Kerry Courneya | |
---|---|
Born | 1963 (age 59–60) |
Academic background | |
Education | BA, physical education, 1987, MA, physical education, 1989, University of Western Ontario PhD, Kinesiology, 1992, University of Illinois |
Thesis | An integrated social cognitive model for the prediction of physical activity participation: preliminary development and validation. (1992) |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of Alberta University of Calgary |
Kerry Stephen Courneya OC (born 1963) is a Canadian kinesiologist. As a Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Cancer at the University of Alberta,his research focuses on physical activity after a cancer diagnosis (i.e.,exercise oncology).
Courneya was born in Peterborough,Ontario in 1963. [1] He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from the University of Western Ontario in London,Ontario in 1987 and then completed his Master's degree in Physical Education at the same institution in 1989. He then received his PhD in Kinesiology in 1992 from the University of Illinois. [2]
Upon completing his formal education in 1992,Courneya spent five years as an assistant/associate professor at the University of Calgary before accepting a similar position at the University of Alberta (U of A) in 1997. [3] As a kinesiologist at U of A,Courneya received funding for numerous clinical trials to study cancer patients reactions to exercise during and after cancer therapy. One of his early clinical trials involved trying to determine whether weight training may be of benefit to patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. [4] He was among the first researchers to systematically study the field of exercise oncology and demonstrated that physical activity is a safe and effective method for improving fitness and quality of life. He was granted a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in 2004 to fund and continue his research in the field. [5]
In 2007,Courneya published the START trial,a randomized controlled trial comparing aerobic and resistance exercise to usual care in breast cancer patients on chemotherapy. The START trial was the first to show that exercise may improve chemotherapy completion in breast cancer patients. Following this,Courneya published the findings of his Healthy Exercise for Lymphoma Patients (HELP) trial which found that a regimen of aerobic exercise training produced significant improvements in physical functioning and overall quality of life benefits in patients with lymphoma whether they were receiving chemotherapy or no treatments. [6] In 2013,Courneya published the CARE trial,a randomized controlled trial of combined aerobic and resistance exercise in breast cancer survivors receiving chemotherapy. [7] In addition to these single center and multicenter trials,Courneya also co-led the Colon Health and Life-Long Exercise Change (Challenge) trial,a multi-national trial involving participants in Canada and Australia. [8] [9] As a result of his research,Courneya and Christine Friedenreich of Alberta Health Services received a $2.5 million team grant over five years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to conduct the Alberta Moving Beyond Breast Cancer (AMBER) cohort study. [10]
Courneya's CRC in Physical Activity and Cancer was renewed in 2011 for another seven years [8] and he received the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology's 2012 Award for Research Excellence for his significant contribution to psychosocial oncology research in Canada. [11] In the first year of his renewed CRC,Courneya began the AMBER cohort study,a prospective study of physical activity and health-related fitness in breast cancer survivors. [12]
Courneya was again renewed as a CRC in Physical Activity and Cancer in 2018. [13] Following this,he received a CIHR Foundation Grant to fund a series of studies to determine if exercise can lower the risk of cancer recurring and improve the effects of cancer treatment on overall survival. [14] Courneya was named the winner of the 2019 Manulife Prize as a "trailblazing researcher who put exercise front and centre in cancer treatment." [15] He was also the co-recipient of the Canadian Cancer Society's O.Harold Warwick Prize for his outstanding achievement in cancer control research. [16]
Courneya was appointed to the Order of Canada in June 2023,with the rank of Officer. [17]
Colorectal cancer (CRC),also known as bowel cancer,colon cancer,or rectal cancer,is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum. Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool,a change in bowel movements,weight loss,and fatigue. Most colorectal cancers are due to old age and lifestyle factors,with only a small number of cases due to underlying genetic disorders. Risk factors include diet,obesity,smoking,and lack of physical activity. Dietary factors that increase the risk include red meat,processed meat,and alcohol. Another risk factor is inflammatory bowel disease,which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Some of the inherited genetic disorders that can cause colorectal cancer include familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer;however,these represent less than 5% of cases. It typically starts as a benign tumor,often in the form of a polyp,which over time becomes cancerous.
