A neuro-oncology fellowship helps Dr. Candace Marsters perform research to directly benefit Albertans facing brain cancer.
By Fabian Mayer
Dr. Candace Marsters is part of the next generation of homegrown talent training locally and searching for breakthroughs in the field of neuro-oncology.
Named the inaugural Dr. Wajid Sayeed Endowment for Neuro-Oncology award winner in 2021 and again in 2024, Marsters was most recently awarded the Lynne Marshall and Wayne Foo Brain Cancer Fellowship at the University of Alberta.
“My ultimate career goal is to be a clinician scientist. I’ve done a lot of research in the past, and I’m very passionate about it,” says Marsters. “This fellowship gives me that time to really focus on my training and get into the nitty gritty of all the studies that have been done, and also to really get involved with the patients and have that extra time to dedicate to them.”
Made possible by a generous donation by local philanthropist and businessman Wayne Foo to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the one- to two-year fellowship is intended to help train exceptional clinical fellows in research while simultaneously funding work that will help improve the lives of Albertans affected by brain cancer. Previous fellows have explored the role sugars play in brain cancer’s metabolic processes and whether a ketogenic diet could help slow tumour growth.
Marsters hopes to build on that work and also initiate studies of her own. Growing up in a small British Columbia town, she initially pursued a PhD in neurodevelopment before becoming a medical doctor and completing a neurology residency at the University of Alberta. She says that throughout her residency, she became more and more interested in oncology and autoimmune neurology. As part of the fellowship, Marsters is planning two studies, both examining the neurological side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors — a class of drug commonly used in cancer immunotherapy treatments. One will take a population-level approach using health administrative data, while the other aims to recruit patients for a more focused study.
“The fellowship is actually a combination of the two fields, which is really exciting. A goal is that we will be able to produce research that’s impactful and that will actually change and help the lives of Albertans,” says Marsters. “On top of that, the other goal is to ensure that I’m an expert in the field by the time my training is complete.”
