Research Institute: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
Amount granted: $2.6 million
Year granted: 2013
The ACRF Centre for Comprehensive Biomedical Imaging is delivering a fully integrated core suite of services that work together to provide sophisticated levels of biomedical imaging.
QIMR purchased a state of the art intra vital multiphoton laser scanning microscope to image cancer progression, immune reaction and treatment in laboratory and animal cancer models. This instrument was equipped with provision for maintaining core temperature for the animal and to provide oxygen and anaesthetic safely while limiting exposure to the operator.
In having the capability to measure biological processes from the molecular level through to the anatomical, this new centre will significantly enhance pre-clinical testing of new treatments. Cancer progression can be monitored and treatment responses measured in incredible detail, ultimately helping to speed up the development of more effective therapies for all types of cancer.
This is the third grant the ACRF has awarded to the team at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, bringing total contributions to $6.6 million.
Chief Investigators: Professor Geoff Hill, Professor Mark Smyth, Professor Andrew Boyd, Professor Peter Parsons, Professor Kum Kum Khanna, Dr Kelli MacDonald, Dr Steven Lane, Dr Andreas Moller.
What your donations have achieved
Cervical cancer vaccine
We gave initial seed funding to Professor Ian Frazer’s research into the cervical cancer (HPV). Over 150 million doses of vaccine have been delivered worldwide to date.
The pill that melts away cancer
Our long term support of cancer research at WEHI has led to a treatment that melts away certain advanced forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. It has been approved for clinical use in the US, European Union and Australia and is being trialed for other types of cancer.
Personalised cancer diagnosis
In 2015, we awarded $10 million seed funding to an ambitious cancer proteome project that aims to provide each cancer patient a personalised treatment plan within 36 hours. This will improve treatment outcomes and help avoid unnecessary treatments.
Zero childhood cancer
We are one of the founding partners of the initiative that will tackle the most serious cases of infant, childhood and adolescent cancer in Australia. It is a key step towards the program vision of one day helping to cure 100% of children with cancer.