Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Regional Cancer Care at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new physician, Dr. Malcolm Brigden, and a new cancer research scientist, Dr. Ingeborg Zehbe.

Dr. Brigden recently joined the Medical Oncology team at Regional Cancer Care, specializing in Haematology. He has held positions across Canada and the United States, including British Columbia, Alberta, Wisconsin, Kansas, at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and most recently in New Brunswick. Within his appointments as a consulting haematologist and medical oncologist, to Head of Oncology at various institutions, Dr. Brigden has continually enhanced his skill set and knowledge base. Originally graduating with Science and Biophysics from McGill University and the University of British Columbia respectively, he is Royal College certified with Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology, with additional certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pathology. He has traveled extensively, lecturing, moderating, and speaking in symposia around the world, to such destinations as Israel, India, Bermuda, and Monaco.

Dr. Brigden has published and collaborated on more than 100 articles, book chapters, studies, and research, on a wide range of topics and focus. As well, over the last ten years, he has held academic cross appointments at the University of British Columbia Medical School, University of Wisconsin Medical School, and most recently at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. “In the last number of years, I have been looking for the opportunity to combine some of my research collaborations, clinical practice, and academic involvements,” commented Dr. Brigden. “When I began to investigate the history of the cancer program in Northwestern Ontario and the centre it is today, the new Health Sciences Centre, and the new Medical School, my decision was made. The opportunities here are boundless, and combined with the potential for professional development, the healthcare system in Northwestern Ontario is positioning itself as a hub of excellence, technology, research, and training.”

Haematologists are specialists that deal with cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, colloquially called ‘liquid cancers’. These cancers involve the blood and bone marrow. “We are very pleased to have Dr. Brigden join our team,” commented Dr. Dimitrios Vergidis, Chief of Oncology. “With the cancer centre’s clinical standards and volumes, and the academic initiatives of Lakehead and the new Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), the possibilities for clinical initiatives, teaching, education and cross pollination are substantial. Dr. Brigden’s body of knowledge and experience is a tremendous asset, and will allow us to continue to generate new opportunities for program expansion.”

On the cancer research side, Dr. Ingeborg Zehbe joined the cancer centre a few months ago, and actually already holds the distinction of being the first member of ICR Discoveries, the new cancer research initiative in Northwestern Ontario and collaboration between TBRHSC, Lakehead University, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Dr. Zehbe selected Thunder Bay as her next research stop, due in large part to the establishment of ICR Discoveries. She brings a number of years of focused expertise to the new research collaboration, and anticipates growth and expansion of research over the next few years. “When I was looking for my next challenge and I came across the cancer centre in Thunder Bay, I was impressed with the credentials and scope of work already in place,” she said. “With a focused program on cancer research, and academic and medical applications, there is no limit to the evolution of this new institute, so this was really an easy decision for me.”

Dr. Zehbe hails from Mainz, Germany, with a D.Sc. in Experimental Pathology, and a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences. She comes to us with 8 years experience in academic and government research laboratories. Her major areas of expertise fall within the field of tumour biology, including molecular virology, tumour virology and tumour immunology. Her primary focus is on the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the prime risk factor in cervical cancer. She has already established collaborations at the Health Sciences Centre studying the immune profile of women with cervical cancer.

She has worked both at dedicated academic institutions, like the Johannes Gutenberg University, in Mainz, and cancer centres, like the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg, Germany. She is fluent in German, English and Swedish, and is published extensively in international peer-reviewed journals.

With the two new appointments, the medical oncology team is now at a full complement of six, and the cancer research lab now has three career scientists, a first time for both teams. “We are very fortunate to have both Dr. Brigden and Dr. Zehbe join our team,” stated Michael Power, Vice President of Regional Cancer and Diagnostic Services. “Healthcare specialists like Dr. Brigden and research scientists like Dr. Zehbe explore unique opportunities for teaching, research, and education, and the system that we’ve built and continue to build upon is providing those opportunities. I believe, with every new member of our team, that we are on the cusp of creating a comprehensive program of care, education, training, and research. This impacts the reputation and credibility of healthcare in Northwestern Ontario, which is specifically enhanced by healthcare professionals such as Drs. Brigden and Zehbe. This, in turn, creates economic targets, which draws more professionals from varied industry and skill sets to our region. The possibilities for ‘across the spectrum’ growth are tremendous.”

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