QEII Lung Tumour Bank

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to foster groundbreaking research in lung health by providing a robust repository of high-quality lung tissue samples, coupled with comprehensive clinical and molecular data.

Through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to excellence, we aim to contribute significantly to the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of lung diseases.

We envision a future where the QEII Lung Tumour Bank continues to be a global leader in advancing lung health research.

8000+

Tumour Samples

By expanding our sample collection, embracing emerging technologies, and fostering collaborative partnerships, we strive to catalyze discoveries that will ultimately improve patient outcomes and reshape the landscape of lung disease management.

OUR HISTORY

Founded in 2005 through a collaborative effort between Dr. Zhaolin Xu, Pathologist in the Department of Pathology at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Canada, and Dr. Drew Bethune, former Head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Dalhousie University, the QEII Lung Tumour Bank has been a vital resource dedicated to advancing research in lung health. Following the retirement of Dr. Bethune, the bank is currently led by Dr. Xu, with co-direction from Dr. Alison Wallace, Thoracic Surgeon in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Dalhousie University.

The QEII Lung Tumour Bank has been certified by the Canadian Tissue Repository Network since 2014. This repository stands as one of the largest human lung cancer tumour banks in the nation, serving as a cornerstone for research into the genetic landscape of lung cancer.

Governance

External Oversight

Nova Scotia Health / Dalhousie University Tissue Bank Oversight Committee

Management Team

Zhaolin Xu (Chair)
Alison Wallace
John Fris
Rowan Murphy
Gopal Pathak
Charlene Sencabaugh
Rashmi Shah

Technical Staff

Niko Kelaj
Robert MacLeod
Kellie Cameron
Vanessa Burton
Sarah Doull

Scientific Committee

Paola Marignani (Chair)
Zhaolin Xu
Alison Wallace
Jeanette Boudreau
Mathieu Castonguay
Graham Dellaire
Michael Ha
Heather Hogan
Stephanie Snow

Biobank Coordinator

Rashmi Shah
Gopal Pathak
Rowan Murphy

Database and Informatics

Rashmi Shah
Jon Fris
Gopal Pathak

Research Ethics Committee

Nova Scotia Health REB

Dr. Zhaolin Xu

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

Dr. Zhaolin Xu is a Pulmonary Pathologist and Cytopathologist at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax and a Professor of Pathology at Dalhousie University. Dr. Xu is a Senior Scientist with the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute and serves as the Chair of the Research Committee and a Medical Advisory Committee Member for Lung Cancer Canada (LCC) and was in the Board of Directors of LCC. He also sits on the College of Advisors for the Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet). He is the Expert Panel Member, Lung National Cancer Pathology and Staging Multidisciplinary Expert Panel for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC), and Lung Cancer Protocol Review Panel Member for the College of American Pathologists. Dr. Xu leads pioneering research in lung cancer molecular profiling, immune checkpoint PD-L1, liquid biopsy for genomic analysis, and proteomics in lung cancer cells. He is the founder and Director of the QEII Lung Tumor Bank, established in 2005.

Dr. Alison Wallace

CO-DIRECTOR

Dr. Alison Wallace is a Thoracic Surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Dalhousie University. She is the Director of Research within the Division of Thoracic Surgery and the Vice Chair of Research for the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons. Additionally, Dr. Wallace serves on the CIHR advisory board for the Institute of Cancer Research and is a Scientist with the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute. Dr. Wallace leads pioneering research on environmental risk factors for lung cancer and COPD, focusing on understanding the molecular mechanisms of environmental exposure-related lung diseases and lung cancer. Her clinical practice involves the surgical management of lung diseases using minimally invasive and robotic techniques. Dr. Wallace is the Co-Director of the QEII Lung Tumor Bank.

Dr. Paola Marignani

SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR

Dr. Paola Marignani is a Scientist and Professor at Dalhousie University in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Marignani is a member of Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine Faculty Council and a Faculty of Science Senator. Dr. Marignani serves on numerous granting agencies that include CIHR, Cancer Research Society, NSERC, Breast Cancer Canada and New Frontiers Research Foundation. Internationally, she serves on the Australian National Breast Cancer Foundation Review Committee. She also serves on the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Basic & Translational Science Committee, and is a member of the following AACR committees; AACR Lung Cancer Research Scientific Review Committee, AACR-Johnson & Johnson Interventional Oncology Stimulating Therapeutic Advances through Research Training (START) Committee, and the AACR-ALK Positive Lung Cancer Research Fellowships Committee. Dr. Marignani is a Mentor Scientist and Business strategist for Creative Destruction Lab Prime and CDL-Toronto Cancer Streams, and CDL-Vancouver. Dr. Marignani leads pioneering research in the fields of lung and breast cancers where she is focused on identifying molecular mechanisms responsible for these cancers and applies innovative strategies that combine single-cell transcriptomics, microfluidics, gene engineering and machine learning, that facilitate in the identification of biomarkers for early detection. Dr. Marignani is the Scientific Director of the QEII Lung Tumor Bank.