$5 million funding boost for cancer research

The Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler announced a significant boost of $5.15 million in research funding through Cancer Australia’s Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS) to pave the way for important developments in cancer research.

The 13 successful grant applications for cancer research projects address the 2022 PdCCRS research priorities and focus on a broad range of cancers. These include brain, colorectal, lung, melanoma, prostate, gynaecological cancers and haematological (blood) cancers such as acute myeloid leukaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma.

The Australian Government, through Cancer Australia, will invest $3.93 million, with funding partners contributing $1.21 million, to the successful projects. The funding partners are Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation, Can Too Foundation, Leukaemia Foundation, Lung Foundation Australia, My Room Children’s Cancer Charity Limited and The Kids’ Cancer Project.

Since its inception in 2007, 479 grants totalling $169.5 million have been funded through this scheme.

The PdCCRS fosters collaboration between government, funding partners and cancer researchers and supports cancer research that will have a direct impact on clinical practice, policy and patient outcomes.

Successful applicants and their projects are:

• Dr Lauren Aoude, The University of Queensland — Radiomics analysis to improve outcomes for melanoma patients
• Prof Fraser Brims, Curtin University — Improving lung cancer care: the lung cancer clinical quality data platform (LUCAP)
• Dr Jessica Da Gama Duarte, Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Centre, La Trobe University — Early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of lung cancers
• Dr Tessa Gargett, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network — Targeting the DC-T cell axis to treat glioblastoma
• Dr Jithendra Gunawardana, University of Queensland — Harnessing the tumour microenvironment to stratify and treat nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Dr Mitchell Lawrence, Monash University — Boosting PSMA levels in prostate cancer
• Dr Vasilios Panagopoulos, University of Adelaide — Targeted inhibition of myeloperoxidase (MPO): A new therapeutic strategy to prevent multiple myeloma disease progression
• Dr Amelia Parker, Garvin Institute of Medical Research — Targeting the CTHRC1-Wnt axis as a precision medicine approach in squamous lung cancer
• A/Prof Oliver Sieber, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research — Personalising first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
• Dr Klaartje Somers, Children’s Cancer Institute, University of New South Wales — Targeting NAD metabolism to overcome therapeutic resistance in adult and paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia
• Dr Joshua Tobin, Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland — The role of lipids in the immune fitness of malignant B cells, intratumoral T cells and CAR-T cells in follicular lymphoma
• Prof Penelope Webb, The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR Berghofer) — Linking routine health data to investigate variation and inequality in care and survival to improve outcomes for women with cervical, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancer in Australia
• Dr Howard Chi Ho Yim, Microbiome Research Centre, University of New South Wales — A novel probiotic as a preventive strategy for colorectal neoplasia.
   

“These PdCCRS grants illustrate the government’s commitment to investing in world-leading cancer research that will help improve the lives of Australians affected by cancer,” Butler said.

The PdCCRS is an annual national research grants scheme conducted by Cancer Australia in collaboration with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

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