The PAC Lab

10/05/2026

A day well spent outside the lab! ☀️🩷

Aidan, Debbie, Olivia, and Claire participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure this weekend! They showed up to support breast cancer research and awareness - well done team! 🙌

06/16/2026

Hello Instagram - we’re back! 👋

Welcome to the Physical Activity and Cancer (PAC) Lab!

We are dedicated to studying how physical activity and exercise can support individuals living with or affected by a cancer diagnosis.

Our research explores how exercise can help individuals:
✔️ Prepare for treatment and surgery
✔️ Better cope with and respond to treatments
✔️ Recover from treatments
✔️ Improve progression-free and long-term survival

✨ Our vision is to make physical activity and exercise a part of standard cancer care.

📍Where we are: 5th floor of the Dickson Building at the QEII Health Sciences Centre

Welcome to our community and thanks for following along!

06/16/2026

Kicking off our team introductions with our wonderful research coordinator Olivia! ⭐️

From scheduling participant appointments to supporting our research projects behind the scenes, Olivia helps keep everything running smoothly. If things seem organized around here, there’s a good chance Olivia had something to do with it.

Thanks for all you do, Olivia!

12/11/2025

This locally foraged ornamentation brought in by one of our awesome participants got it's workout in this morning 💪😃👍. It's always nice to see more people and plants getting the benefits of a structured fitness program!

11/10/2025

"The Health Hack is that if your doctor doesn't raise the benefit of you participating in a structured, physical activity program as part of your cancer therapy, ask them how to get one started. There is now no doubt that this is part of the formula for cancer survivorship."

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-27-information-morning-ns/clip/16179518-health-hacks-312-physical-activity-treatment-cancer

11/10/2025

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-27-information-morning-ns/clip/16179518-health-hacks-312-physical-activity-treatment-cancer

"The Health Hack is that if your doctor doesn't raise the benefit of you participating in a structured, physical activity program as part of your cancer therapy, ask them how to get one started. There is now no doubt that this is part of the formula for cancer survivorship."

07/22/2025

https://cancer.ca/en/about-us/stories/2025/quality-of-life-people-with-brain-cancer
📣 Check out this blog from the about how the RESIST study is helping people with
💪 helps boost mental and physical well-being for people living with and beyond
👉 Contact us to learn more or to join one of our exercise studies for people living with and beyond cancer
👍 If you live in the Maritimes and have any type of cancer diagnosis, you may be eligible to participate in one of our exercise studies

Dr Melanie Keats is using exercise to help people living with glioblastoma enjoy life.

06/02/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvMICD2syS8

Exercise is safe, beneficial, and recommended across the cancer continuum. Help make exercise part of cancer care by asking your doctor about exercise!

👉Exercise has a wide range of beneficial effects on psychological and physiological outcomes AND can have direct effects on cancer and its treatment.
👉If you have had a cancer diagnosis and are pre-treatment, on treatment, or within 3-5 years of treatment, you are likely eligible to participate in one of our exercise studies. Call or email the PAC Lab to learn more.

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that including exercise as part of colon cancer recovery can help reduce the risk of a relapse an...

01/17/2025

EXCEL exercise classes are for EVERYONE who is within three years of completing cancer treatment.

Check out this interview with an EXCEL participant about their experience in the exercise program:
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-30-island-morning/clip/16121182-how-upeis-cancer-exercise-program-helping-one-survivor

EXCEL Exercise classes are getting started next week - it's not too late to register: [email protected]

12/18/2024

Exercise for those living with and beyond cancer can help combat side effects throughout the entire cancer journey. Fatigue, sleep, & depression/anxiety are common side effects that can be managed with exercise!


If you are interested in joining a FREE, 12-week exercise research program and you live in the Maritimes, EXCEL (EXercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well) is the perfect program for you! To learn more or sign up, email us at [email protected]!