Community Outreach

RIOT Chapters are actively involved in sharing scientific knowledge and advances with the broader community. The Research Information Outreach Teams (RIOT) at the Canadian Cancer Society aim to make cancer research more accessible by organizing seminars, talks and events.

Libraries and Community Centres

RIOT members deliver insightful talks at local libraries and community centers, covering cancer research topics that matter to the community. These discussions explore the biology of cancer, clinical trial awareness, and strategies for healthy aging during and after cancer. Other key subjects include recent breakthroughs, specific cancer subtypes, and the latest advancements in preventative care.

RIOT presents these talks at a variety of venues, including:

Gilda’s Club
Hope & Cope Wellness Centre
Pancreatic Cancer Canada
Toronto Public Libraries
Union for International Cancer Control

And many others!

Choosing Hope Symposium

RIOT teams host an annual Choosing Hope Symposium led by a different chapter each year. These sessions focus on a topic at the centre of recent developments in cancer research care.

See our previous events:

2025: Coming soon

June 2024: Patient Engagement in Cancer Research

View the event recording here.

Café Scientifique

Café Scientifique is a wonderful opportunity to learn about research outside the traditional academic setting. Taking place at bars, coffee shops or restaurants, you can hear the newest ideas in science and innovation. See the calendar for information on Café Scientifique events CCS researchers are attending.

RIOT chapters organize a variety of events to convey knowledge and information to cancer patients and their families. The overarching aim of this initiative is to help people affected by cancer make informed decisions and better understand cancer and ongoing research.

Patient Engagement

The Colouring for Patient Engagement (CoPE) project provides a unique, human-centered approach to communicating scientific concepts in an accessible and creative way for adults with lived experience of cancer.

In a collaboration between RIOT members and patient partners from BioCanRx, a 14-page pilot version entitled Bridging Understanding: Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Colouring Book for People Living with Cancer is the first step toward bringing this tool to communities across Canada.

If you would like a copy of the colouring book, we invite you to make a donation to CCS using this link so that we can send a copy to you.

Colouring for Patient Engagement

Lab Tours

RIOT members love to share their research and encourage students and community members to become interested in cancer research through hands-on engagement opportunities. RIOT can set up lab tours to allow members of their communities to see cancer research in the laboratory. Please contact RIOT@cancer.ca to learn more.