The Cancer Council WA Research Excellence Awards have been established to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Western Australia's best and brightest cancer researchers. They also serve to reinforce the importance of cancer research as an aspirational career choice and provide encouragement for the next generation of leading cancer researchers.
2019 successful cancer researchers and projects
In the 2018/2019 financial year we've allocated over $3 million to 95 researchers and 48 projects.
Click on the shutters below to reveal the full details.
Cancer Council Western Australia Early Career Cancer Researcher of the Year
2019 Recipient: Dr Laurence Cheung
This award goes to an early career cancer researcher who has made significant advance in cancer research over the proceeding 18 months.
Cancer Council Western Australia Cancer Researcher of the Year
2019 Recipient: Prof Gary Lee
This award goes to a cancer research who has made an outstanding contribution to cancer research over the previous 12-24 months.
Cancer Council Western Australia Cancer Research Career Achievement Award
2019 Recipient: Clin/Prof David Joseph
This award acknowledges a researcher who has made a considerable contribution to cancer research.
Our Research Project Grants aim to provide 1-2 years of support to help local, world-class cancer researchers further their research. Grants are initially short-listed through the national expert review process of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and are then further assessed by the Cancer Council WA Research Grants Advisory Committee.
Grant applications are assessed on the basis of quality, practicality, value for money and contribution to the advancement of cancer knowledge.
Project title: Investigating how key immune cells contribute to cancer growth in the elderly and impair response to cancer treatment
Recipient: Dr Connie Jackaman
Funding period: 2019
Project title: New therapies for liver cancer
Recipient: Prof Peter Leedman
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Novel diagnostic and functional targets for malignant mesothelioma
Recipient: A/prof Steven Mutsaers
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Laboratory tests to understand why some patients with mesothelioma respond better to a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy
Recipient: Prof Anna Nowak
Funding period: 2019
Project title: How to make mutation-based vaccines effective in patients
Recipient: Prof Bruce Robinson AM
Funding period: 2019
Co-funded by Cancer Council WA, The Government of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute the Collaborative Cancer Grant Scheme aims to support early-to mid-career cancer researchers in WA and in particular to encourage collaboration among early-to mid-career cancer researchers. The scheme aims to improve research quality and increase the competitiveness of WA early to midcareer cancer researchers by helping researchers obtain preliminary data and build collaborative networks.
This scheme is supported by Cancer Council WA, Government of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute.
Project title: A study to treat cancer-related weight loss in patients with mesothelioma
Recipients: A/Prof Fraser Brims, Dr Carolyn Peddle-McIntyre, Dr Samantha Bowyer and Dr Felicity Hawkins
Funding period: 2019
Project title: From flocking birds to swarming immune cells: Integrating mathematics and biology to understand a successful response to cancer immunotherapy
Recipients: Dr Jonathan Chee, Dr Ayham Zaitouny, Dr Emma De Jong and Dr Debora Cristina Correa
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Determining if gene variations causing adult cancer could promote leukaemia in children
Recipients: Dr Mark Cruickshank, Dr Christian Pflueger, Dr Luke Jones, Dr Eric Ji-Hoon Joo, Dr Boris Novakovic and A/Prof Parwinder Kaur
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Can creatine supplementation enhance the effects of weight training on muscle strength and mass in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy?
Recipients: Dr Ciaran Fairman, A/Prof Raphael Chee, Dr Krissy Kendell and Dr Colin Tang
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Utilising a unique blood cell (platelets) as a predictive biomarker in melanoma
Recipients: Dr Belinda Guo, A/Prof Elin Gray and Dr Adnan Khattak
Funding period 2019
Project title: New type of radiation to treat triple negative breast cancers
Recipients: Dr Anabel Sorolla, Dr Sergii Romanenko, Dr Almantas Pivrikas and Dr Jully Gogoi Tiwari
Funding period: 2019
Early Career Investigator Grants are designed to help talented early career cancer researchers to develop the skills and necessary track record to advance their career. These one-year awards give many researchers their first step in their career as an independent cancer researcher.
Project title: Nutrients for brain tumours - fat or sugars?
Recipient: Dr Haibo Jiang
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Unveiling the interaction between the leukaemia cells and bone cells
Recipient: Dr Laurence Cheung
Funding period: 2019
Our Research Fellowships fund outstanding biomedical and health researchers working in the field of cancer so they can undertake research of major importance. They provide salary support for up to five years with the aim of advancing the quality and impact of cancer research in WA and promoting collaboration and partnerships, locally, nationally and internationally.
Fellowship title: Improving the cure rates for the childhood brain cancer, medulloblastoma
Fellow: Clin/A/Prof Nicholas Gottardo
Funding period: $100,000 in 2019, ($400,000 total for 2016-2019)
Fellowship title: Developing blood tests to guide treatment of melanoma
Fellow: A/Prof Elin Gray
Funding period: $100,000 in 2019, ($400,000 total for 2019-2022)
Fellowship title: Improving psychosocial support and education for patients diagnosed with brain or head and neck cancer and their carers
Fellow: A/Prof Georgia Halkett
Funding period: $115,000 in 2019, ($460,000 total for 2017-2020)
Fellowship title: Improving detection and therapy in treatment-resistant cancers
Fellow: Dr Juliana Hamzah
Funding period: $120,000 in 2019, ($480,000 total for 2018-2021)
Fellowship title: Identifying new effective treatments for mesothelioma
Fellow: Dr Willem Joost Lesterhuis
Funding period: $20,000 in 2019, ($80,000 total for 2017-2020)
Fellowship title: How does imparied energy production cause prostate cancer?
