The cancer researcher and oncologist is helping shape the university's Integrated Health Initiative by connecting patients, students and national research networks, advancing cancer care and inspiring the next generation of health leaders.
For Dr. Tony Reiman, the decision to scale back his full-time clinical oncology practice to focus more on research and teaching wasn't made lightly. But for the long-time cancer specialist, the opportunity to help shape the University of New Brunswick's (UNB) Integrated Health Initiative (IHI) was too important to pass up.
"My main job was to look after cancer patients, and I still do that," said Reiman. "But the research has grown to the point where I just couldn't keep up with it all anymore and do full-time clinical practice."
Reiman, who has been involved in IHI discussions since its inception, said the program has added a new dimension to Saint John's health education and research landscape.
"IHI complements Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick (DMNB), the Saint John Regional Hospital and NBCC's Health Sciences training facility," he said. "It adds undergraduate opportunities for people who are interested in different health careers than the ones we've traditionally prepared students for.
"The Bachelor of Health program has quickly become one of the bigger programs on campus," he added.
The IHI builds on UNB's existing strengths in health education and is designed to attract students eager to pursue a wide range of careers in healthcare, health research and health leadership.
"When the opportunity arose to get more involved, to become a full-time faculty member, to pick up more undergraduate teaching and work with those students to help them discover the many paths they could take it was a great opportunity for me personally and for the community," Reiman said.
Reiman's work is truly integrated, spanning the hospital's oncology clinic, his cancer research lab at DMNB and UNB classrooms. About 80 per cent of his workload is now dedicated to research, teaching and service to the university.
His research focuses primarily on multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the bone marrow. Patient partnerships are central to this work.
"Our patients provide blood and bone marrow samples, which we study in the lab. We share them with colleagues across the country and think about new ways to monitor and treat this cancer," said Reiman. Patients are also partners on our research teams.
Students undergraduate, graduate, medical and postdoctoral play a hands-on role.
One recent undergraduate project examined how drugs used for diabetes and heart disease interact with myeloma treatments. Another student, who went on to Harvard, analyzed publicly available genetic data to identify potential new therapeutic targets.
Reiman's research program has three main pillars: clinical trials of new cancer therapies, laboratory studies on cancer biology and monitoring, and supportive care research aimed at improving patients' quality of life.
Clinical trials, often conducted in collaboration with national and international networks, can change how cancer is treated worldwide.
"These studies provide patients with access to therapies years before they become routinely available in Canada," he said.
Lab-based projects focus on understanding disease mechanisms and developing cutting-edge monitoring techniques, such as measuring minimal residual disease the small amounts of cancer that persist after treatment.
His supportive care research includes collaborations with IHI dean Dr. Lisa Best on the intersection of cancer and mental health, exploring topics like work-life balance and sexual health after cancer, and evaluating interventions to improve psychological flexibility.
Recently, Reiman's team participated in a 17-year international clinical trial led by colleagues in Edmonton and Kingston, investigating whether a structured exercise program could reduce colon cancer recurrence and improve survival.
The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the exercise intervention was as effective as many cancer drugs.
"This kind of evidence should prompt us to consider investing in cancer rehabilitation programs as part of our public healthcare system," said Reiman.
For him, the goal of all his work whether in the clinic, the lab or the classroom is the same: to help people diagnosed with cancer live longer and better lives.
"Eighty years ago, [the likelihood of] surviving five years after a cancer diagnosis was about 25 per cent. Now it's about 65 per cent," said Reiman. "That's largely thanks to advances made through research."
In addition to advancing cancer care, Reiman sees his role within IHI as an opportunity to inspire the next generation of health professionals and researchers.
"There's lots more work to be done," he said. "Getting undergraduate students excited about it, engaging medical and graduate students, helping them launch their careers they'll be the ones looking after us one day and doing the research to make our lives better."
For Reiman, the power of UNB's Integrated Health Initiative lies in its collaborative spirit.
"It's a team effort. None of this happens without people coming together universities, hospitals, research networks, patients and students," he said. "That's how we make the most impact."
