Science in the Cinema presents: Philadelphia
Presented by the University of Calgary Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, hosted in partnership with the Calgary Public Library.
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Where: Central Library, 800 3 St SE, Calgary, AB
Doors Open: 5:30 pm
Begins at: 6 pm
About the film:
Philadelphia is a powerful film starring Tom Hanks as Andrew Beckett, a successful lawyer at a prestigious Philadelphia law firm. When Beckett is diagnosed with Kaposi’s sarcoma—a cancer strongly linked to HIV/AIDS and known as an opportunistic infection in people with weakened immune systems, including those with AIDS—he is abruptly fired.
Believing his dismissal was due to both his illness and his sexual orientation, Beckett hires a small-time lawyer, played by Denzel Washington, to represent him in a groundbreaking discrimination lawsuit. A key plot point revolves around Beckett’s visible Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions, including a tumor on his forehead, which reveal his HIV status and trigger the bias and discrimination he faces.
The film explores themes of prejudice, justice, and compassion, and was one of the first major Hollywood productions to directly address HIV/AIDS and homophobia. Tom Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his powerful performance.
Join us after the screening for an insightful discussion and Q&A session with experts from the Cumming School of Medicine’s Charbonneau Cancer Institute and the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. We'll explore Kaposi’s sarcoma, its connection to HIV/AIDS, the stigma affecting those living with the disease, and the advancements of the past decade.
FREE admission and popcorn, seating is first-come, first-serve.
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Jennifer Corcoran, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Corcoran, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, and a member of both the Charbonneau Cancer Institute and the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at the Cumming School of Medicine. Her research focuses on uncovering the molecular roots of cancer to enhance treatment strategies. She investigates fundamental cancer biology to advance our understanding of its various forms.
Dr. Corcoran and her lab aim to identify new molecular signatures for improved screening and prevention, as well as discover novel targets for cancer therapies. Dr. Corcoran, and her lab, also studies how long-term viral infections can lead to serious inflammation and increase the risk of cancer. By looking closely at how viruses interact with the body at a molecular level, their research helps us understand how virus-related cancers develop and how we might better prevent or treat them.
Dr. Mariel Kleer, PhD
Dr. Mariel Kleer, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Jennifer Corcoran at the University of Calgary. She completed her undergraduate education in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University where her research was focused on antiviral drug discovery for influenza virus (the “flu”).
In 2019 she moved to University of Calgary where she recently completed her PhD. Both her PhD and postdoctoral work focuses on the cancer-causing virus Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and the role of viral gene expression in tumour initiation. Outside of the lab she can be found running, cycling, hiking, cooking, or reading.
Dr. Raynell Lang, M.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Raynell Lang, M.D., M.Sc., is an Assistant Professor in Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary and is a member of the O’Brien Institute of Public Health and Snyder Institute of Chronic Diseases. She specializes in providing care for people living with HIV and is the Assistant Medical Director of the Southern Alberta Clinic in Calgary, Alberta.
Dr. Lang received her MD from the University of Saskatchewan and completed training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease through the University of Calgary. She received a MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a certificate in research methodology (Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program) through Harvard University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in HIV Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University with the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD).
Dr. Lang’s research involves evaluating the impact of coinfections and comorbidities among people living with HIV, characterizing immunity, inflammation and virologic associations, and identifying markers with predictive capacity to inform clinical care.
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