The Heather Cutler Foundation

The Heather Cutler Foundation’s mission is simple. To improve outcomes for Canadians facing pancreatic cancer.

The Heather Cutler Foundation is a Canadian charity headquartered in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador. Established in 2024, the Foundation is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for Canadians diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was founded in memory of Heather Cutler, a registered nurse whose transition from nurse to patient revealed firsthand the systemic gaps in access to care for Canadians facing pancreatic cancer.

The Foundation operates at the intersection of public policy, precision medicine, and lived experience, with a mandate to advance national conversations on clinical trial access, drug and research funding, molecular profiling, and support for Canadians living with pancreatic cancer. Through coalition building and policy engagement, the organization works to improve visibility around systemic gaps in care, particularly in provinces outside major urban centres.

In 2024, the Foundation initiated e-petition e-5186, the first federal petition in Canadian history focused exclusively on pancreatic cancer. In 2025, it launched e-petition e-6492 (Health), the first pancreatic cancer petition in Canada to trigger an official government response. Sponsored by Member of Parliament Tom Osborne (Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador), the petition calls for national action to improve clinical trial access; the establishment of national guidelines that incorporate precision medicine—including somatic testing—and clinical trials; expanded research funding; the removal of geographic and financial barriers; and support for the modernization of clinical trial infrastructure through Health Canada’s clinical trial modernization efforts and the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT), led by the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN).

In 2025, the Foundation established ‘Pancreatic Cancer Policy Builders of Tomorrow’, a national policy research and training program for undergraduate students at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The program engages students in applied policy research focused on the complex challenges facing Canadians with pancreatic cancer, with particular attention to issues of access and equity outside major urban centres. It includes a stakeholder speaker series and integrated mentorship from professionals in health research and policy. The program culminates in an annual public report and a formal policy submission to the Standing Committee on Health.

The Heather Cutler Foundation is a member of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition, Cancer Action Now, CanCertainty, CanReview, Volunteer Canada, and Imagine Canada. Its collaborations span Canada’s cancer advocacy, research, and nonprofit sectors. As a volunteer-led organization, the Foundation continues to advance national efforts to improve survival, access, and outcomes for Canadians facing pancreatic cancer, with a focus on ensuring equitable care for rural, remote, and underserved communities.