Pediatric blood cancer research award recipient supported by UFCW Canada

This year's recently announced recipients in LLSC's Pediatric Blood Cancer Research Innovation Grant program include Dr. Vincent-Phillippe Lavallée, who is also the 2025 UFCW Special Recognition Award recipient. Over the past 40 years, The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Canada and its members have raised $53 million in support of the blood cancer community.

Dr. Lavallée, a clinician-scientist in pediatric hematology and oncology at Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine in Montreal, Quebec, and his team aim to revolutionize leukemia diagnosis with a blood-based genomic test which could reduce diagnosis time from many weeks to less than four days, while capturing all key genetic alterations needed for treatment decisions.

"This would be a game changer," says Dr. Lavallée. "It would mean that we could start treatment sooner, reduce potential toxicities, and ultimately give every child the best possible chance for a cure."

Dr. Lavallée's laboratory is using advanced bioinformatics (computer technology to collect and analyze biological data) and whole genome sequencing (method to determine the order of a complete set of DNA of an organism or cell type) with blood samples from children suspected of having acute leukemia.

New standard in pediatric cancer diagnostics

"This innovation not only promises to improve outcomes and bring peace of mind to families during the most critical moments, Dr. Lavallée's research lays the foundation for a new standard of care in pediatric cancer diagnostics," says Dr. Paul O'Connell, Research Program Director at LLSC. "The project is adaptable across other pediatric and adult cancers, amplifying its potential to transform cancer care more broadly."

The UFCW Special Recognition Award is given to the scientist whose research submission receives the highest score by LLSC's Scientific Review Panel, from across all LLSC research grant competitions. (This year, a total of 21 scientists received LLSC funding.) Grant applications are evaluated by blood cancer experts based on rigorous criteria, including whether the research addresses a significant need or gap in the understanding, diagnosis and/or treatment of blood cancers in Canada.

Thanks in part to the critical support of UFCW Canada, the survival rates of people with blood cancers have increased more than any cancer in the past two decades.* 

LLSC is honoured that our long-standing partners at UFCW Canada have helped create more life moments, milestones and memories for individuals affected by a blood cancer. To celebrate the ruby 40th anniversary of this partnership, LLSC and UFCW Canada have launched an awareness campaign called Labour of Love.

Learn more about the LLSC blood cancer research grant programs.

*cancer.ca/en/about-us/media-releases/2019/canadian-cancer-statistics