The Cooper Laboratory is a newly established research group within the Cancer Research Axis at the Centre de recherche du CHUM (CR-CHUM), officially launched on August 1, 2025. The lab currently consists of three members and is growing rapidly within CR-CHUM’s dynamic and collaborative ecosystem. We focus on biomarker discovery for ovarian cancer, integrating mass spectrometry–based proteomics with molecular and cellular biology to understand disease mechanisms and identify new diagnostic or therapeutic targets. Using tumour tissue, biofluids (such as plasma and ascites), and cell-based models, our research explores why ovarian cancer often develops secondary tumours and exhibits poor response to first-line chemotherapies.
Our lab environment emphasizes hands-on learning, scientific curiosity, and teamwork. Interns work alongside senior trainees and collaborators in a supportive setting that values precision, safety, and innovation. The lab promotes interdisciplinary training—combining wet-lab experimentation with computational data analysis—and encourages engagement in lab meetings, data discussions, and CR-CHUM trainee seminars. As part of a hospital-affiliated research centre, interns will be exposed to translational research culture and will gain experience contributing to projects that bridge fundamental discovery with clinical relevance.