Bringing Cancer Sciences to the Next Generation: Let’s Talk Cancer at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute

What does a day at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) look like? 30 high school students and their teachers got to experience it a few weeks ago.

The GCI hosted the Let’s Talk Cancer Symposium event on March 26, 2026 , co-led by Research Information Outreach Team (RIOT) Montreal and Let’s Talk Science – McGill, designed to open the doors of academic science to young people and demonstrate what cancer research actually looks like from the inside. The day brought together keynote addresses, a talk on animal models in research by MICAM, hands-on wet lab workshops, lab tours, and activities addressing cancer knowledge and science misinformation.

“I think academic research as a field can seem opaque, and there is a lot to be gained in demystifying the workings of scientific research”, explains GCI trainee Aristophane Chay, one of the two RIOT youth outreach co-leads, “we aim to inspire the next generation of scientists”.

One of the highlights was a panel discussion that brought together voices rarely heard in the same room: graduate students, a principal investigator, a clinician-scientist, a genetic counsellor, and a patient-partner. The conversation offered students a window into the many ways people engage with cancer – not just as scientists, but as caregivers, patients, and community members.

Behind the scenes, 17 volunteers from RIOT Montreal and Let’s Talk Science McGill made it all happen. Drawing from the GCI and other research backgrounds, the team coordinated every activity, presentation, and workshop – a true collaborative effort.

The event reflects a belief that science literacy around cancer benefits everyone: understanding the biology, prevention, and clinical landscape of cancer is knowledge worth having.

For the organizers, events like this are as rewarding to run as they are to attend. Communicating complex topics to a curious lay audience is what science outreach is all about.