Sunnybrook Announces the Marg Gillespie Precision Oncology Centre to Advance Personalized Cancer Care

$29 million in philanthropic support is the reason Sunnybrook will create a purpose-built clinical trials hub to accelerate discovery, advance personalized cancer care and increase access to emerging therapies for future patients.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is proud to announce plans to build the Marg Gillespie Precision Oncology Centre, made possible by $29 million in philanthropic support from Sunnybrook’s donor community, including a lead gift from the Gillespie family.

Expected to open in 2029, the 7,800-square-foot space located within Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre, will increase Sunnybrook’s capacity to lead cancer research and support a broader range of clinical trials.

“Every patient is unique and so is their cancer. Their treatment should be too,” said Dr. Monika Krzyzanowska, Chief, Odette Cancer Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “This centre will bring that vision to life and give more patients access to the latest therapies and clinical trials in a space designed around their needs. It will strengthen our ability to attract leading talent, partners and conduct high-impact trials that will shape cancer care in Canada.”

At Sunnybrook, research and patient care go hand in hand. Building on Sunnybrook's leadership in research and clinical trials, the future Marg Gillespie Precision Oncology Centre will help strengthen Canada's capacity to lead more high-impact precision oncology research. The discoveries, innovations and collaborations supported by this work have the potential to improve cancer care for patients in Toronto, across Canada and around the world. Plans for the centre include exam and procedure rooms, clinical trial consultation and monitoring spaces, a biospecimen collection zone with laboratory access and a dedicated nuclear oncology clinic offering precision radioactive treatments.

The Odette Cancer Program currently has more than 150 active cancer clinical trials, with nearly 10,000 patients participating in research. The future Marg Gillespie Precision Oncology Centre will build on this momentum by providing innovative, integrated space designed to accelerate discovery, advance personalized cancer care and increase access to new and emerging therapies for future patients.

The centre is named in honour of Marg Gillespie, a nurse and single mother who was treated for breast cancer at Sunnybrook. Marg believed there could always be another option, another treatment, and Sunnybrook’s care supported her in pursuing those possibilities throughout her cancer journey. After she passed away in March 2025, her family stepped forward with a lead gift to honour her legacy and determination to fight the disease. Their gift transforms one family’s deeply personal experience into a lasting impact, helping drive research and innovation and offering new hope to patients and families for generations to come.

“Philanthropy at its best changes what’s possible for patients, and the Marg Gillespie Precision Oncology Centre is a powerful example,” says Kelly Cole, President & CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation. “Our donors are the reason Sunnybrook can invest in space, technology and the expertise needed to make personalized care a reality for more patients. Led by the Gillespie family’s generous gift, this support is creating new possibilities for patients and advancing what Sunnybrook can achieve in cancer care.”

This new centre is a key part of Sunnybrook’s broader philanthropic vision to expand access to clinical research and bring promising new treatments to patients faster. It builds on the $41 million philanthropic investment announced in April 2026 to create Sunnybrook Clinical Trials.

Learn more about the Marg Gillespie Precision Oncology Centre and how you can support this work through the Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Program.

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care with 1.2 million patient visits each year and more than 16,000 dedicated staff, learners and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres.

Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and leading national program for the care of Canada's war veterans.

For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care, please visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca.