Research

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Together, we aim to push boundaries further and expedite the discovery of impactful cancer cures
387
14,420
$ 70 million
57
30 years

The Kids’ Cancer Project Research Focuses

Download the 2024-2029 research strategy here

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Hypothesis driven, innovative basic (T0-discovery) research that will improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of childhood cancer and identify novel, safe and effective new treatment strategies and technologies that will have the potential to translate to patient benefit in the clinic.

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High-quality clinical research (T1-T4) programs and processes that are informed by discovery research, will directly translate to a patient benefit and facilitate equal access to clinical care resulting in a positive impact on survival rates and quality of life for all children with cancer.

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Research programs and services aimed at enhancing cancer care by managing long-term effects, reducing side effects, improving service delivery, and engaging patients. Implementing these improvements in standard care will provide sustainable and improved care for cancer survivors.

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Build resources, infrastructure and research tool kits that will facilitate high quality research and future proof the childhood cancer research landscape. Build networks and partnerships to increase funding capacity, shape policy/process and increase awareness and support from government agencies, industry, philanthropic partners and the community.

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Our Projects

Thanks to your contributions, we have funded over 387 projects that have improved outcomes for kids with cancer through advances in medical research.

View our projects


Research Advisory Committee

Identifying the projects that will pursue new ideas to make a real difference sooner.

Our expert Research Advisory Committee (RAC) independently review and rate all grant submissions. Their recommendations are handed to The Kids’ Cancer Project Board who ultimately determine the studies funded. The rules of the peer review process prohibit RAC members endorsing their own projects.

Dr Timothy P Cripe

MD, PhD
Dr Cripe is a paediatric expert at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. His clinical interests include gene and viral therapies for solid tumours in children, including brain tumours, neuroblastoma, and bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Dr Cripe’s research focuses on developing and testing new, targeted therapies for paediatric solid tumours and translating those findings into clinical studies.

Professor Murray Norris

AM BSc ANU, MAppSc NSWIT, PhD UNSW
Professor Norris was one of the first three scientists to staff the Children’s Cancer Institute when its research laboratories opened in 1984. He is Head of the Molecular Diagnostics Program and was appointed Deputy Director of Children’s Cancer Institute in 2000. He is also inaugural Director of the UNSW Centre for Childhood Cancer Research.

Dr Brenda Weigel

MD, MSc
Dr Weigel is Director of the Division of Pediatric Haematology/Oncology at Masonic Cancer Centre, University of Minnesota (U of M). She is a professor cross-appointed at U of M’s Cancer Centre and the Department of Pediatrics, and the recipient of the Lehman/Children’s Cancer Research Fund Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer. She is also Chair of Developmental Therapeutics for the Children’s Oncology Group.

Professor Jonathan G Izant

PhD
Professor Izant has extensive international experience in biomedical research, business and non-profit leadership at Yale School of Medicine, Garvan Institute, QUT, Johnson & Johnson and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He has helped create biotech, bioinformatics and business development companies, was a member of the NHMRC Human Gene Advisory Panel and has served on numerous government and private research funding committees.

Associate Professor Andrew Moore

MBBS, FRACP, PhD
Associate Professor Moore is Senior Staff Specialist, Paediatric Oncology at Queensland Children’s Hospital where he is also Director, Clinical and Biomedical Research. He specialises in childhood leukaemia, with special interest in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Associate Professor Moore is and an academic title holder with The University of Queensland’s Faculty of Medicine and is Director of the Queensland Children's Tumour Bank.

Dr Justine Stehn

PhD
Dr Stehn is the Integrative Oncology and Supportive Care Research Manager at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Comprehensive Cancer hospital. She has over 25 years’ experience in the academic and industry health sectors working on translational and clinical research programs in both childhood and adult cancers. Her expertise is in the building of research programs that support the implementation of new treatment strategies that improve both the quality and quantity of life of people with cancer.

Associate Professor David Ziegler

MBBS UNSW, MD/PhD UNSW, Dip Paed, FRACP (Chair)
Associate Professor Ziegler is a senior Staff Specialist in the Kids Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. He is a paediatric oncologist with expertise in neuro-oncology and early phase clinical trials. He has concurrent appointments as Group Leader at the Children’s Cancer Institute, and conjoint Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales.

Dr Jordana McLoone

MBBS UNSW, MD/PhD UNSW, Dip Paed, FRACP (Chair)
Dr McLoone is a senior research fellow within the Behavioural Sciences Unit, Australia's largest paediatric psycho-oncology research group, which straddles the School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney and the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital. Beyond her extensive research into the psychosocial impact of childhood cancer, she also sits on two ANZCHOG committees as well as the COSA Financial Toxicity Working Group, is involved in international childhood cancer initiatives in Papua New Guinea and Oceania, teaches both undergraduate and higher degree research students and has a special interest in artificial intelligence and innovations in telehealth.

Col Reynolds Fellowships

 The Col Reynolds Fellowships seek to encourage talented young researchers by supporting PhD students, early and mid-career researchers and young clinicians. 

The Kids’ Cancer Project Grants

The Kids’ Cancer Project supports scientific studies that will have the greatest chance of clinical success in the improvement of treatments for childhood cancers. 
 

The Kids Cancer Project Research Advisory Committee Members standing side-by-side

Our vision is to see a one hundred per cent survival rate for children with cancer while eradicating the harmful impacts treatment can bring. The Kids’ Cancer Project - with the generous and dedicated help of our supporters like you - will keep going until we've achieved that.

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Latest Research News

Support innovative research that will lead to discoveries that will improve the understanding of underlying mechanism of disease and identify novel, safe and effective new treatments. See some of these inspiring projects below.

Behind the scenes: Dr Karin Plummer

01/09/2024
2023 Col Reynolds Fellow, Dr Karin Plummer, holds a joint appointment at Griffith University and the Children’s Hospital Queensland Department of Anaesthesia and Pain.

A Decade of Funding Leads to a Neuroblastoma Breakthrough

18/07/2024
The Kids’ Cancer Project investment of over $700,000 for access to the drug DFMO (difluoromethylornithine) and Phase One of a clinical trial for children with relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma over a decade ago was our first investment into Professor David Ziegler’s groundbreaking neuroblastoma research in 2014.

The Better Challenge: Funding exercise oncology research

09/07/2024
As we gear up for the Better Challenge, Accredited Exercise Physiologist Dr David Mizrahi reveals the magic of movement in kids’ cancer recovery, and the power of your donations in enabling greater knowledge.

Rare Cancers Awareness Day

26/06/2024
The treatments and drugs used for adults are not directly transferable to children, and there are no obvious behavioural preventions like giving up smoking or staying out of the sun. By definition, all childhood cancers are rare, making up less than one percent of the total number of new cancer diagnoses in Australia each year.

Funding secured for Interfant-21 clinical trial

15/05/2024
Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) has had a very poor prognosis and survival has not improved significantly over the last two decades, with an event-free survival rate of less than 40%. The intensive chemotherapy treatment currently available necessitates high toxicity often leading to treatment related mortality.

Eliminating the serious side effects of chemotherapy

29/04/2024
For many children, the very same cancer drugs used to save their lives can all too often leave them with very serious and lifelong health problems. Professor Irina Vetter is finding ways to maintain the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs whilst eliminating their incredibly harmful side effects.

A Decade of Funding Leads to a Neuroblastoma Breakthrough

The Kids’ Cancer Project investment of over $700,000 for access to the drug DFMO (difluoromethylornithine) and Phase One of a clinical trial for children with relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma over a decade ago was our first investment into Professor David Ziegler’s groundbreaking neuroblastoma research in 2014.