The Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI), based at the Ontario Veterinary College, hosted its 18th Annual ICCI Cancer Research Symposium on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
This annual event brought together cancer researchers from across the University of Guelph, OVC and regional partner institutions for a full day of presentations, poster discussions, networking and research exchange.
This year’s symposium featured research spanning basic cancer biology, molecular diagnostics, tumour progression, immunotherapy, extracellular vesicles, cancer-associated signalling pathways and comparative oncology approaches that connect animal and human health.
Throughout the day, attendees heard from invited speakers, trainee researchers and poster presenters whose work explored cancer across multiple species and systems, including canine, feline, equine, bovine and human cancers.
“Over the past 18 years we have seen relationships and collaborations develop that were made possible by these interactions and we hope that this year’s meeting will once again spark new collaborations and ideas,” shared ICCI Co-Directors Drs. Geoff Wood and Michelle Oblak in the symposium program.
The symposium was made possible through funding from the Arthur Willis Visiting Professorship in Canine Oncology, and supported by OVC Pet Trust and Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund.
Keynote Explores the Power of Cross-Species Oncogenomics
This year’s Arthur Willis Distinguished Speaker was Dr. Louise van der Weyden, Senior Staff Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England.
Her keynote presentation, “The power of cross-species oncogenomics: cats, dogs, cows, horses and humans,” explored how studying naturally occurring cancers across different species can contribute to a deeper understanding of cancer biology.
Dr. van der Weyden’s research focuses on comparative oncogenomics, using sequencing technologies and cancer models to identify and characterize drivers of cancer and its spread. Since 2019, her work has focused on spontaneously developed cancers in animals, both as models of human disease and to advance cancer research for the benefit of animals themselves.
Guest Speakers Highlight Comparative and Translational Cancer Research
The symposium program included three guest speaker presentations that showcased the breadth of cancer research taking place across veterinary sciences.
The morning began with Dr. Latasha Ludwig, Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at Cornell University, who presented “Histologic grading in canine and feline tumours.” An OVC alumna, Dr. Ludwig completed her DVM, PhD and anatomic pathology residency training at OVC before joining Cornell University.
Later in the morning, Dr. Jim Uniacke, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at U of G, presented “A hypoxia-induced splice isoform of ribosomal protein S24 regulates a gene program that favors survival and cancer progression.” His talk focused on gene regulation in normal and cancer cells in response to hypoxia.
In the afternoon, Dr. Arata Matsuyama, Assistant Professor in OVC’s Department of Clinical Studies, presented “Transcriptomic landscapes and immune microenvironment profiling of canine soft tissue sarcomas.” Dr. Matsuyama’s research focuses on molecular diagnostics and treatment approaches for canine sarcomas.
Trainee Presentations Showcase Emerging Cancer Research
Throughout the day, short talks from submitted abstracts highlighted research being led by trainees and early-career researchers across several departments and institutions.
The first short-talk session focused on extracellular vesicles and cell signalling. Presentations explored extracellular vesicles from cancer cell lines, new detection approaches for cancer-derived extracellular vesicles, the role of Nck adaptor proteins in breast cancer invasion and metastasis and the use of oncolytic HSV-1 for canine cancer immunotherapy.
The afternoon short-talk session focused on mechanisms of remodelling. Presenters discussed cardiac dysfunction in pancreatic cancer, tumour microenvironment remodelling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the role of EphA2 in human and canine melanoma.
Together, these presentations reflected the range of cancer research taking place at OVC and across U of G, from fundamental mechanisms of disease to therapeutic strategies with potential clinical applications.
Poster Session Creates Space for Research Discussion
In addition to oral presentations, the symposium included poster presentations from students and researchers studying a wide range of cancer-related topics.
Poster presentations were available throughout the day in the Pathobiology atrium, giving attendees the opportunity to speak directly with presenters about their research questions, methods, findings and future directions.
The poster session provided an important opportunity for trainees to share their work, receive feedback and connect with researchers working in related areas of cancer science.
Celebrating Research and Collaboration
The day concluded with closing remarks, award presentations and a small reception.
This year’s oral presentation award winners were Kara Cook and Bianca Garlisi.
Cook presented research on extracellular vesicles in cancer cell lines, comparing how different 2D and 3D culture platforms influence their production and composition.
Garlisi presented research on tumour microenvironment remodelling in pancreatic cancer and its potential to improve treatment response.
This year’s poster presentation award winners were Leslie Jeffries and Cielle Lockington.
The awards recognized the strength of trainee-led cancer research presented throughout the day and highlighted the important role students and emerging researchers play in advancing comparative cancer investigation at OVC and the University of Guelph.
Through events like this, ICCI continues to support research that advances understanding of cancer in animals and humans while creating opportunities for trainees, faculty and collaborators to exchange ideas and strengthen the comparative oncology community.
To learn more about ICCI and its research, visit: https://icci.uoguelph.ca/