The Leukemia &Lymphoma Society (LLS),a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1949,is the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting blood cancer in the world. The LLS's mission is to cure leukemia,lymphoma,Hodgkin's lymphoma and myeloma,and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a cancer research and treatment center located in Buffalo,New York. Founded by surgeon Roswell Park in 1898,the center was the first in the United States to specifically focus on cancer research. The center is usually called Roswell Park in short. The center,which conducts clinical research on cancer as well as the development new drugs,provides advanced treatment for all forms of adult and pediatric cancer,and serves as a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is as of 2019,the only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Institute designation of "comprehensive cancer center".
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Lapatinib (INN),used in the form of lapatinib ditosylate (USAN) is an orally active drug for breast cancer and other solid tumours. It is a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor which interrupts the HER2/neu and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathways. It is used in combination therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. It is used for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress HER2 (ErbB2).
The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is a unique pan-European non-profit clinical cancer research organisation established in 1962 operating as an international association under Belgium law. It develops,conducts,coordinates and stimulates high-quality translational and clinical trial research to improve the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. This is achieved through the development of new drugs and other innovative approaches,and the testing of more effective therapeutic strategies,using currently approved drugs,surgery and/or radiotherapy in clinical trials conducted under the auspices of a vast network of clinical cancer researchers supported by 220 staff members based in Brussels. The EORTC has the expertise to conduct large and complex trials especially specific populations such as the older patient and rare tumours.
Zbtb7,whose protein product is also known as Pokemon,is a gene that functions as a regulator of cellular growth and a proto oncogene.
Cancer and Leukemia Group B is a cancer research cooperative group in the United States.
Carol E. Cass is a Canadian research scientist. From 2003 to 2010,Cass served as director of Alberta's Cross Cancer Institute. She is Canada Research Chair in oncology at the University of Alberta and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Ramucirumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody (IgG1) developed for the treatment of solid tumors. This drug was developed by ImClone Systems Inc. It was isolated from a native phage display library from Dyax.
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study,treatment,diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος(ónkos),meaning "tumor","volume" or "mass". Oncology is concerned with:
Cross Cancer Institute is the comprehensive cancer centre for northern Alberta. The institute,named for Wallace Warren Cross,is located in Edmonton near the southwest corner of the University of Alberta,and is one of two tertiary cancer centres in the province. The Cross Cancer Institute is a lead centre for the province-wide prevention,research and treatment program. The centre provides inpatient and outpatient services for cancer patients,advanced medical and supportive cancer care,and patient and professional education. The Cross Cancer Institute conducts research through the Alberta Cancer Research Institute.
Cancer can be treated by surgery,chemotherapy,radiation therapy,hormonal therapy,targeted therapy and synthetic lethality,most commonly as a series of separate treatments. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease,as well as the general state of the patient. Cancer genome sequencing helps in determining which cancer the patient exactly has for determining the best therapy for the cancer. A number of experimental cancer treatments are also under development. Under current estimates,two in five people will have cancer at some point in their lifetime.
High-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant (HDC/BMT),also high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplant,was an ineffective treatment regimen for metastatic breast cancer,and later high-risk breast cancer,that was considered promising during the 1980s and 1990s. With an overall idea that more is better,this process involved taking cells from the person's bone marrow to store in a lab,then to give such high doses of chemotherapy drugs that the remaining bone marrow was destroyed,and then to inject the cells taken earlier back into the body as replacement. It was ultimately determined to be no more effective than normal treatment,and to have significantly higher side effects,including treatment-related death.
Richard Margolese,MD,CM FRCS (C),is a Canadian scientist and has been a leader of multiple research studies that have changed the standard treatment for early-stage breast cancer. He is a native of Montreal,Canada.
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Kerry Courneya publications indexed by Google Scholar