John Bell described as “a kind and supportive mentor who encourages his trainees to innovate and collaborate” by Canadian Cancer Society
University of Ottawa professor John Bell, who has PhD in virology, has recently received a Lifetime Contribution Prize from the Canadian Cancer Society for his work on oncolytic (cancer killing) viruses.
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCR) awards an investigator who “through vision and leadership, has enhanced the Canadian cancer research landscape.” The award also recognizes investigators for showing “a deep commitment to training the next generation of cancer researchers.” The CCR recognizes Bell as a leader in research and clinical applications for cancer killing viruses, taking multiple therapies to clinical trials for treatment of various types of cancer.
Bell is a full professor at the University of Ottawa, supervising graduate students at the Ottawa Hospital campus. He serves as the Scientific Director for BioCanRx, a funding network hosted by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Bell also works with a number of pharmaceutical companies serving as a scientific advisor to Transgene, co-founder of Turnstone Biologics and Jennerex (now SillaJen), where he served as chief scientific officer of Jennerex.
Oncolytic viruses are existing viruses which are genetically engineered to selectively target the gene expression of cancer cells, while not altering healthy cells. One such virus is pexastimogene devacirepvec (pexa-vec), which Bell has been involved with developing. Therapies like pexa-vec have multiple mechanisms including infecting and killing cancer cells, creating an immune response to help the body’s immune system fight off cancer and disrupting blood flow of the tumor. Pexa-vec specifically, is a modified smallpox vaccine.
Currently, none of the potential therapeutics which Bell has worked on have been approved by regulatory agencies such as the FDA. However, findings from these trials have been cited and have contributed to advancing scientific understanding of viruses as part of cancer treatment. Bell, alongside his team, oversees the design and coordination of the clinical trials while also managing the raising of funds.
Bell did not always know he was going to go into academic research. His first involvement in research was during his undergraduate honors thesis. “I liked it and I was pretty good at it,” he explained in an interview. “I wasn’t thinking about the distant future. I was just thinking about my next job. I found something and I said ‘I have to keep doing this until someone tells me to stop.’”
He also values the contribution of his various collaborators and those who work alongside him. “I have a lot of great people that work for me.” The CCR described Bell “as a kind and supportive mentor who encourages his trainees to innovate and collaborate.”
“I’m a big Terry Fox person” said the 71 year old recipient, when asked about people who inspire him. Bell remembers watching Terry Fox on TV during his famous Marathon of Hope. John Bell named one of his sons Terry, after the late Terry Fox. Bell is the chair of the board of directors at the Terry Fox Foundation. As a researcher at the Ottawa General Hospital, Bell shared that he is inspired by witnessing the challenges faced by patients seeking treatments for cancer. He explained this motivates him to contribute to the development of new cancer therapies.
Bell emphasizes the role of public support in cancer research. Both taxes and voluntary financial contributions support the investigation of novel cancer treatments. “It’s important that people continue to do things to help support cancer research,” he said showing his gratitude towards public support of research.
