April 4, 2006 Source: :
http://qnc.queensu.ca/story_loader.php?id=443285cee0669 Queen's Clinical Trials Group appoints new director KINGSTON, Ont. - Canadian hematologist Dr. Ralph Meyer has been appointed the director of the internationally-prominent National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG), based at Queen's University. Dr. Meyer succeeds Dr. Joseph Pater, who retires in 2007 after 27 years as director. One of Canada's leading experts in clinical trials and health services research for cancers of the blood and lymph systems including Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia, Dr. Meyer is recognized for helping evaluate cancer therapies designed for older cancer patients and for testing strategies to reduce the long-term side effects of treatment on patients with Hodgkin's disease. In his new role, Dr. Meyer will be responsible for leading and supervising the activities of the NCIC CTG, a program funded by the Canadian Cancer Society that is Canada's only national cooperative oncology group. Since its inception, the NCIC CTG has conducted more than 300 clinical trials on new cancer drugs, cancer prevention and supportive care. "I am very excited about joining one of the world's leaders in the field of cancer clinical trials and to work with such a diverse and dedicated group of people," says Dr. Meyer, who has volunteered as chair of the NCIC CTG's hematology committee since 1994. "I look forward to ensuring we continue to conduct the highest quality of clinical research with maximum impact on the standard of care for patients in Canada and around the world." "The Faculty of Health Sciences is absolutely delighted to welcome Dr. Meyer to Queen's University and the Cancer Research Institute," says Dean David Walker. "His remarkable talents well match the international stature of the Clinical Trials Group, and we anticipate even greater success in addressing the important challenges facing us in cancer research. This appointment is fitting testament to the critically important and superb work of Dr. Joe Pater and the National Cancer Institute of Canada in building the Clinical Trials Group to this important point." Dr. Meyer will also have a concurrent appointment to the faculty of medicine at Queen's University as the Edith Eisenhauer Chair of Clinical Cancer Research. "Funding clinical trials through the NCIC CTG has always provided our donors with a strong return on their investment in cancer research," says Dr. Barbara Whylie, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. "We're very proud of what the NCIC CTG has accomplished in the past 25 years and the future of clinical cancer research in Canada looks equally as promising with Dr. Meyer leading this important program." Dr. Meyer earned his MD from McMaster University in Hamilton in 1978. Prior to his appointment, he was division director of hematology at McMaster University and head of the hematology program at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. In his first year at the NCIC CTG, Dr. Meyer is director designate, working alongside the current director, Dr. Joseph Pater. Dr. Meyer will assume full responsibility prior to July 2007. The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG), funded by the Canadian Cancer Society and based at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, develops, conducts and analyzes national and international trials of cancer therapy, including trials for new cancer drugs, cancer prevention and supportive care to improve quality of life for people with cancer. Since its inception in 1971, the NCIC CTG has enrolled more than 40,000 patients from Canada and around the world in over 300 clinical trials. For more information, contact: Nancy Dorrance Senior Communications Officer Queen's University 613-533-2869 dorrance@post.queensu.ca Alexa Giorgi Bilingual Communications Specialist National Cancer Institute of Canada/Canadian Cancer Society 416-934-5681 agiorgi@cancer.ca
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