A dedicated group of TIP Core Physicians lead clinical trials, translational biomarker evaluations, and health outcomes research projects that focus on harnessing the immune system to target and eradicate cancer cells, and bringing novel immunotherapy-based treatments to patients. We are interested in identifying molecular and immune biomarkers that help differentiate patients who benefit from immune therapy from those who do not. We are also conducting research to assess patient-reported outcome in those who receive immune checkpoint blockade to better understand the effects these drugs have on patient quality of life. The TIP Core Physicians are responsible for the day-to-day management of patients who are enrolled in TIP-sponsored clinical trials to deliver the highest quality of care.
To enable frequent crosstalk and knowledge exchange between the laboratory programs within TIP, the core physicians, and the physicians with cancer-specific expertise, TIP has established a network of Disease Site Champions within the Princess Margaret. These champions are oncologists from different disease site groups (e.g. head and neck, breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary cancers, etc) who have interests in this area and have experience with immune therapies such as immune checkpoint blockade in their subspecialties, through the conduct of investigator-initiated or sponsored clinical trials. The Disease Site Champions are actively engaged by identifying suitable patients and by providing tumor type specific advice in the management of patients enrolled on TIP trials. In addition, they offer expert subspecialty advice in the design and implementation of TIP-supported clinical trials.
In addition to staff physicians, the TIP Clinical Team consists of clinical research fellows, clinical trial nurses, clinical trial pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, clinical data and regulatory specialists and correlative studies coordinators who interact closely together to conduct clinical research activities that are supported by this program. The TIP clinical team is strongly integrated and dynamic and it is currently the largest clinical program of its kind in Canada to conduct high impact immune therapy trials.