A $20,000 donation from Caesars Windsor will help to launch a project of the Windsor Cancer Research Group to bring together and expand medical research facilities in Windsor-Essex.

“Nucleus: Core Labs Enabling Solutions” will create a virtual inventory of equipment housed through the community: in research labs, in clinical trials, in industrial locations and in the pathology and diagnostic imaging departments of local hospitals.

Bringing these facilities under one umbrella will improve collaboration, reduce duplication and optimize usage, says biology professor Lisa Porter, scientific director of the Windsor Cancer Research Group.

“Enhancing the infrastructure available for cancer research is critical for moving discovery forward and for training the next generation of scientists and clinicians,” she says. “Nucleus facilities support cutting-edge work that only a handful of labs worldwide are able to do — and this is happening here in Windsor.”

The group’s clinical director, Caroline Hamm, an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Science and an oncologist at the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, says Nucleus will support a growing network of researchers working to improve the detection and treatment of cancers, and the quality of life of patients.

“For some patients the current standard of care may not be enough to tackle their cancer,” says Dr. Hamm. “Obtaining equipment to test patient samples may lead to better personalized therapy for our patients here in Windsor-Essex.”

The contribution from Caesars Windsor reflects employee fundraising and corporate sponsorship, says regional president Kevin Laforet: “We are proud to support local organizations that are making much-needed contributions to our community.”

The Windsor Cancer Research Group unites academic researchers from the University of Windsor with clinical researchers at Windsor Regional Hospital, local oncologists and other health care professionals working in the field of cancer treatment and care.