The Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) has added to brain cancer research projects, awarding eight new innovation grants totalling $1.578 million.
Medical researchers from around Australia, along with people impacted by brain cancer, will benefit from the research grants announced by the Mark Hughes Foundation last night at the Hunter Medical Research Institute Annual Awards Night.
Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) co-founder, Mark Hughes said thanks to tremendous support and donations from the community, eight researchers from across Australia, including two in the Hunter, will be able to undertake innovative research in the fight against brain cancer.
“My wife Kirralee and I were concerned how COVID-19 would impact fundraising as it’s been a tough year for everyone. But the support from the NRL and wider community during the Beanie for Brain Cancer round in June this year, combined with our amazing supporters still finding a way to fundraise within COVID-19 restrictions, is overwhelming to us,” Mr Hughes said.
Kirralee Hughes added “We are so grateful for the support which enables us to award these grants and give hope to all of us dealing with the reality of brain cancer.”
“In addition to funding this year’s grants, we are also very proud to have funded two new Brain Cancer Care Coordinators to support patients based in Port Macquarie/Coffs Harbour and Tamworth/Armidale and surrounding areas. They will work closely with our MHF nurses already based at John Hunter Hospital and we are very proud of all these achievements during 2020.”
“We also hosted our first national brain cancer research symposium at HMRI in January 2020 and the success of this shows us the power of national collaboration” said Kirralee Hughes.
Click below to watch video footage of the announcement:
Mark Hughes Foundation 2020 Innovation Research Grants Recipients:
Associate Professor Paul Tooney - University of Newcastle and HMRI - whether the brain’s immune cell can be used to track treatment response in high-grade glioma.
Professor Hubert Hondermarck - University of Newcastle and HMRI - for targeting ER stress-induced neurotropism as a therapy in glioblastoma.
Professor Anthony Purcell - Monash University - to investigate novel targets for paediatric brain tumour immunotherapy.
Associate Professor Joshua McCarroll - Children's Cancer Institute - for the development of novel peptide-decorated nanodrug carriers for the treatment of childhood brain cancer.
Professor Michael Brown - Central Adelaide Local Health Network – for using the immune system to target and destroy blood vessels feeding aggressive brain tumours.
Professor Hui Gan - Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute - for therapeutic targeting of the tumour microenvironment in glioblastoma.
Dr Barbara Rolf - University of Queensland - for new immunotherapy for brain cancer.
Dr Amanda Hudson - University of Sydney - for a pilot study into early detection of disease progression in brain cancer.