IRIC - Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer

Located in the heart of the Université de Montréal, IRIC is a unique research centre in Canada. The Institute groups together, under one roof, a team of Investigators from around the world, a unique university program to train the next generation of scientists and a commercialization hub that accelerates the discovery of novel therapies.

For the past 15 years, your donations have enabled us to reinvent research and to make spectacular advances to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer. Your generosity has resulted in the recruitment of 15 distinguished Investigators, the awarding of over 200 scholarships to the top graduate students, the funding of 21 major innovative projects and the acquisition of cutting-edge equipment, including one device for proteomics and one device for high-throughput screening.

The number of new cancer cases increases each year, mainly because of the aging population. Along with the disastrous consequences for patients and their families, cancer is an enormous burden on society, for its detrimental impact on both the healthcare system and the national economy. In order to reverse that trend, more and more money must be invested to support research. The financing obtained by the major funding organizations is not enough to support research. As a result, developing more effective and better adapted cancer therapies requires a collective effort.

Between now and 2021, IRIC will need your support to raise $10,900,000 ($8,600,000 for the creation of Research Chairs, the recruitment of Investigators and the maintaining of core facilities, $1,300,000 for scholarships and training the next generation of scientists, and $1,000,000 to fund innovative projects). Without you, and without acquiring new knowledge, training the next generation of scientists or maintaining the Institute’s infrastructures, IRIC cannot accelerate the discovery of new therapies.

Investigators use a wide variety of approaches and experimental models and they pool their expertise to create a greater understanding of the mechanisms of cancer. They also strive to develop new diagnostic tools and to discover new therapeutic solutions benefiting patients.

Several research projects funded by our donors are currently in the clinical trial phase in hospitals. One of them, the discovery of the UM171 molecule by Investigator Anne Marinier, Dr. Guy Sauvageau and their teams, has already enabled blood cancer patients to have access to a safe stem cell transplant. The work carried out by Dr. Claude Perreault in immuno-oncology also paves the way for the development of a therapeutic vaccine against leukemia and other types of cancer. Many other novel projects need your support.

To learn more about IRIC’s projects and funding needs, please contact Anne Lebel, Senior Development Advisor, at 514 343-6141 or by email: anne.lebel@umontreal.ca.

Your donations contribute to building a cancer-free future. Along with actively funding current research projects, your donations also make it possible for IRIC to initiate promising strategic projects, recruit distinguished Investigators, award scholarships to the top research students and acquire cutting-edge equipment.

Would you like to get involved, become an ambassador for cancer research and organize an event to benefit IRIC?
We are very grateful for your support and the generosity of your initiatives. Please contact us for more information.

For the past 15 years, many people, foundations and companies have generously contributed to the success of the Institute and the pursuit of its mission. The entire IRIC community wholeheartedly thanks them for their support.

Consult the list of donors