JCSMR researchers secure prestigious Cancer Council ACT Research Grants
Dr Teresa Bonello and Dr Rachel Woodhouse from The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) have been awarded the highly esteemed Research Grant from Cancer Council ACT for their pioneering work in cancer research. This significant achievement underscores the critical advancements being made in local cancer research and the ongoing commitment to combatting this disease.
Cancer Council ACT has announced its dedication to advancing local cancer research by allocating $150,000 to fund two innovative projects through its annual Research Grant program. On Monday, 22 April, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Mrs. Linda Hurley, Patron of Cancer Council ACT, hosted a special Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea event at Government House. The event honored Cancer Council volunteers and fundraisers and revealed Canberra-based researchers Dr Rachel Woodhouse and Dr Teresa Bonello from ANU as this year’s grant recipients.
Dr Rachel Woodhouse, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cancer Immunology and Epigenetics Laboratory at JCSMR, ANU, was awarded the grant for her project titled "Developing Novel Therapies for EZH2 Driven B-cell Lymphoma." Her research focuses on understanding how changes in gene expression within cancer cells drive tumor development and progression, with the goal of developing new therapies for cancers that resist traditional treatments.
Dr Woodhouse expressed her excitement about the grant:
"I am thrilled to have been awarded a Cancer Council ACT Research Grant to develop new treatments for lymphoma. This grant provides invaluable support to me as an early career researcher. With this funding, our team can delve deeper into understanding the complexities of lymphoma and explore innovative avenues for treatment. I am immensely grateful to Cancer Council ACT and the fundraising community for making this possible."
Dr Teresa Bonello, a Research Fellow at JCSMR, ANU, received the grant for her project titled "Normalising the Tumour Microenvironment to Improve Treatment Outcomes for Triple Negative Breast Cancer." Dr Bonello’s work aims to differentiate between signaling pathways activated in epithelial-derived tumor cells versus the tumor microenvironment, to better select therapeutic targets.
Dr Bonello highlighted the importance of the funding:
"Medical breakthroughs depend on taking new ideas into the lab and doing those first critical experiments. Cancer Council ACT provides significant traction to get this work off the ground."
Roger Buckley, President of Cancer Council ACT, emphasized the importance of community support in cancer research:
"We are delighted to be funding the work of Drs. Woodhouse and Bonello, who are driving innovative research right here in Canberra – ensuring that breakthroughs in cancer research continue to flourish in our region."
These grants not only unite the community in a shared mission against cancer but also provide a vital platform to celebrate and support local cancer researchers. The work of Dr Woodhouse and Dr Bonello represents the cutting-edge efforts being made to develop new treatments and improve outcomes for cancer patients.
