How we decide which projects to fund

Every year, we form a group of medical experts

who have the task of reviewing research projects from the grant applications we receive for our annual competition.

Scientific Review Panels

A Scientific Review Panel exists for each type of grant we offer. The panels include a leader in the field of blood cancers and other medical experts responsible for the evaluation of grant applications. It consists of experienced researchers and clinicians who convene to discuss and rank applications based on rigorous criteria. As well, community partners, also known as patient-partners, are included where possible and applicable to the review process for each grant program. Each member of the panel is carefully selected by the LLSC, in consultation with the appointed Chair who has varying expertise on blood cancer types and poses no conflict with the applicants. Once the applications are reviewed, the panel presents a recommendation for funding to the Medical & Scientific Advisory Committee.

The LLSC can count on its expert committees to evaluate each research project submitted, to be sure we invest in the most promising research.

Alicia Talarico, President

Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee

The role of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee is to provide The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada insight on the state of blood cancer research, clinical care, and emerging trends and gaps, that are relevant to the blood cancer community. The committee is comprised of leading experts in their fields who volunteer their time to the LLSC and receive no compensation for their generous support.

Dr. Jason Berman, MD, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Chair, Medical & Scientific Advisory Committee

Dr. Jason Berman is the CEO and Scientific Director of the CHEO Research Institute and the Vice-President Research at CHEO. He is a Full Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Jason is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist and clinician scientist internationally recognized for pioneering research using zebrafish to study leukemia and cancer predisposition syndromes. He has had leadership roles in a number of national and international clinical trials for childhood cancer, including chairing the most recent Children's Oncology Group trial for the myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome. He sits on a number of provincial and national cancer research advisory boards. He is passionate about translating research findings from the bench to the bedside to improve the outcome and quality of life for individuals suffering from blood cancers.

Medical & Scientific Advisory Committee

Alicia Talarico, LLSC President
Stephanie Mazzei, Chair, LLSC Board of Directors
Dr. Jason Berman, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Chair LLSC Medical & Scientific Advisory Committee
Frederic Chevalier, LLSC Board Member
Nadine Prevost, Executive Director, Research & Community Support
Paul O'Connell, Research Program Director
Dr. Rena Buckstein, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Rodney Dekoter, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
Dr. Jean-Sebastien Delisle, Université de Montréal, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montreal, Quebec
Terry Hawrysh, Community Partner
Dr. Trang Hoang, Université de Montréal Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Montreal, Quebec
Dr. Aly Karsan, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Armand Keating, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Samantha Mayo, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Paola Neri, Annie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Dr. Warren Pear, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dr. Aaron Schimmer, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Christian Steidl, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Andrew Weng, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia