Dr. Michael Pollak is a distinguished medical oncologist and internationally recognized authority in cancer prevention research at McGill University in Montreal. He holds the prestigious Alexander Goldfarb Research Chair in Medical Oncology and serves as Professor in both the Departments of Medicine and Oncology at McGill University. After completing his bachelor's degree in biology and computer services followed by his medical degree at McGill University, he established himself as a leading figure in cancer research with clinical practice at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Dr. Pollak directs the Division of Cancer Prevention within McGill's Department of Oncology and leads the Cancer Prevention Centre at the Segal Cancer Centre, where he oversees comprehensive programs focused on reducing cancer incidence through evidence-based interventions. His dual role as clinician and researcher enables him to bridge laboratory discoveries with patient care, particularly through involvement in clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents targeting growth factor pathways.
Dr. Pollak's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of hormonal influences on cancer, particularly the critical roles of insulin and insulin-like growth factors in cancer biology. His laboratory's work on insulin and IGF physiology in relation to cancer has been cited more than 42,500 times, reflecting its profound impact on the field, with an impressive H-index of 115 across over 485 publications. His seminal 1998 Science paper on plasma insulin-like growth factor-I and prostate cancer risk, which has garnered over 1,500 citations, established a crucial link between metabolic factors and cancer development. As a direct result of his discoveries, at least a dozen pharmaceutical companies have launched targeted drug development programs addressing novel molecular targets related to growth factor pathways. His research has catalyzed a paradigm shift in understanding how energy balance, including exercise and dietary patterns, influences cancer risk, demonstrating that optimizing these factors can significantly reduce cancer incidence.
Beyond his laboratory research, Dr. Pollak serves as Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Prevention Research, the international journal published by the American Association for Cancer Research, shaping the direction of the field globally through rigorous scientific standards. He has been elected to the prestigious Royal Society of Canada (2019) and is a Fellow of both the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, recognizing his exceptional contributions to medicine. His collaborative approach is evident through extensive partnerships with leading cancer research groups worldwide in laboratory, clinical, and epidemiologic studies related to growth factor pathways. Dr. Pollak's current work continues to explore the connections between metabolism and cancer, with recent research examining how dietary interventions can enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapies. As a translational pragmatist, he remains committed to bridging the gap between basic science discoveries and clinical applications that can directly benefit cancer patients and reduce the overall burden of cancer by up to 50 percent through comprehensive prevention strategies.
