Big beanie day at the Bar on the Hill

Friday, 20 June 2025

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The Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle took to the Bar on the Hill on Monday June 16 for a massive Mark Hughes Foundation Beanie for Brain Cancer beanie day.

An image featuring six people sitting in a row on a stage all wearing Mark Hughes Foundation Beanies, looking out to a crowd. Six guests are captured in the foreground sitting on chairs listening. They are blurred for effect. From left to right. A person is looking down smiling. They have their hands in their lap and are wearing a grey beanie with a black tee and a striped shirt. A man is smiling looking out to the crowd. He’s wearing a grey beanie and a sand long sleeved knit. His hands are resting on his lap. A woman smiles directly to the audience. She has long, dark hair and is wearing a lilac beanie and a pale cardigan. A man is holding a microphone and smiling at the audience. He has a dark beard and is wearing a short-sleeve button up shirt and a lilac beanie. A man is looking out to the audience. He is wearing a dark collared shirt and a lilac beanie. A lady is looking out to the audience. You can only see her head as the audience are blocking the remainder of her body in this view. The foreground is showing 6 members of the audience listening to the panel speak. This part of the image is blurred.
left to right: Bekki Spratford, James Brown-Miles, Simin Zheng, Christian Behler, Dr Nikitas Koussis, Dr Evie Jackson

The scene was set with a giant 4 x 5m blow-up brain in the Park on the Hill thanks to the School of Psychology, while student band LuJo played tunes to welcome in staff, students and supporters who came to buy a beanie, or a Live for Liv scarf before hearing from our speakers and panel of ECRs who spoke about The Future of Brain Cancer Research.

Vice Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky opened proceedings and shared more about the important relationship between the MHF and the University before introducing Mark Hughes who spoke about how much the foundation’s grown and how excited he and Kirralee are to see so many researchers now working to address the deadly challenges of brain cancer.

Speakers looked out at a sea of beanies, with more than 100 people packing the newly refurbished Bar on the Hill for the event. MHF Centre PhD students and post-docs: Dr Evie Jackson, Christian Behler, Dr Nikitas Koussis, Simin Zheng, Bekki Spratford and James Brown-Miles all shared their rich backgrounds and their diverse work into brain cancer research in a panel led by MHF Centre Director Professor Mike Fay.

With a lunch deal on the day inspired by Mark’s choice and Mike’s choice, plenty of funds were raised to support the important work that’s happening right here in the Hunter, and working with teams nationwide and internationally to better brain cancer research. It was a wonderful example of our communities coming together to buy a beanie and beat brain cancer.

About our researchers:

Dr Evie Jackson, postdoctoral researcher

Dr Evangeline Jackson is The Kids’ Cancer Project Col Reynolds Early Career Fellow and currently works in the Cancer Signalling Research Group, led by Professor Matt Dun. Her primary focus is paediatric brain cancer, particularly diffuse midline glioma (DMG), where she uses cellular and molecular biology techniques, and their establishment in preclinical models, to find new treatments for patients suffering this horrific disease.

Dr Nikitas Koussis – Postdoctoral researcher

Dr Nikitas Koussis is a dynamic early-career researcher (ECR) based at the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, University of Newcastle, Australia. He is passionate about harnessing advanced machine learning and computational imaging to transform our understanding of brain tumours and drive personalised treatment strategies. He is proud Gamilaraay man deeply committed to embedding Indigenous Data and Indigenous Knowledge into digital health and AI. His PhD in Psychology (2024) focused on multi-modal computational and imaging approaches to schizophrenia, equipping him with expertise in data integration, statistical modeling, and high dimensional image analysis. Building on this foundation, he transitioned to brain cancer research, where he now leads projects to predict treatment response and molecular markers from imaging data.

Mx Bekki Spratford, PhD Student

Bekki is a PhD student dedicated to advancing brain cancer research, with a focus on glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and complex brain tumours. My work is supported by the Mark Hughes Foundation, where I contribute to translational research aimed at improving diagnostics, treatment strategies, and patient outcomes. I am passionate about making a real difference in the lives of patients, and I strive to make meaningful contributions to the fight against brain cancer.

Ms Simin Zheng, PhD Student

Simin is a PhD student with a background in clinical medicine, currently researching DNA repair and drug repurposing in brain cancer at the MHF Centre. Her project focuses on identifying FDA-approved drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier and target DNA repair proteins to enhance the sensitivity of glioblastoma to standard treatments that induce DNA damage.

Mr James Brown-Miles, PhD Student

James is a 3rd year PhD student and 2025 recipient of a Tour de Cure scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor’s in medical engineering from the University of Newcastle in 2023. His current work is focused on investigating how we can improve the way we image high-grade brain tumours to ensure that all of it is removed.

Mr Christian Behler

Christian studied physics in Dresden, specialising in magnetic materials, and taught maths and physics at a German high school for over seven years. After moving to Australia, he began a PhD at the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, where he is now in his second year. His research aims to better understand brain tumours by investigating their temperature.

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