Neuroscience researchers support Brain Cancer Awareness month

by Dr Loretta Piccenna, Department of Neuroscience

(L-R): Ms Katrina Kan, Dr Mastura Monif (group leader) and
 Mr Matthew Drill. Dr Monif did a podcast for The Aftershock,
and explains more about her research in a video. 

This month is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, a time of the year for raising awareness of brain cancer or tumours and the need for greater research to discover safe and effective new treatments. 

Brain cancers may be rare, but there are more than 100 different types of brain cancer. This requires a collective effort by lots of researchers, clinicians, patients and their families to understand brain cancers at a molecular level to help find a cure. 

Dr Mastura Monif and her research team (pictured) from the Department of Neuroscience within the Central Clinical School study the most common form of primary brain cancer or tumour, called glioblastoma. She said, 

“We must ensure that every person who develops cancer is given the best possible chance of surviving and living well”.

Zeroing in on improved brain cancer diagnosis and treatment: Rare Disease Day feature

See Prof Meng Law and Dr Mastura Monif explain their research

into improved diagnostic techniques and potential treatments

for brain cancer: Video (3:39 mins)

Part of our special series for Rare Disease Day featuring CCS researchers 

Dr Mastura Monif and Professor Meng Law explain how their complementary approaches are refining and improving the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours. See the video and read their stories below.

Congratulations to our NHMRC Ideas grant awardees

L-R top: Prof Harshal Nandurkar, Dr Zhong-Lin Chai, Dr Sih Min Tan;
L-R bottom: Prof Patrick Kwan, Dr Mastura Monif, A/Prof Sandy Shultz

Congratulations to Central Clinical School'sNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMCR) winners in this very difficult round, being the six of our school's 87 applications which were funded. See detail below.

Professor Mark Cooper, Head of Diabetes, said, "For those who missed out do not be too despondent, be resolute, complete key experiments and think of ways to improve your applications for next year.  The grant system is a sort of lottery but the stronger grants in general do better."

Professor Terry O'Brien, Head of School, added, "My commiserations for all the outstanding applicants who were unsuccessful in what was an extremely competitive round (9.5% success nationally) in an increasingly challenging system. Everyone needs to keep faith in their science, continuing to publish well and make an impact, and the grants will come."