Your generosity is making research history
It’s one of the most significant investments in blood cancer research we’ve ever made. And you’re such an important part of it.
With more people being diagnosed and living with blood cancer every year, the Leukaemia Foundation is laser-focused on uncovering better treatments and ultimately saving more lives.
That’s why, with your generous support, we’re launching our prestigious Breakthrough Fellowship program to urgently propel forward the next generation of Australia’s brightest researchers and clinicians.
The exciting new Fellowships, supported by Tour de Cure, are the flagship of our National Research Program.
With the help of dedicated supporters like you , our National Research Program has invested over $60 million into blood cancer research since 2000.
Investing in the best of the best
Our two Breakthrough Fellowship recipients are taking bold steps as leaders in Australia’s blood cancer ecosystem.
They’re outstanding researchers who’ve made significant contributions to how we treat and care for people with blood cancer.
Thanks to your generosity, these two talented change-makers are each receiving the prestigious $1 million grant over five years.
Meet the inaugural recipients
Dr Ashley Ng
Your support is powering the work of Dr Ng, a distinguished clinical haematologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and a haematopathologist and clinician researcher at WEHI.
Uncovering the secrets behind leukaemia treatment resistance
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a type of blood cancer that causes the body to produce dangerous numbers of immature white blood cells.
Around 400 Australians were diagnosed with ALL last year and effective treatments are incredibly important to save more lives.
Dr Ng is leading advanced research to improve our understanding of treatment-resistant ALL and develop new ways of beating it.
His research represents new hope and treatment options, particularly for young Australians diagnosed with high-risk ALL who don’t respond well to standard treatment.
Dr Ashwin Unnikrishnan
Dr Unnikrishnan is a renowned cancer researcher with a track record of impactful translational biology research in blood cancers.
Replacing chemotherapy with targeted treatment
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a challenging blood cancer to treat, with poor survival rates. Sadly, only about one in four people with AML will survive five years after their diagnosis.
Dr Unnikrishnan hopes to provide new treatment options for people with AML where standard treatment is not effective.
Backed by your generosity, his research aims to develop better treatments by targeting RNA slicing, a molecular pathway that Dr Unnikrishnan’s lab has discovered is frequently altered in people with AML. Ultimately, these new treatment options will be able to target leukaemic cells specifically.
Read more about Dr Ng and Dr Unnikrishnan’s exciting research.