Fellow: Prof Aleksandra Filipovska
Funding period: $20,000 in 2019, ($80,000 total for 2019-2022)
Rosemary Grant Zaks Melanoma Research Fellowship: Empowering the immune system to attack melanoma and other advanced cancers
Fellow: Dr Jason Waithman
Funding period: $120,000 in 2019, ($480,000 total for 2018-2021)
Postdoctoral Research Fellowships give support for cancer researchers in the early stages of their career, providing improved career stability and encouraging the best and brightest young researchers to continue in the discipline of cancer research. These fellowships provide funding over a period of three years.
Project title: Prognostic significance of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Recipient: Dr Vinicius Cavalheri De Oliveira
Funding period: $75,000 in 2019, ($225,000 total for 2017-2019)
Project title: Exercise medicine for advanced cancer patients: Can exercise slow tumour growth, delay disease progression and extend survival?
Recipient: Dr Nicholas Hart
Funding period: $75,000 in 2019, ($225,000 for 2018-2020)
Project title: Cracking the code to successful cancer immunotherapy
Recipient: Dr Jonathan Chee
Funding period: $75,000 in 2019, ($225,000 total for 2019-2021)
These three year PhD Top Up Scholarships are awarded to applicants who have an outstanding academic record and the potential to pursue full-time PhD studies in cancer-related research.
Project title: Early detection of cancer spread and treatment of ocular melanoma
Recipient: Mr Aaron Beasley
Funding period: $12,000 in 2019, ($36,000 total for 2019-2019)
Project title: Treating the most aggressive breast cancers using molecules from natural substances
Recipient: Ms Ciara Duffy
Funding period: $3,000 in 2019, ($15,000 total for 2017-2018 with an additional 6 months of funding in 2019)
Project title: Investigating how key immune cells, known as macrophages, contribute to tumour growth in the elderly and impair response to therapy
Recipient: Miss Lelinh Duong
Funding period: $12,000 in 2019
Project title: Investigation of psychosocial information and support needs and support service use of patients diagnosed with advanced cancer
Recipient: Ms Jade Newton
Funding period: $12,000 in 2019, ($30,000 total for 2019-2021)
Project title: The influence of muscle structure on treatment and survival in women with advanced ovarian cancer: Can an exercise intervention improve patient outcomes?
Recipient: Miss Christelle Schofiled
Funding period: $12,000 in 2019, ($24,000 total for 2019-2020)
We offer these one year scholarships to support the work of promising young honours students to encourage them to consider a career in cancer research.
Project title: Testing the use of combined immune-system simulating treatment for lung cancer (mesothelioma)
Recipient: Miss Catherine Reynolds
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Booosting the immune response against sarcoma
Recipient: Miss Breana Weston
Funding period: 2019
Cancer Council Western Australia Student Vacation Research Scholarships offer talented university students a taste of what cancer research can offer. They offer students a small stipend to conduct a specific research project over a period of 4-10 weeks.
Project title: Determining what supportive care and allied health services are provided nationally to patients diagnosed with High Grade Glioma and their carers
Recipient: Miss Davina Daudu
Funding period: 2019
Project title: The preparation of sulfur and selenium thalidomide derivatives for the treatment of liver cancer
Recipient: Mr Eric Fear
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Can immune cells predict response to chemotherapy in patients with mesothelioma?
Recipient: Mr Ali Ismail
Funding period: 2019
Project title: A blood test to measure disease in melanoma patients
Recipient: Miss Akaiti James
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Investigating new ways to get the immune system to fight brain cancer
Recipient: Miss Leila Kint
Funding period: 2019
Projec title: 3D printing for facilitating pre-surgical planning of renal cell carcinoma
Recipient: Miss Catalina-Gabriela Lupulescu
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Understanding patient, carer and staff perceptions of pharmacist counselling for patients diagnosed with brain cancer and receiving oral chemotherapy
Recipient: Miss Sophie Meyerson
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Improved diagnostic testing for better breast cancer outcomes
Recipient: Mr David Rankin
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Determining the support needs of patients diagnosed with sarcoma and their carers
Recipient: Mr Salar Sobhi
Funding period: 2019
Project title: Understanding the role of the multidiscipliinary team in managing patients diagnosed with sarcoma
Recipient: Miss Nathania Tanoto
Funding period: 2019
The Cancer Research Trust Enabling Grants were established in 2009 to promote and support collaborative cancer research in WA and make a globally-significant contribution to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer.
Project title: Enabling advanced single cell cancer genomics in Western Australia
Recipient: Prof Alistair Forrest
Funding period: $50,000 in 2019, ($250,000 total for 2018-2022)
Project title: Continuous Improvement in Care - Cancer (The CIC Cancer Project)
Recipient: Prof Christobel Saunders
Funding period: $50,000 in 2019, ($250,000 total for 2018-2022)
The objective of the Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour Initiative is to direct funds to advance the diagnosis and treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Cancer
Project title: Gastro Intestinal Stromal Tumours: towards better outcome prediction and therapy
Recipient: Prof Ruth Ganss
Funding period: $183,044 in 2019, ($514,950 total for 2018-2020)
A combination of long and short-term research projects of specific strategic importance.
Project title: Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme
Cancer Council Western Australia Chair of Clinical Cancer Research
Recipient: Prof Michael Millward
The University of Western Australia
Cancer Council Western Australia Cancer Prevention Research Unit
Recipient: Prof Simone Pettigrew
