A new PhD scholarship to honour the legacy of the late Robert (Bob) Edwards is backing research at the University of Newcastle to develop urgent treatments for childhood brain cancer.
For children diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), an aggressive type of cancer that forms in the brainstem and currently has no cure, time is precious. The Bob Edwards & Family PhD Scholarship in Paediatric Cancer will support research within the Paediatric Stream of the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle.
Using stem-cell-derived brain and tumour models, PhD candidate and scholarship recipient, Emma de Somer, will test new drugs to block a troublesome signalling protein that helps tumour cells hide from the immune system. Her research aims to reveal how to make these tumours visible to the immune system, and to identify markers that show when treatments are working, paving the way for more targeted immunotherapies for children facing this otherwise fatal cancer.
“I was initially drawn to this project by the heart of the team behind it. This scholarship has given me the remarkable opportunity to work alongside dedicated researchers, where treatments and outcomes for patients and families are always at the centre of decisions. As DMG is a highly aggressive cancer, it has the ability to adapt to treatments and hide from the immune system. Researching the cellular and systematic processes of DMG and the immune system, requires commitment. This scholarship allows me to focus on advancing scientific understanding to strengthen the fight against DMG,” says Emma.
We are grateful to the Edwards Family for investing in research that offers new hope for children and their families facing paediatric brain cancer.
‘For children with DMG and their families, every advance matters. We thank the Edwards family for funding an emerging researcher, to move promising, patient-focused work forward faster, driving discovery and translation.” Professor Matt Dun OAM, PhD Leader of the Paediatric Stream at the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research
