BC Cancer Surgery Network Awards

The BC Cancer Surgery Network supports research and training in surgical oncology with the Surgery Network Travel Award and Summer Student Research Award.

Travel Award

There are two travel award application competitions each year, with the following deadlines:

September 1
March 1

Full Application Form

Purpose

The BC Surgery Network supports research and training in surgical oncology. The Travel Award is a competitive award intended to motivate physicians and medical students, early in their training, to pursue an interest in surgical oncology and to allow them to present research findings at conferences. Up to five awards will be funded each year based on availability of funding. Approved applications may be funded in whole or in part up to a maximum of $1500. The total annual funding for all awards will not exceed $7500 annually.

Details of Award

The Travel Award will provide up to $1500 in travel costs, within the following guidelines:

Award will cover registration, airfare and hotel costs.
Original receipts (where applicable) must be submitted within one month after the conference in order to be reimbursed.
PHSA travel guidelines must be followed (i.e. reasonable accommodation, economy airfare). Contact the Surgery Network office for more information.
We ask that you formally recognize the BC Cancer Surgery Network for its support in your presentation, and also acknowledge this support in related manuscripts, publications and presentations. Contact the Surgery Network for copy of the logo if needed.
All expense reimbursements are contingent on submission of the following with the expense form:

A digital copy (PDF) of the poster or presentation for our records.
A short article about the research project for potential publication in the BC Cancer Surgery Network Newsletter. This should be written for non-specialists to understand (approx. 250-500 words). For reference, copies of the newsletter are available online.

Eligibility for Selection

Must be a current UBC surgical resident or fellow (any surgical discipline is eligible) or medical student. Applicants are also eligible for up to 12 months following completion of their training, provided the research was conducted by a UBC clinical trainee.
Any travel funds available through the University must have been used.
Research must be in surgical oncology. The project does not need to be of a clinical nature, but the funding is restricted to clinical trainees. Graduate students in other disciplines are not eligible to apply.
Research must not have been previously presented, published or submitted for publication (other than at resident research days).
Presentation must be part of a peer review selection process on behalf of the conference organization.
The application will be reviewed by the Network's Research and Outcomes Evaluation Committee, and where appropriate will be reviewed by the Chair of the Surgical Tumour Group. The quality and significance of the research will be considered. Podium presentations will be given preference over posters.

Application Procedure

There will be two travel award application competitions each year, with the following deadlines:

September 1
March 1

Applicants can apply to either competition, but must submit their application prior to their conference date. Applications submitted after the conference date will not be accepted. 2-3 travel awards will be given out in each competition. Recipients will be notified 4-6 weeks after the deadline.

Complete the attached form and provide the following documents and submit as one PDF attachment:

Copy of the abstract
Copy of letter of acceptance from conference organization.
Letter of support from your supervisor, including confirmation that no other funding is available from your Division.
Paragraph describing the significance of your work (max. 300 words).
Copy of the applicant's CV.

For more information

Please contact: SurgeryNetwork@bccancer.bc.ca

Past Recipients

2024 Recipient

Elliott Gee

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, June 1-4, 2024, Baltimore, MD, USA

Clinical and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Outcomes In Right Hemicolectomy for Colon Cancer Versus Ileocecal Resection For Crohn's Disease

2023 Recipients

Katelynn Tang

North Pacific Surgical Association, November 10-11, 2023, Vancouver, BC

Preoperative depression and anxiety associated with younger age and receipt of immediate breast reconstruction

Akie Watanabe

The Society of Surgical Oncology Conference, March 20-23, 2024, Atlanta GA, USA

Patient Perceived Impact of Quality-of-Life Following Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: An Early Analysis

Jessica Lie

The Society of Surgical Oncology Conference, March 20-23, 2024, Atlanta GA, USA

Rate of Neoplasia in Patients with Complicated Acute Appendicitis Managed Nonoperatively

Tina Gao

The Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, June 7-9, 2023, Ottawa, ON

Is there a role for intraperitoneal chemotherapy in early stage pelvic high-grade serous carcinoma?

