UON researchers awarded Cancer Institute NSW Fellowships

Friday, 17 February 2017

Three UON researchers, who are working on cures for some of the most aggressive and prevalent cancers affecting both children and adults, have been awarded $887,000 in prestigious Cancer Institute NSW fellowships.

Cancer cell

Associate Professor Simon Keely, Dr Lei Jin and Dr Matthew Dun are among a group of leading scientists who will benefit from $11.6 million in funding announced by Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard.

Mr Hazzard said the funding would support researchers to investigate new treatments for cancers with poor survival rates such as pancreatic, lung, and ovarian cancers.

“While NSW has some of the best cancer outcomes in the world, there is still much to be done to improve cancer survival rates. These grants are a vital investment to help researchers discover treatment options for these cancers," Mr Hazzard said.

UON researchers who received research funding include:

Associate Professor Simon Keely who received a $587,000 Career Development Fellowship for his research: Investigating the role of hypoxia in tumour biology and microbiota interactions using a novel orthotopic model of colorectal cancer.

Dr Lei Jin who received a $150,000 Career Development Fellowship for his research: Overcoming resistance of metastatic melanoma to treatment with a focus on targeting a novel survival signalling pathway.

Dr Matthew Dun who received a $150,000 Early Career Fellowship for his research: Targeting activated signalling and oxidative stress pathways in acute myeloid leukaemia.  Listen to Dr Dun’s tips about starting a career in cancer research.


Related news