Diamantina Institute for Cancer Immunology & Metabolic Medicine – 2007

2007 – $3.2 million grant

Types of Cancer: Prostate, Osteosarcoma, Leukaemia & Breast

Research Institution: Diamantina Institute for Cancer Immunology & Metabolic Medicine, University of Queensland.

Director of Research: Professor Tom Gonda, Head of the Cancer Biology Program at the Diamantina Institute.

Senior Researchers: Professor Ian Frazer and Professor Colleen Nelson.

Feature Outcome: ACRF’s funding will see the creation of a unique, integrated genetics and genomics facility on the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus, aiming to boost and integrate cancer gene discovery, gene characterisation and translation to clinical practice. The new centre will be known as the ACRF Comprehensive Cancer Genomics Facility.

Professor Ian Frazer whose research led to the development of the cervical cancer vaccine, will conduct a major research program on cervical cancer genetics utilizing the resources of the ACRF Comprehensive Cancer Genomics Facility.

Further benefits: The Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine is a newly created institute of the University of Queensland. The institute with 200 researchers and students is based at Princess Alexandra Hospital campus.

Advances over the last decade in genomics and genetics have revolutionised our understanding of cancer and led to identification of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

ACRF’s grant will fund a wide range of unique state of the art equipment and clinical material collections, establishing a fully integrated genomics facility which, in turn, will provide novel insights into a number of important cancer types.