2022 Recipients

Kenneth Huang

Canadian Urological Association (CUA) 77th Annual Meeting, June 24-27, 2022

The Impact of Routine Bladder Biopsies after Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Treatment in Patients with Pure Carcinoma in Situ Of The Bladder

Anna Black

Western Section American Urological Association, October 29-November 4, 2022

Multicenter evaluation of neoadjuvant and induction gemcitabine-carboplatin versus gemcitabine-cisplatin followed by radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Elizaveta Vasilyeva

NPSA and SABCS conferences, November 11-12 and December 6-10, 2022

Breast conserving surgery combined with radiation therapy offer improved survival over mastectomy in early stage breast cancer

Sahej Dhak

North Pacific Surgical Association conference, November 11-12, 2022

Inadequate pathologic margins and re-excision rates following breast conserving surgery for ductal carcinoma in-situ

‎

2021 Recipients

Dorsa Mousa-Doust

International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, March 18-19, 2021

Non-Operative management of fibroepithelial lesions: Defining when Phyllodes tumours may be missed

Hannah Kapur

International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, March 18-19, 2021

Accuracy of Preoperative Imaging Estimates: Optimizing the Planning for Breast conserving Surgery

Shivani Mysuria

International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, March 18-19, 2021

Time to Frist Adjuvant Treatment After Oncoplastic Breast Reduction

2020 Recipients

Christina Lee

Canadian Melanoma Conference 2020, February 22-22, Banff, Alberta

Surveillance in High-Risk Melanoma: A Novel Approach to a National Expert Consensus Statement.

Sita Ollek

Pacific Coast Surgical Association Annual Meeting, February 14-17, 2020 California, USA.

Location of the primary tumour within the breast: a unique predictor for local recurrence after skin sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.

2019 Recipients

Sandra MacDonald

North Pacific Surgical Association Annual Meeting, November 8-9, Victoria, BC

Prediction of the Need for Lymphadenectomy in Melanoma Patients

Ji-Hyun Jang

The 6th Biennial Meeting of Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, October 10-12, 2019, Incheon China

Hormone Replacement Therapy After Premature Surgical Menopause and Health Services Utilization

Anna Black

Canadian Surgery Forum, September 5-7, 2019, Montreal

The Impact of Laparoscopic Technique on the Rate of Perineal Hernia After Abdominoperineal Resection of the Rectum

Ji-Hyun Jang

Annual General Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada, June 13-15, 2019, Halifax, NS

The Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy Amongst Women Undergoing Premature Surgical Menopause: A Population-Based British Columbian Study

Claire Liu

American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting,

May 4, 2019, Dallas, Texas

Flat Epithelial Atypia Identified on Core Needle Biopsy Does Not Require Excision

2018 Recipients

Alex Monaghan

North Pacific Surgical Association Annual Meeting, November 9-10, Boise, Idaho

Impact of SSO-ASTRO Guidelines on Reoperation Rates Following Breast Conserving Surgery

Subin Punnen

Canadian Surgery Forum, September 13-15, 2018, St. John's, Newfoundland

Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) for Rectal GI Stromal Tumour

Daniel Lustig

The American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, October 21-25, 2018, Boston

Is Microductectomy Still Necessary to Diagnose Breast Cancer: A Ten-Year Study on the Effectiveness of Duct Excision and Galactography

Amandeep Ghuman

American College of Surgeons Quality and Safety Conference in Orlando, Florida, July 21-24, 2018

Surgical Site Infection in Elective Colon & Rectal Resections: Effect of Oral Antibiotics

Lauren Hughes

American Society of Breast Surgeons 19th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, May 2-6, 2018

Lower re-excision rates following breast conservation surgery in high volume surgeons: more accurate, or just more breast tissue?

