A legacy for leukaemia research
After losing her father to leukaemia, Ngaire Callaghan found a meaningful way to honour his memory.
📷 Ngaire (middle) and Bruce Callaghan (right) with Dr Heather Murray (left) and the plate reader equipment they generously donated.
For 15 years, Ngaire and her husband Bruce have raised funds for cancer research with the community at Bobbin Head Cruising Club. This is how Ngaire met University of Newcastle alumna and researcher Dr Heather Murray, who is working to discover more precise, individualised treatments to improve outcomes for people living with cancer.
“When I met Dr Murray in 2024, she spoke so personally about her blood cancer research, including how she views each patient sample not as a bunch of cells but as a person whose life has been turned upside down by cancer. That stayed with me,” says Ngaire.
Following their meeting, Ngaire’s father, Kevin, was sadly diagnosed with the same type of cancer Dr Murray studies. After Kevin’s passing in October 2024, Ngaire made the decision to honour her father with a gift to support Dr Murray’s research.
To advance her research, Dr Murray needed a new plate reader, which is a vital piece of equipment that allows researchers to test how cancer cells respond to potential treatments. Ngaire generously donated a plate reader to Dr Murray’s research, with her father’s name proudly engraved on a memorial plaque as a heartfelt tribute to his life.
That plate reader is now being used to test new treatments for patients living with many types of cancer, including leukaemia, brain and breast cancer.
"We are so grateful to Ngaire for her generosity and the powerful example of how personal legacy can contribute to research that will benefit many families affected by cancer,” Dr Murray says.
Dr Murray’s team has framed a booklet from Kevin’s funeral service and displayed it near the new plate reader, in memory of the man whose legacy will help improve the lives of others.
Every new treatment we want to test, this is how we do it. We can test hundreds of drugs and drug combinations in a single experiment, looking for what works and why some cancers stop responding. Ultimately the goal is to overcome treatment resistance and deliver more targeted treatments to people sooner.”
Dr Heather Murray
Lecturer / Postdoctoral Researcher
School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy
To learn how you or your business can support an area of research you’re passionate about, please contact our team on 02 4921 8612 or email donor-relations@newcastle.edu.au
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- Office of Philanthropy
- Phone: 02 4921 8612
- Email: donor-relations@newcastle.edu.au
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