasized that NOYCIA has played a significant role in advancing oncology research for over two decades.

The NOYCIA 2024 itinerary also includes the Mentorship Matters Program, which offers mentorship opportunities to trainees attending the NOYCIA awards dinner. This program allows trainees to network with key figures at Canadian cancer centers, hear from mentors about career paths and opportunities, and ask questions. Mentors, in turn, share their career and research experiences to inspire and guide the next generation of medical oncologists.

About the Novartis Oncology Young Investigators Award (NOYCIA)

NOYCIA aims to support Canadian oncology researchers by providing funding, support, and recognition to ten researchers who demonstrate excellence in their field. Eligible applicants include Post-Doctorate Students, Residents, Fellows, Graduate Students, Medical Students, PhD Candidates, and Undergraduates affiliated with a Canadian institution and who are the first author of an abstract accepted for the annual ASCO meeting.

About Novartis

Novartis is an innovative medicines company working to reimagine medicine and improve and extend people's lives. Their medicines reach over 250 million people worldwide. In Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 600 people and invests over $30 million annually in research and development.

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