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This year marks 40 years since the labs at Children’s Cancer Institute first opened

Photo from Children's Cancer Institute/LinkedIn

Aug 28, 2024, 15:46

This year marks 40 years since the labs at Children’s Cancer Institute first opened

Children’s Cancer Institute shared on LinkedIn:

“This year marks 40 years since the labs at Children’s Cancer Institute first opened. Incredibly, the first three scientists to join the Institute in 1984, are all still with us in 2024!

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on these amazing individuals who have dedicated their careers to helping children with cancer.

Professor Michelle Haber AM (left) is one of Australia’s leading translational researchers and has become the face of Australian childhood cancer research internationally.

She is world-renowned for her research into neuroblastoma and leukaemia, which has led not only to key advances in our understanding of these diseases, but also to new clinical approaches that have improved survival rates.

Professor Murray Norris AM (centre) has focused his research on utilising new molecular technologies to improve the diagnosis, risk classification and treatment of childhood cancer.

He has been instrumental in enabling the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) for the early prediction of relapse in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). This work led to an effective doubling in survival rates in children with high-risk ALL.

Murray recently published a paper on an exciting breakthrough in neuroblastoma research.

Professor Maria Kavallaris (right) is best known for identifying how tumour cells become resistant to commonly used chemotherapy drugs and how drug resistance can be reversed, and for identifying ways to use nanotechnology to package and deliver therapy to cancer cells.

As a cancer survivor, Maria has first-hand experience of the harsh side effects of chemotherapy and is determined to develop treatments for children that are less toxic as well as more effective.

Michelle, Murray and Maria’s list of accomplishments, awards and recognition is far too long to do justice to in a short caption, but you can read their full bios via the link.

While they have seen many changes during their time at Children’s Cancer Institute, their vision remains the same, to save the lives of all children with cancer and improve their long-term health, through research.”

Source: Children’s Cancer Institute/LinkedIn