How Strategic Partnerships Expand the Reach of Cancer Research: With D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD; and Dajan O'Donnell, PhD

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, Camidge sat down with Dajan O'Donnell, PhD, who is the director of Research Partnerships at Cancer Research Society in Montreal, Canada.

Camidge and O'Donnell discussed O’Donnell’s journey into science. After being steered away from a career in science during grade school but re-igniting his interest in the field as a young adult, O'Donnell earned a PhD in neurology and neurosurgery and then worked for AstraZeneca, where he helped build a Montreal-based research unit from scratch that specialized in identifying novel targets for chronic pain. O’Donnell’s transition to the nonprofit sector was sparked by the closure of AstraZeneca’s Montreal site and a personal diagnosis of a desmoid tumor that required multiple aggressive surgeries, an experience that fueled his passion for supporting research that directly affects patients. Before joining Cancer Research Society, O'Donnell worked for Exactis Innovation, where he navigated complex provincial health care barriers to create a national molecular registry for patients with cancer.

Since joining Cancer Research Society, O’Donnell has expanded the organization's reach. Despite its relatively small size, Cancer Research Society is highly efficient, focusing almost entirely on funding research across all cancer types. Under O'Donnell's leadership, the organization’s financial commitment to cancer research has increased. Currently, O’Donnell is spearheading an unprecedented initiative to support investigator-initiated clinical trials in Canada. By leveraging partnerships with other agencies and foundations, this project aims to enhance clinical trial capacity across the country. This initiative serves as a cornerstone of O'Donnell's legacy as he prepares to transition into an advisory role over the next few years.