Saturday April 25, 5:00 pm Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Mark your calendars! Dr. Rebecca Auer is our guest speaker this year at the Maria Ricci Memorial Lectureship In Oncology taking place at the CCTG Spring Meeting on Saturday April 25, 5:00 pm in the Mountbatten Room at the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto. Dr Auer's lecture is titled "Research and the Courage to Hope". This session is RCPSC accredited.See the Annual Spring Meeting Schedule of Events for all meeting dates and times.Dr. Rebecca Auer, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACSDr. Rebecca Auer is the Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation at The Ottawa Hospital and the CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, where she also holds the position of Surgical Oncologist, Senior Scientist in the Cancer Research Program, and Professor in the Department of Surgery and the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Auer is pioneer in the translation of perioperative cancer therapeutics. She has led six clinical trials of cancer immunotherapies based on preclinical discoveries made in her research lab. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and received over $30 million dollars in peer-reviewed funding as PI to support her work. Dr. Auer is an international leader in the field of Surgical Oncology. She has served on the executive of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, where she was the Chair of the Research Committee. She is also a member of the NCI GI Steering Committee and the Canadian Cancer Society, where she sits of the Advisory Council. Dr. Auer believes that research IS care and is dedicated to ensuring all patients are provided an opportunity to participate in research. In 2024 Dr. Auer was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network for her research and advocacy work in cancer.Maria Ricci Lectureship in OncologyThe Maria Ricci Memorial Lectureship in Oncology was established in 2007 with funding provided by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in memory of Maria Ricci who was GSK Scientific Development Manager in oncology when her life ended tragically in January 2007 while traveling on GSK-related business. She was committed to making a difference for Canadian patients and instrumental in bridging relationships between global GSK and the Canadian medical community. Maria facilitated Canadian scientific and medical engagement in the development of GSK's oncology pipeline. She was a PhD candidate in Microbiology & Immunology at McGill University and received her MSc in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Western Ontario. Maria was well respected by her colleagues and peers and remembered for her enthusiasm and passionate approach to work and life.
