March 25, 2026

MONTREAL – $3 million to support six prostate cancer research projects

PROCURE, in partnership with the Cancer Research Society (CRS), announces a major $3 million investment to support six innovative prostate cancer research projects.

Prostate cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men in Canada and continues to present major challenges. Current screening tools remain limited, the biological mechanisms driving disease progression are not fully understood, and access to targeted therapies is still restricted.

To drive progress, PROCURE and CRS launched a dedicated program to push scientific boundaries and support visionary projects with strong potential for clinical benefit. The initial plan was to fund four projects. 

However, the exceptional quality and promise of proposals received led to the decision to support six projects, increasing the total investment to $3 million. All funded projects were selected through a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a committee of internationally recognized scientific experts.

Each funded project will receive $500,000 over a three-year period.

The selected projects and the researchers leading them are:

François-Michel Boisvert – Université de Sherbrooke
Project: Urinary proteomics for the discovery of diagnostic biomarkers in prostate cancer

Chelsia Gillis – McGill University Health Centre Research Institute
Project: Eating poorly at the right time: a precision nutrition approach to radiotherapy

Dr Larry Goldenberg – University of British Columbia
Project: Rational design of a selective composite aptamer targeting PSMA for cancer treatment

David Labbé – McGill University Health Centre Research Institute
Project: Precision nutrition to enhance PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy

Dr Stanley Liu – Sunnybrook Research Institute
Project: Leveraging multi-omics biomarkers in oligometastatic prostate cancer

Dr Frédéric Pouliot – Université Laval
Project: Multi-tracer PET imaging over four time points to study prostate cancer heterogeneity

These projects span a wide range of approaches, including the identification of new biomarkers, advanced medical imaging, personalized nutrition, and the development of new therapies. Together, they contribute to advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer.

Through this significant investment, PROCURE and the CRS reaffirm their commitment to accelerating discoveries and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by prostate cancer.