Universities researchers receive boost for cancer research
Image: Joel Creasey
BY LUCAS BAIRD
The Cancer Institute NSW has given the University of NSW scientists over $16 million to help research and create new treatments for various forms of cancer.
The grant package was announced earlier this month by the Cancer Institute NSW, who gave out a total of $39 million to cancer scientists across the state.
A researcher who received one of these grants was Dr Mark Polizzotto from UNSW’s Kirby Institute, he was awarded around $800 thousand to support his work into HIV related cancer.
Kirby Institute media advisor, Professor Sean Emery, told City Hub that this grant would be “absolutely critical” to Dr Polizzotto’s work in the future.
Prof. Emery said that Dr Polizzotto – who is a clinician and researcher – has had to juggle between career choices in the past because jobs combining the two professions don’t exist in hospitals.
However, due to this grant Dr Polizzotto would not have to give up either.
“People who have received these awards have to get some money to which they go about the business of their research,” Prof. Emery said.
“It lets them attend conferences, put some support into laboratories that might be starting to do a particular kind experiment, it allows them to start talking about doing translational laboratory work which are becoming increasingly sophisticated.”
Prof. Emery said that through Dr Polizzotto they would be able develop a sophisticated collaborative effort between St Vincent’s Hospital, other experts at UNSW and the Kirby Institute.
Other UNSW based experts to receive these grants where Professor Glenn Marshal and Professor David Goldstein. They received a $6.5 million grant each for their work in the Kids Cancer Alliance and Translational Cancer Research Network respectively.
Both programs are focused on bringing together researchers and promoting greater care and treatment for those with cancer.
The Cancer Institute NSW awarded University of Sydney researchers with similar grants, which totalled around $19 million.
Out of the 34 grants on offer, the University of Sydney won 17.
CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow, called the research being undertaken by these scientists “vital”.
“In five years’ time more than 53,000 people in NSW will be told: ‘You have cancer,’” Prof. Currow said.
“The Cancer Institute NSW is proud to fund this ground-breaking research as we know it is the foundation for better cancer treatments and will ultimately take us closer to our vision of ending cancers as we know them.”
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