UdeMNouvelles Université de Montréal

Last September 14, Katherine Borden was honored by the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation (CSCI) with the 2011 Distinguished Scientist Award for her exceptional contributions to the field of cancer research. The distinguished scientist is a Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) and is a Full Professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine.

Since 1987, the honor has been awarded to a Canadian MD or PhD medical scientist who has made significant contributions to new knowledge and is generally recognized in her/his field as expert, innovative, and in the forefront of research endeavor.

Katherine Borden joined the ranks of IRIC as a principal investigator in 2004. She focuses her research efforts on understanding the molecular basis of cancer to help answer one of the fundamental questions in cancer biology: How do normal cells become cancerous?

Her work has recently led to the development of a novel therapy. Specifically, with the collaboration of her team, she led a ground-breaking Canada-wide clinical trial that showed the efficacy of a common anti-viral drug, ribavirin, in the treatment of cancer patients. The study demonstrated that ribavirin suppresses the activities of the eIF4E gene in patients. This gene is dysregulated in 30 percent of cancers including breast, prostate, head and neck, colon and stomach cancer. Additionally, results showed that ribavirin not only blocks eIF4E, it also has virtually no side effect on patients.

Katherine Borden has established an impressive research career. She holds the Canada Research Chair in the Molecular Biology of the Cell Nucleus. She was named Stohlman Scholar by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in 2005. She has published more than 90 articles, the majority of which are in high impact journals.

About the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation
The Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation's mission is to promote clinical and basic research in the field of human health throughout Canada, to lobby for adequate research funding at the federal, regional and local levels, and to support Canadian researchers in their endeavors and at all stages of their careers. For information: www.csci-scrc.org

About IRIC | Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer
An ultra-modern research hub and training centre located in the heart of Université de Montréal, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) was created in 2003 to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and discover new, more effective therapies to counter this plague. IRIC operates according to a model that is unique in Canada. Its innovative approach to research has already led to discoveries that will, over the coming years, have a significant impact on the fight against cancer. For more information about IRIC, please visit www.iric.ca. For more information about Katherine Borden, please visit www.iric.ca/Recherche/Chercheurs/Borden_K_EN.html

 

Media contact
Carolyne Lord
Communications Advisor
Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer
Université de Montréal
Telephone: 514-343-7282
Email: carolyne.lord@umontreal.ca