Two Victorian research teams will share $2.6 million in funding under the first round of the Victorian Government’s Children’s Cancer CoLab’s Safer Therapies Program to improve children’s cancer treatments.
Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Danny Pearson today announced funding recipients, Associate Professor Rachel Conyers and Professor Mark Dawson.
Associate Professor Conyers is leading a Murdoch Children’s Research Institute program exploring ways to reduce the toxic side effects and improve outcomes for children after undergoing cancer treatments.
Professor Dawson from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is set to lead a research project to develop a new type of cell therapy to improve the safety of bone marrow transplants in childhood cancer patients.
Every year, more than 1,000 children and adolescents in Australia are diagnosed with cancer and must undergo invasive, painful treatments including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Many cancer treatments are not designed for children’s developing bodies and lead to adverse effects and long-term health issues.
“This program is supporting our world-class researchers to develop groundbreaking and age-appropriate treatments to give kids the best chance to beat cancer and live healthy lives,” said Minister Pearson.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – an apt time to celebrate the work of the Children’s Cancer CoLab, which brings together the best and brightest minds to undertake cutting-edge research to tackle childhood cancer, said Health Minister, Mary-Anne Thomas.
“We’re continuing to back our talented medical researchers so that children undergoing cancer treatment can access the care they need in new ways that are safe, more comfortable and less harmful to their overall wellbeing,” she said.
“With 80% of childhood cancer survivors facing debilitating lifelong side effects from their treatment, these two outstanding projects will help patients survive and thrive,” said Children’s Cancer CoLab Chief Executive Officer, Dr Udani Reets.
