Cancer researchers receive significant financial boost

Release Date

Australian cancer researchers will receive a significant financial boost from $9.01 million in funding through Cancer Australia’s Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS).

The PdCCRS is an annual research grants scheme developed by Cancer Australia that brings together different funders of cancer research and provides a national approach to funding in identified priority areas.

This year, the Australian Government, through Cancer Australia, will invest $5.35 million, with funding partners contributing $3.66 million, to fund the successful grant applications.

Cancer Australia CEO Professor Helen Zorbas said the scheme brings together government and non-government organisations to maximise investment in cancer research at a national level.

“The PdCCRS fosters collaboration between cancer researchers which builds Australia’s cancer research capacity, impacts on practice and policy, and improves outcomes for people affected by cancer.” Professor Zorbas said.

“Research to receive funding this year includes investigations into novel markers for detection and diagnosis of cancer, and research into improved cancer treatments.”

Since its inception in 2007, 265 grants totalling $92 million have been funded through the scheme.

Twenty-three cancer research projects this year will be funded or co-funded by Cancer Australia, Cancer Council Australia, Cancer Council NSW, Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, and The Kids’ Cancer Project.

The PdCCRS is conducted by Cancer Australia in collaboration with The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Successful applicants of the 2014 round of PdCCRS:

Batra, Jyotsna

Queensland University of Technology

Identification of HNF1B downstream targets as novel cancer therapeutic targets and biomarkers

Co-funded by Cure Cancer Australia Foundation and Cancer Australia

 

Butler, Lisa

University of Adelaide

Molecular hallmarks of heat shock protein 90 inhibition in prostate cancer

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

Campbell, Ian

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Improving population based mammographic screening

Funded by National Breast Cancer Foundation

 

Davis, Ian

Monash University

Pain Free TRUS B: A placebo-controlled, randomised trial of methoxyflurane to reduce the discomfort of prostate biopsy

Co-funded by Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Cancer Australia

 

Day, Bryan

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Eph Receptor tyrosine kinases as targets for therapy in paediatric medulloblastoma

Co-funded by The Kids’ Cancer Project, Cure Cancer Australia Foundation and Cancer Australia

 

Fogarty, Gerald

University of Sydney

ANZMTG 01.07 Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT) following local treatment of intracranial metastases of melanoma – a randomised phase III trial.

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

Foley, Bree

Telethon Institute for Child Health Research

Enhancing NK cell mediated anti-tumour responses

Funded by Cure Cancer Australia Foundation

 

George, Jacob

Westmead Hospital, Sydney

HCC Outcomes mitigation and disease PrEvention through Clinical Partnerships (HOPE)

Funded by Cancer Council NSW

 

Guimaraes, Fernando

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Targeting suppressive TGF-βR and A2AR pathways in natural killer (NK) cells: Enhancing the anti-metastatic response against breast cancer progression.

Co-funded by Cure Cancer Australia Foundation and Cancer Australia

 

Guitera, Pascale

University of Sydney

ANZMTG 01.12 RADICAL – RADiotherapy (RT) or Imiquimod (ImiQ) in Complex lentigo mALigna (LM)

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

Hannan, Ross

University of Melbourne

Novel combination therapies targeting the ribosome to treat prostate cancer (PC)

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

Haydon, Andrew

The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne

SCOT - Short Course Oncology Therapy - A study of adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

Hollier, Brett

Queensland University of Technology

Targeting neuropilin-1 to inhibit prostate cancer metastasis and therapy resistance

Co-funded by Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Cancer Australia

 

Huang, Chen-Yu

University of Sydney

Real-time Six Degree of Freedom Tumour Motion Management in Cancer Radiotherapy

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

Hutchinson, Andrew

University of Technology Sydney

Preclinical assessment of phosphatidylserine targeting mAbs in multiple myeloma

Funded by Cure Cancer Australia Foundation

 

Keall, Paul

University of Sydney

SPARK: STEREOTACTIC PROSTATE ADAPTIVE RADIOTHERAPY UTILISING KILOVOLTAGE INTRAFRACTION MONITORING

Co-funded by Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Cancer Australia

 

Kovacevic, Zaklina

University of Sydney

Molecular functions of the iron regulated Metastasis Suppressor, NDRG1 and its potential as a molecular target

Co-funded by Cure Cancer Australia Foundation and Cancer Australia

 

Lakhani, Sunil 

University of Queensland

Unravelling clinical and molecular heterogeneity in metaplastic breast cancer – a unique ‘stem cell like’ malignancy

Funded by National Breast Cancer Foundation

 

Mileshkin, Linda

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

RECUPERATE: can REaltime molecular profiling in Carcinoma of Unknown Primary improvE tReAtment ouTcomEs?

Funded by Cancer Council Australia

 

Nowak, Anna

University of Western Australia

Phase III trial of Concurrent & Adjuvant Temozolomide chemotherapy in non-1p/19q deleted anaplastic glioma.

Funded by Cancer Australia

 

O’Brien, Ricky

University of Sydney

Reducing Thoracic Imaging Dose and Improving Image Quality in Radiotherapy Treatments

Funded Cancer Australia

 

Pollock, Pamela

Evaluating combination therapies in FGFR2 mutant EC cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models

Funded by Cancer Australia – gynaecological cancers program

 

Siva, Shankar

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Investigating the safety and efficacy, quality of life, cost-efficiency and immune potential of high precision lung radiotherapy

Funded by Cancer Australia – lung cancer program

 

Media contact:

Simon Thomas, Cancer Australia: (02) 9357 6401 or 0438 209 833