Recruitment at the
Rosalind & Morris
Goodman Cancer Institute
The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Instittue (GCI) is dedicated to shaping the future of cancer research by recruiting exceptional graduate students from across Canada and beyond. Our Annual Recruitment Event is a key part of this mission, connecting aspiring researchers with the institute's vibrant academic community.
Through the Annual Graduate Recruitment Event, we offer top applicants a unique chance to visit the institute, meet current graduate students and faculty, and learn about cutting-edge research opporunities.
Applications for 2026
are now open
Are you interested in pursuing graduate studies in cancer research with us?
Apply to attend our annual Graduate Student Recruitment Event for a unique opportunity to explore the GCI and learn about our cutting-edge research and scientific platforms.
Top applicants will be invited to attend the event that aims to be both informative and convivial. We will introduce the GCI’s extensive training program and provide an opportunity to meet with existing graduate students and cancer scientists.
Selected invitees will then be offered a scholarship for Fall 2026 or Winter 2027 admission. Please note that all travel expenses will be covered for invited students unless specified otherwise.
The deadline to apply is December 1st, 2025.
Join us for a live information session on Monday, November 3rd at 5pm EST to ask questions and learn more about the program. More details regarding day and time of the information session will be added soon.
Interested candidates must complete an online registration form HERE.
Within the online registration form, applicants will be asked to upload the following information in 1 single pdf:
- An up-to-date CV with valid contact information
- A letter of intent (maximum 2 pages) and
- A copy of your most recent transcripts (these do not need to be official for the purpose of this event)
Registration is open
Deadline to submit an application
December 1st, 2024
In-person Events
January 23rd - 24th 2025
- Demonstrated interest in biomedical research
- Enrolled in a B.Sc. or M.Sc. program
- GPA of 3.6 out of 4.3 for M.Sc. & Ph.D. candidates; international students will be evaluated on individual basis.
The GCI is committed to equity and diversity in the recruitment of its trainees. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities as well as others who may contribute to diversification.
The following investigators are recruiting new students. Potential applicants should not contact these investigators directly. Instead, applicants should indicate the names of the investigators they are interested in on their application.
Prof. Chen’s lab focuses on:
- Design non-viral delivery systems to achieve precise and efficient gene delivery for disease treatment.
- Develop strategies for cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)-mediated cancer immunotherapy, and discover the underlying fundamental knowledge of CAP on immune systems.
- Design and leverage biomaterials to reprogram favorable immune functions for treating diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and transplant rejection.
Prof. Chen’s research goals include engineering intelligent biomaterials for drug delivery, towards precision medicine. His group is also interested in understanding and exploiting the interactions between biomaterials and biological systems for therapeutic applications. Their research is being conducted in a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment, bridging engineering with materials science, chemistry, biology, and health sciences.
What we are
currently
working on
Our laboratory focuses on engineering intelligent biomaterials for drug delivery, with the ultimate goal towards precision medicine. We are also interested in understanding and exploiting the interactions between biomaterials and biological systems for therapeutic applications. Our research is being conducted in a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment, bridging engineering with materials science, chemistry, biology, and health sciences. Specific research directions are:
- Immunothérapie basée sur les biomatériaux La modulation du système immunitaire par les biomatériaux a émergé comme une solution prometteuse pour traiter les maladies liées aux dysfonctionnements immunitaires. Nous nous concentrons sur la conception et l'utilisation de biomatériaux pour reprogrammer des fonctions immunitaires favorables pour le traitement de maladies, y compris le cancer, les maladies auto-immunes et le rejet de greffe.
Biomaterials-based immunotherapy Biomaterials-mediated modulation of immune systems has emerged as a promising solution for treating immune-dysfunction-related diseases. We focus on design and leverage biomaterials to reprogram favorable immune functions for treating diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and transplant rejection.
- Immunothérapie du cancer médiée par le plasma froid atmosphérique Le plasma froid atmosphérique (« cold atmospheric plasma » – CAP), un gaz ionisé composé d'espèces chargées, de radicaux et de photons, est généré à pression atmosphérique et /température ambiante et a démontré un grand potentiel pour de nombreuses applications biomédicales, y compris pour le traitement du cancer. Notre recherche en lien avec ce sujet se concentrera sur le développement de stratégies pour du CAP et sur la synergie entre la thérapie par le CAP et l'immunothérapie du cancer. Nous découvrirons également les connaissances fondamentales sous-jacentes du CAP sur les systèmes immunitaires. Cold atmospheric plasma-mediated cancer immunotherapy Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), an ionized gas composed of charged species, radicals, and photons, generates at atmospheric pressure/room temperature and has demonstrated great promise for many biomedical applications, including cancer treatment. Our research in this line will focus on developing strategies for CAP delivery and synergizing CAP therapy with cancer immunotherapy. We will also discover the underlying fundamental knowledge of CAP on immune systems.
- Édition non virale du génome L'édition du génome offre des solutions prometteuses pour traiter des maladies génétiques autrement incurables en corrigeant les séquences d'ADN ou en régulant l'expression des gènes. Cependant, la livraison de machineries d'édition de génome actives, telles que les composantes CRISPR/Cas, dans les cellules ou tissus cibles in vivo reste un défi. Nous visons à concevoir des systèmes de livraison pour réaliser une édition du génome précise et efficace pour le traitement de maladies. Non-viral genome editing Genome editing offers promising solutions to treat otherwise incurable genetic disorders by correcting DNA sequences or regulating gene expression. However, the delivery of active genome-editing machineries, such as CRISPR/Cas components, into target cells/tissues in vivo remains a challenge. We aim to design delivery systems to achieve precise and efficient genome editing for disease treatment.
- Assistant Professor (2021-present)
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University - Member (2021-present)
Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
- FRQS Chercheurs-boursiers Junior 1 award (2022-2026)
- Young Investigator award, Chinese Association for Biomaterials (CAB), 2022
- Editorial Board member for Biomaterials, 2022-present
- Associate Editor for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2022-present
Our team
Xiaona Cao Candidat.e postdoctoral.e Postdoctoral Fellow 
Mo Chen Étudiant.e de premier cycle gradué.e Graduate Research Trainee 
Guojun Chen Chercheurs principaux PI 
Yueyang Deng Candidat.e postdoctoral.e Postdoctoral Fellow 
Qiujie Fang Étudiant.e au doctorat PhD Student 
Tianxu Fang Étudiant.e au doctorat PhD Student 
Jesse Lee Étudiant.e de premier cycle Undergraduate Student 
Swetha Magesh Étudiant.e à la maîtrise MSc Student 
Tianqin Ning Étudiant.e à la maîtrise MSc Student (co-supervised with Prof. Jianyu Li) 
Shuai Shi Chercheur.se invité.e Visiting Scholar - Xinying Wang Étudiant.e de premier cycle Undergraduate Student
Li Wang Étudiant.e de premier cycle gradué.e Graduate Research Trainee 
Linxuan Zhao Étudiant.e de premier cycle gradué.e Graduate Research Trainee
Major discoveries
- 2023 Injectable cold atmospheric plasma-activated immunotherapeutic hydrogel for enhanced cancer treatment.
- 2021 Portable air-fed cold atmospheric plasma device for post-surgical cancer treatment.
- 2020 Transdermal Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Mediated Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy.
- 2019 A Biodegradable Nanocapsule Delivers A Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complex for In Vivo Genome Editing.
Research Partners
Get in touch
3655 Promenade Sir William Osler
Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6
Office: Room 712A
Lab: Room 712
T. 514-398-1535
T. 514-398-1502
F.
guojun.chen@mcgill.ca
Contact us for any questions about
our recruitment process
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