February 10th, 2025Research funding awarded to help beat cancer
Marking World Cancer Day, Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas last Tuesday announced six post-doctoral fellowships would be awarded in partnership with the Cancer Council Victoria.
The $2.7 million fellowship funding will go to support early-career researchers who have not yet received significant research funding to investigate the causes, prevention, detection, and supportive care or treatment of cancer.
In alignment with this year’s theme, United by Unique, this year’s recipients are focusing on a diverse range of research areas – highlighting that every experience of cancer is unique.
The recipients of the early-careers funding include:
- Using physical therapy to improve frailty outcomes for children with leukaemia – Dr S Grimshaw, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Preserving female fertility and long-term endocrine function following cancer treatment by inhibiting PUMA – Dr L Alesi, Monash University
- Investigating how parity can protect against triple negative breast cancer – Dr B Virassamy, University of Melbourne
- Blocking key protein interactions to treat mesothelioma – Dr J Troung, RMIT
- Taking the MYC out of colon cancer – Dr L Jenkins, Latrobe University
- Dissecting the role of type 2 innate lymphoid cells in gastric cancer – Dr R O’Keefe, La Trobe University
The investment is also supporting Cancer Council Victoria’s Grants-in-Aid program to support the best and brightest to achieve breakthroughs in cancer research – by discovering and improving prevention, detection, treatment, and care for Victorians affected by cancer.
Supporting cancer research forms a critical component of the Victorian Cancer Plan 2024-2028 launched in September last year – with the new plan focused on improving cancer survival rates and achieving equitable health outcomes for all people living with the disease.
The state has invested more than $400 million to achieve a cancer-free future – by improving diagnoses and survival rates, including $100 million for advanced cancer treatments, $50 million to build the Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre, and $35 million for the Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas: “Victoria has some of the best cancer survival outcomes globally, but there’s more to do – that’s why we’re backing our world-leading researchers, whose dedication could see the next big breakthrough in treatment and care.”
Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson: “We want a future that is cancer-free, and research is critical – from helping to improve early detection, clinical trials, or innovative, lifesaving new treatments.”
