AGCF
AGCF announces its first Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant
The Australian Gynaecological Cancer Foundation (AGCF) in partnership with The Way In Network is pleased to announce that Dr Dane Cheasley from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, was selected as the successful applicant for the AGCF and Way in Network Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award 2017 – AGCF’s first Postdoctoral Fellowship grant.
Dr Cheasley currently holds a full-time position at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre as a Postdoctoral Fellow, working on genetic and genomic studies of interval breast cancers and rare ovarian cancers. He has also held a Postdoctoral research fellowship position at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne
Dr Cheasley’s research hopes to fill in one of the gaps in the current treatment of ovarian cancer. Despite 200,000 women are diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer world-wide annually and only approximately 40% survive five years, ovarian cancer has for many years been treated as a single disease.
It is now known that there are multiple distinct subtypes of ovarian cancer, and each subtype has a different genetic profile. One of the less common subtypes is low-grade serous carcinoma, which is particularly common in young women. This cancer is difficult to treat because it is usually resistant to chemotherapy. Dr Cheasley’s research will look at the genetic profile of women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer, with a view to better understanding why the disease is resistant to chemotherapy. His research will also attempt to develop a new, effective gene (or targeted) therapy for the disease.
Professor Ian Campbell, Head of the Cancer Genetics Laboratory at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre will be supervising Dr Cheasley in his research. Professor Campbell is an industry pioneer in breast and ovarian cancer genetics and geometrics and has established an international reputation for research excellence in these areas.
The AGCF’s mission is to raise awareness and fund research for the prevention, detection and treatment of gynaecological cancers in Australia. The Way In Network is a migrant women’s association that aims to support and assist women migrating to New South Wales to integrate into Australian society. The Way In Network has been a strong supporter of women’s cancer research, through the AGCF.
Innovation is at the heart of the Award, which supports novel and necessary research about gynaecological cancer. It will assist applicants with ground-breaking research ideas and the enthusiasm and expertise to translate them into advances in knowledge, which can then be applied in the clinic.
The award takes the form of a 2-year grant allowing payment of a stipend to the value of $90,000 per year plus an additional $10,000 per year for research support. AGCF graciously thanks The Way In Network for contributing $90,000 to the Award.
“AGCF encourages all Australian women affected by gynaecological cancers to be resilient and optimistic about the future”. In the words of Ms Diane Langmack OAM, AGCF chair, “the best medicine is to work harder and to support those who are less fortunate”.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Dr Mark William Burgess, Executive Officer, AGCF.
AGCF宣佈首個博士後研究獎學金獲得者
澳洲婦女癌症基金會(AGCF) 與慧賢會(Way In Network)很高興共同發表聲明，來自墨爾本Peter MacCallum 癌症中心的Dr Dane Cheasley榮獲AGCF 與慧賢會2017年博士後研究獎學金，成爲AGCF首個博士後研究獎學金的獲得者。
Dr Cheasley作爲博士後研究員在Peter MacCallum 癌症中心任職，從事間隔乳腺癌和罕見卵巢癌的基因及基因組研究。他也在墨爾本Walter and Eliza Hall醫學研究所任職博士後研究員。
Dr Cheasley希望可以通過研究完善目前的卵巢癌治療方式。儘管全世界每年有二十萬女性被診斷出患有上皮卵巢癌，五年内卻僅有大約40%的幸存率。很多年來，人們視卵巢癌為單一疾病進行治療。
卵巢癌現已被發現有很多不同的亞型，每個亞型都有不同的基因檔案。有一種不常見亞型叫做低級漿液性癌，卻在年輕女性中特別常見。由於對藥物療法有抵抗性，這種癌症難以治愈。Dr Cheasley的研究針對患有低級漿液性癌的基因檔案，更好地認識到爲何這類疾病對藥物療法有抵抗性。他的研究也嘗試去發現一種新的有效的基因專門治療這類疾病。
Peter MacCallum 癌症中心癌症遺傳學實驗室主任Ian Campbell教授會指導Dr Cheasley的研究。Campbell教授是乳腺癌和卵巢癌遺傳學的行業先鋒，以其學術實力在這些領域享有國際聲譽。
AGCF的使命是增强人們對於預防、檢測和治療澳大利亞婦科癌症的關注，並建立研究基金。慧賢會是一個由成功的移民人士聯合起來的婦女協會，旨在支持和幫助移民到新南威爾士州的婦女們更好地融入澳洲社會。慧賢會一直堅定支持AGCF婦女癌症研究。
創新是這個獎項的核心。同時，這一獎項也支持對婦科癌症進行新穎和有效的研究；幫助有突破性研究想法和有熱忱有專業背景的申請者們進行深造，使他們的知識可以應用到臨床診療中。
獎項會授予獲獎者兩年的助學金，每年價值為90,000澳元，以及每年10,000澳元作爲研究支持金。AGCF誠摯感謝慧賢會為這一獎項慷慨捐款90,000澳元。
AGCF 主席Diane Langmack OAM 表示：“AGCF呼籲全澳大利亞患有婦科癌症的女性對未來持樂觀態度，充滿希望。每個人都更加努力地工作並去幫助那些不幸的群體，才是現代醫學的靈丹妙藥。”
結束。
媒體聯絡人：
Dr Mark William Burgess, Executive Officer, AGCF.
