One in two of us will face cancer. This episode follows a Nova Scotian scientist who discovered ALDH1A3 and risked everything to try to turn it into a therapy.

Episode breakdown & timestamps:

00:00 — Cold statistic and the stakes: why every cancer discovery matters. We open with the brutal reality: despite promising lab results, only ~10% of discoveries become human therapies.

02:00 — The enemy explained. Dr. Paola Marcato breaks down what cancer and metastasis really are and why targeting spread is critical.

06:00 — The scientist’s path. Paola’s pivot from bacterial research to oncology, mentorship at Dalhousie, and the moment the lab “whispered” a secret.

12:00 — The discovery: ALDH1A3 — a supercharger enzyme linked to aggressive, treatment‑resistant tumours and why it matters for precision medicine.

14:30 — The choice: translate to a drug or stay in the lab. The moral, financial and scientific risks of starting Theranib in Nova Scotia.

Guest bio & credentials:

Dr. Paola Marcato — cancer biologist at Dalhousie University and co‑founder of Theranib. Her work identified ALDH1A3 as a driver of aggressive, metastatic cancer phenotypes and sparked a translational effort to develop targeted therapies.

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