Dr. Jordan Eng

North Pacific Surgical Association Meeting in Vancouver, November 10-11, 2017

Uptake and Impact of Synoptic Reporting in a Community Care Setting

Jasper Johar

Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association in Victoria BC, October 18-22, 2017

Older Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Patients Exhibit Increased Cancer Invasiveness And Nodal Metastases: A Possible Explanation For Their Worse Prognosis

Dr. Dean Percy

American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, April 28 - 30, 2017

Number of nodes in sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer: are surgeons still biased?

Dr. Lily Proctor

Gynecologic Oncologists of Canada Annual Meeting, Ottawa, June 2017

DNA Ploidy Correlates with the ProMisE Molecular Groups of Endometrial Cancer

Dr. Emily Mackay

American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV, April 26-30, 2017

Neoadjuvant therapy and nodal pathologic complete response affects node counts at axillary node dissection in breast cancer

2016 Recipients

Dr. Annick Pina

International Gynecologic Cancer Society meeting in Portugal, October 28-31, 2016

Endometrial cancer presentation and outcomes based on mismatch repair protein expression from a population-based study

Linda Xuan Wang

Canadian Surgery Forum in Toronto, September 8-10, 2016

Effects of radiation and surgery on function and quality of life in rectal cancer patients

Dr. Nazgol Seyednejad

Canadian Association of General and Thoracic Surgeons Forum in Toronto, Sept 8-10, 2016

Minimally Invasive Transhiatal Rendezvous Esophagectomy: A novel approach for treatment of mid and proximal esophageal carcinoma

Dr. Sepehr Khorasani

American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles, CA, April 30 – May 4, 2016

A Comparison of Early Post-Operative Outcomes between Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)-Screened and Symptomatic Patients Undergoing Surgery for Colorectal Cancer

2015 Recipients

Jordan Eng
Canadian Surgery Forum in Quebec City, September 17-20, 2015
Uptake and impact of synoptic reporting on breast cancer operative reports in a community care setting

Dr. Cecily Jonker

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, MA, May 30-June 3, 2015

Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery Resection of Rectal Neuroendocrine Tumours: A Single Center Canadian Experience

Dr. Ryan McColl
The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, MA, May 30-June 3, 2015

Impact of Hospital Volume on Quality Indices for Rectal Cancer Surgery in British Columbia

Dr. Ekua Yorke
BC Surgical Society Annual Spring Meeting, May 1, 2015, Whistler, BC

Influence of Gender on the Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Canadian Experience

2014 Recipients

Dr. Leah Jutzi

Gynecologic Oncology of Canada 35th Annual Meeting, June 13, 2014, Niagara Falls, Ontario

The Role of Palliative Colorectal Stents in Gynecologic Malignancy

Dr. Magdalena Recsky

Tripartite Colorectal Meeting, June 30 – July 3, 2014, Birmingham UK Comparing Outcomes of TEM vs. TME for Treatment of Stage T1 Rectal Cancer

2013 Recipients

Dr. Sarah Moore
North Pacific Surgical Association 100th Annual Meeting, November 8-9, 2013, Victoria
Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Epidemiology and clinical implications of bilateral disease

Dr. Leah Jutzi
Gynecologic Oncology of Canada 34th Annual Meeting, June 14-15, 2013, Calgary
The Importance of Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Pelvic Radiotherapy in High-Risk Early Stage Endometrial Carcinoma

Dr. Sarah Moore
North Pacific Surgical Association 100th Annual Meeting, November 8-9, 2013, Victoria
Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Epidemiology and clinical implications of bilateral disease

Dr. Leah Jutzi
Gynecologic Oncology of Canada 34th Annual Meeting, June 14-15, 2013, Calgary
The Importance of Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Pelvic Radiotherapy in High-Risk Early Stage Endometrial Carcinoma2012 Recipients

Dr. Nori Bradley
American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting, September 19-21, 2012, Quebec City
Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: The Significance of High Risk Features

Dr. Kristel Lobo Prabhu
Society of Surgical Oncology’s 65th Annual Cancer Symposium, March 21-24, 2012, Orlando, Florida
Prognostic Utility of Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression by Colon and Rectal Cancer

2011 Recipients

Dr. Elaine Lam
Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology 17th Annual Scientific Meeting, April 29, 2011, Toronto
Thyroid Pathology Reporting at a Canadian Centre: A Critical Appraisal

Dr. Shaila Merchant
BC Surgical Society Annual Spring Meeting, May 6, 2011, Parksville
Is there an association between timing of referral to a tertiary care centre and local recurrence in primary retroperitoneal sarcoma in BC?

