The Mark Hughes Foundation is investing $1 million to bring two of Australia’s leading brain cancer research centres together.
In a bid to accelerate the race to find a cure for brain cancer, the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle will be pooling their resources and joining forces with the Brain Cancer Centre, founded by Carrie Bickmore’s Beanie’s 4 Brain Cancer.
With both charities are fighting to expand research into the disease which is the leading cause of cancer death in children and in adults under 40 in Australia, today’s funding announcement includes the establishment of a National Collaboration Seed Fund to support a series of shared project aimed at supporting immediate collaborative research needs.
The initiative follows the enormous success of the most recent Beanie Round round in the NRL, which saw over $3 million raised in donations.
Chair and Director of the MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle, Professor Mike Fay, says more than 50 brain cancer researchers had engaged through the MHF Centre over the past 18 months, working together to find a solution.
“But we know we can’t do this alone and in 2024 we are focusing on expanding and deepening our research partnerships to fast track a solution for brain cancer,” Professor Fay says.
Founder of the Mark Hughes foundation and former Newcastle NRL player Mark Hughes, who was diagnosed himself with high grade brain cancer in 2013, says bringing together brilliant leaders, experts and innovators is key to solving the brain cancer puzzle.
“By embracing a ‘one team’ mentality where competition gives way to collaboration, we will make progress in the fight against brain cancer,” Mark says.
The Collaboration Seed Fund’s first project will support the MHF Centre to become an official collaborative partner of The Brain Cancer Centre’s Brain Tumour Registry Australia INnovation and
Translation Registry (BRAIN Registry).