Hal W. Hirte, MD, FRCP(C)

Dr. Hirte is a staff physician in the Department of Medical Oncology at the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre. He was appointed to Head of the Systemic Therapy Programme in 2001, and chairs the Experimental Therapeutics Group at the centre. He is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, and is Head of the division of Medical Oncology, and has a cross-appointment in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine in 1980, and also completed his internal medicine and medical oncology training at the University of Toronto. He then completed a research fellowship at the Biologic Response Modifiers Program at the National Cancer Institute of the US in Frederick, Maryland, followed by additional post-doctoral training in tumour immunology in the Host Resistance Programme at McMaster University.

Dr. Hirte has been active as a principal investigator and co-investigator in phase I, II and III trials for gynecological malignancies. His interests are focussed on the assessment of novel molecular targeted therapies, including signalling inhibitors and anti-angiogenic therapies, and the determination of relevant clinical and molecular endpoint in studies using such agents. He heads the Investigational New Drug Fellowship Programme at the Hamilton Regional Cancer, and is the principal investigator at the centre, for the Princess Margaret-Hamilton-London (PHL) consortium for phase II drug development. He is a member of the NCIC-CTG Investigational New Drug Committee executive, as well as the Gynecologic Oncology Disease Site executive, and chairs the NCIC-CTG Angiogenesis Working Group. In addition, he sits on grants review panels for the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the Cancer Research Society.