Dr. Lucas Pugh
North Pacific Orthopaedic Society Annual Meeting, September 15-18, 2011, Portland, Oregon
Effect of Chemotherapy and Cement Fixation on Tumour Endoprosthesis Survival

2010 Recipient

Dr. Amanda Johner
American Association of Endocrine Surgeons meeting, April 19-20, 2010, Pittsburgh
Detection and Management of Hypothyroidism Following Thyroid Lobectomy:Evaluation of a Clinical Algorithm

2008 Recipient

Dr. Connie Chiu
4th Annual Academic Surgical Congress, Society of University Surgeons, Academic Association of Academic Surgeons, February 5, 2009, Florida
HER-3 Expression Shows Prognostic Utility in Breast Cancer Survival

2007 Recipients

Dr. Adrienne Melck
Society of Surgical Oncology Conference March 15-18, 2007, Washington DC
Evaluation of Cells Cycle Regulators in 205 Thyroid Lesions Reveals the Diagnostic Utility of p16, p21, cyclin D1 & cyclin E

Dr. John Boutros
Pacific Coast Surgical Association Meeting February 17-20, 2007, Hawaii
Defining the Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Treatment of Neuroblastoma

Research Award

The UBC Summer Student Research Program provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to explore their interest in medical research by undertaking a project over the summer under the supervision of a principal investigator with an appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.

The BC Cancer Surgery Network is pleased to have partnered with this UBC program to support the funding of one MD student with a project in the field of surgical oncology.

To apply or find more information

For more information and to apply please visit the UBC MD and undergrad research page.

UBC Summer Student Research Award Recipients

2020 Recipient

Shivani Mysuria

Project Title: A review of oncoplastic breast reduction surgery for breast cancer patients at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.

Supervisor: Dr. Carol Dingee

2019 Recipient

Alvin Ka Nok Liu

Project Title: Clinical features of head and neck cancer patients with brain metastases: a single institution retrospective study of 60 cases.

Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Hamilton

Co-supervisor: Dr. Eric Tran

2018 Recipient

Alex Monaghan

Project Title: Impact of SSO-ASTRO guidelines on reoperation rates following breast conserving surgery.

Supervisor: Dr. Chris Baliski

2017 Recipient

Ravinder Sidhu

Project Title: Risk of malignancy with papillary neoplasms of the breast.

Supervisor: Dr. Elaine McKevitt

2016 Recipient

Hsing Keng (Catherine) Tsai

Project Title: Comparison of MR and endorectal ultrasound

(ERUS) for imaging of rectal cancer.

Supervisor: Dr. P Terry Phang

2015 Recipients

Amirreza Pakdel Sefidgar

Project Title: A computational approach for patient-specific reconstruction of osseous defects in orofacial cancers.

Supervisor: Dr. Eitan Prisman

Linda (Xuan) Wang

Project Title: Evaluating quality of life after rectal cancer treatment.

Supervisor: Dr. P Terry Phang

2014 Recipient

Golden Gao
Project Title: Post-mastectomy irradiation in two-stage tissue expander/implant immediate breast reconstruction with acellular dermal matrix (ADM).

Supervisor: Dr. Peter Lennox

2013 Recipient

Dr. Anees Bahji, Department of Orthopaedics, UBC
Project Title: Identification of independent risk factors for allogeneic blood transfusions in patients undergoing resection of a large bone of soft tissue sarcoma.

Supervisor: Dr. Paul Clarkson

Tab Heading