Brain cancer is a devastating disease that often responds poorly to available treatments. When Calgary business leader Clark H. Smith died from brain cancer, his wife Jane Smith, and son Tony Smith honored his memory with a $3-million gift that established the Clark H. Smith Brain Tumour Centre at the University of Calgary in September of 2004. The Smith Centre is the home of a comprehensive translational research program where the seamless integration of science and medicine promises to enhance the process of discovery and accelerate the development of new treatments for brain cancer.
Using state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, researchers at the Smith Center are changing the way that scientists and physicians conduct cancer research. Traditionally, cancer research has been conducted by individuals and small groups working on narrowly defined projects. This approach has successfully provided an abundance of new knowledge about the complex molecular and cellular mechanisms which drive tumour formation, but these discoveries have been slow to reach the clinic. It is now clear that the coordinated efforts of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and clincians are needed to further increase our understanding of cancer biology and to translate these new insights into real benefits for patients. The Smith Centre uses a patient-centred approach, in which clinical data informs basic science research, and the results of that research are transformed into improved patient care in the clinic. This synergistic integration of basic and clinical brain tumour research will enable the Smith Centre to achieve its vision of becoming a leading centre for brain tumour research and treatment in Canada and the world.
