Laight | Department of Surgery | School of Medicine

Dr. Brian Laight

Position(s)

PGY1 Resident

Brian Laight is a General Surgery resident at Queen’s University and KHSC, and completed his combined MD/PhD training at Queen’s University, graduating in 2026. His doctoral research focused on how the immune system can be manipulated to improve cancer immunotherapy. He studied the FES tyrosine kinase as a regulator of macrophage and dendritic cell function, demonstrating that disrupting FES enhances pro-inflammatory immune responses, improves CD8+ T-cell activation, and can sensitize otherwise resistant tumours to immune checkpoint blockade. His work strengthened his interest in translating discoveries in tumour immunology into new therapeutic strategies for patients with cancer.

Brian was drawn to General Surgery by the combination of technical challenge, complex problem-solving, and the opportunity to make a tangible difference in patients’ lives. Within surgery, he is particularly interested in the surgical management of cancer, in both curative and palliative settings, as well as the management of complex malignancies. He is drawn to technically challenging operations, multidisciplinary cancer care, and specialties such as hepatopancreatobiliary, colorectal, and thoracic surgery. Long term, he hopes to develop a career as a surgeon-scientist, combining an active surgical practice with translational research focused on developing new cancer therapies and bringing promising discoveries from the laboratory into clinical trials.

Outside of medicine and research, Brian enjoys staying active with fitness goals and competing in obstacle courses, as well as playing golf, wine tasting, and travelling. He particularly enjoys exploring new places and culinary experiences with friends and family and spending time with his fiancée and their cat, Larry.

Team

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