SES Science Speaker Series 2025

The Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies proudly presents:

Dr. Jinqiang Hou
Are We Winning the War on Cancer?

The "War on Cancer" was launched in 1971 by U.S. President Richard Nixon with the goal of finding a cure through intensified research. Half a century later, we have learned to treat many cancers better than ever before, especially in their early stages. Advances in early detection, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and precision radiation have dramatically improved survival rates for several cancers, including breast and prostate. We have won some battles. Yet, beneath the optimism lies a hard truth: cancer has now surpassed cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in Canada.

We are not yet winning the war. So the question is: are we fighting the right enemy? In this presentation, I will explore the major challenges in cancer treatment and what we may have overlooked in our pursuit of a cure from chemistry perspective. I will also share my lab's efforts to discover "magic molecules" that could potentially turn aggressive cancers into chronic or even benign conditions. Our goal is not to destroy cancer, but to redefine how we live with it. 

About the speaker

Dr. J.Q. Hou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Lakehead University and the LU-TBRHRI Research Chair in Radiochemistry, as well as a Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. His research focuses on discovering and engineering novel molecules as potential migrastatics designed to inhibit cancer spread, and developing radiolabeled tracers for early detection of metastasis using positron emission tomography (PET). His laboratory integrates organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, radiochemistry, cancer biology, and AI-assisted drug discovery to tackle one of the deadliest but historically overlooked challenges in oncology: metastasis, the cause of over 90% of cancer-related deaths.