Dr. Munir Rahim is the first recipient of the Cancer Research Society National Partnership Grant. [Photo courtesy of Karen Metcalfe]
By Sara Elliott
Dr. Munir Rahim is the first recipient of the Cancer Research Society National Partnership Grant in collaboration with Play for a Cure and WE-SPARK Health Institute.
Rahim, a biomedical scientist and WE-SPARK core principal member, opened his lab in 2019 to study how the immune system responds to cancer.
“The immune system is usually very good at eliminating diseased cells, but in cancer patients it fails to destroy tumour cells,” said Rahim.
His team will receive a $135,000 operating grant from the new funding stream to investigate the role of natural killer cells—key players in anti-cancer immunity.
“Our project explores how cancer cells avoid detection. We want to uncover what tricks they use to hide from the immune system,” he said.
“Our findings will deepen understanding of cancer immune evasion and help advance new therapies to fight cancer.”
The two-year grant was announced Nov. 19 at an event celebrating $400,000 in new funding for cancer research in Windsor-Essex.
“Support like this is vital for research progress,” Rahim said.
“These donations help fund our research and support student training. They’re helping build the next generation of scientists.”
The $400,000 total comes from community and youth-led fundraising efforts, the Play for a Cure’s Cancer Research Collaboration Fund (CRCF), and national matching funds from the Cancer Research Society, a non-profit leader in Canadian cancer research.
One of the largest contributions came from the U11 Lakeshore Lightning Girls hockey team, who donated their $100,000 Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup prize to Play for a Cure’s Cancer Research Collaboration Fund—marking one of the fund’s largest-ever gifts. [Photo courtesy of Karen Metcalfe]
One of the largest contributions came from the U11 Lakeshore Lightning Girls hockey team, who donated their $100,000 Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup prize to CRCF—marking one of the fund’s largest-ever gifts.
Another $57,000 was raised through Windsor Spitfires player Carson Woodall’s Woody’s Hoodies campaign.
Community members gathered Nov. 19 to celebrate all who contributed to raising funds that will drive local cancer research forward.
Two additional operating grants are available for Windsor-Essex cancer research projects led by WE-SPARK members in 2026. Letters of Intent are due Dec. 10, 2025, and are available on the Cancer Research Society website. Full applications are due Feb. 11, 2026.
This funding initiative is part of the WE-SPARK Health Institute’s Alliance Network Program, which connects researchers, funders, and community organizations to strengthen collaboration, accelerate discovery and advance health research across the region.
Hosted at the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, CRCF supports innovative cancer research and helps build regional capacity to drive scientific discovery.