The Team

Dr. Mark Levine is a Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He holds the Buffett Taylor Chair in Breast Cancer Research at McMaster University. He practiced medical oncology for 36 years and is still devoting time to research.

He received his medical degree from McGill University and completed training in hematology and oncology at Duke University Medical Centre, returning to McMaster to pursue additional training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University.

Dr. Levine has been an active researcher in clinical trials and health services research in the areas of breast cancer and venous thromboembolism. A number of the trials he has conducted have been landmark studies influencing healthcare in both Canada and internationally. Through this work he helped establish the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG) and led the group in the position of Director for over 35 years, from 1984-2021.
Dr. Levine also has over 310 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has brought significant research funding to McMaster University.

Dr. Levine has held numerous prominent professional positions throughout his career serving as Chairman of Health Canada's Steering Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Care & Treatment of Breast Cancer, as well as Associate and Consultant Editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He was an Associate Editor for JAMA Network Open.

In addition, Dr. Levine has been the recipient of several prestigious accolades that include the O. Harold Warwick Prize from the National Cancer Institute of Canada and Order of Canada both acknowledging life-time accomplishments and contributions to the medical field as a clinical researcher.

Dr. Wright is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is a practicing radiation oncologist with clinical expertise in the treatment of head and neck and lung cancers. Dr. Wright received his medical degree from McMaster University and received training in radiation oncology at McMaster and the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC). He completed a Master’s degree in the Health Research Methodology program at McMaster University.

Dr. Wright held the position of Division Head of Radiation Oncology at the JCC from 2012-2021. Dr. Wright also held the position of Medical Director of the JCC Clinical Trials Department from 1998-2008. Dr. Wright holds the position of Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board (OCREB) and he is the current Chair of the Canadian Clinical Trials Group Data Safety Monitoring Committee.

Dr. Wright has extensive experience in the conduct of clinical trials as a clinical investigator, having been involved in a number of studies in head and neck and lung cancer as well as health services research, particularly focused on patient recruitment to clinical trials.

Dr. Timothy Whelan is currently Director of the Supportive Cancer Care Research (SCCR) Unit, a health services research unit focusing on supportive care needs of cancer patients and the Head of Radiation Oncology Program at the Juravinski Cancer Centre. He is co-Chair of the Breast Disease Site Group for the NCIC Clinical Trials Group. Dr. Whelan obtained his medical degrees at Oxford University Medical School and was a recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship. After receiving training in radiation oncology at the Princess Margaret Hospital, he completed a Masters degree in Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University as a Terry Fox Research Fellow. He joined the staff of the Juravinski Cancer Centre in 1993 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. His research interests include clinical management of early breast cancer and physician-patient decision making. He was the lead investigator of a trial which established the efficacy and safety of a novel breast radiation regimen for women who have lumpectomy and is considered one of the top trialists in radiation oncology in the world. Dr. Whelan is currently the principal investigator on two clinical trials evaluating the role of radiation therapy for the treatment of early breast cancer. He has also been involved in the development and evaluation of decision aids to facilitate shared decision making between physicians and cancer patients.

Dr. Clive Kearon is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and an Associate Member in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (formerly Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics) at McMaster University, a Consultant with the Clinical Thromboembolism Service at the Juravinski Division of Hamilton Health Sciences, and Program Director of the Clinician Investigator Program at McMaster. He has been a Career Investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and now holds the Jack Hirsh Professorship in Thromboembolism. Dr. Kearon is the recipient of two awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for providing mentorship in the design and conduct of randomized controlled trials, and he is the recipient of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 14th Biennial Investigator Recognition Award (2009). Dr. Kearon is involved in the critical appraisal of the medical literature, the development of practice guidelines, and is the chairperson for the current American College of Chest Physicians guidelines for the treatment of venous thromboembolism.

Dr. Kearon's research focuses on clinical trials designed to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolic disease, and to prevent and treat its long-term complications. He is also undertaking studies to identify the clinical importance, and the management implication, of the presence of biochemical abnormalities that are known to be associated with thromboembolism (thrombophilia). Dr. Kearon's research is supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the National Institute of Health.

Dr. Gregory Pond, the Director of ECRI is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology with an Associate Appointment with the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (formerly Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics), an Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) Investigator. He is also the Director of the Escarpment Cancer Research Institute.

Dr. Pond received his Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Toronto and earlier received degrees from Simon Fraser University and Brock University. Having previously worked at the Mayo Clinic, Princess Margaret Hospital and in industry, Greg joined the OCOG team in 2008. He has co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications and is accredited as a Professional Statistician by the Statistical Society of Canada.

Dr. Sameer Parpia the Associate Director of OCOG is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology with a joint appointment with the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (formerly Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics) at McMaster University. Dr. Parpia received his Ph.D (Biostatistics) and his BSc. (Mathematics & Statistics) from McMaster University, and an MSc. (Biostatistics) from Western University. Sameer joined the OCOG team in 2007 as a senior staff statistician, and transitioned to the faculty in 2015. His broad research interests are in clinical trials and applied biostatistical methods. He contributes to courses in clinical trials methods, diagnostic and prognostic research, and regression in the Health Research Methodology graduate program at McMaster University. He is also an active member of the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Group DSMB and the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board.