Researchers investigating why glioblastoma recurs, our understanding of rare paediatric brain tumours and the long-term impact of a brain tumour diagnosis in childhood are among the grant recipients announced today as part of our latest multi-million pound research funding investment.
The projects we’re supporting include:
- research to examine how and why glioblastoma cells invade regions of the brain, particularly after initial treatment for the tumour (led by Professor Simona Parinello at University College London);
- the creation of a national system to monitor the health of all survivors of childhood, teenage and young adult brain tumours in the UK (led by Professor Michael Hawkins at the University of Birmingham);
- research into the development of new therapies for rare childhood brain tumours, choroid plexus carcinoma and supratentorial ependymoma (led by Professor Richard Gilbertson at the University of Cambridge);
- a study testing an intervention called acceptance and commitment therapy, aimed at helping improve the quality of life of young brain tumour survivors (led by Dr Sophie Thomas at The Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham);
- research to test if delivering radiotherapy extremely rapidly can dramatically reduce side-effects. The team will aim to establish a treatment regimen that’s effective and well-tolerated by people (led by Dr Jan Schuemann at Harvard Medical School);
- research looking at the DNA which sits outside human chromosomes (ecDNA) and its possible role in the development of glioblastoma (led by Professor Roel Verhaak at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Connecticut).
“We’re delighted to announce funding for such diverse and promising research projects across the UK and further afield.
“We’re enormously grateful for the support of our community in raising the funds for this research, which will help us to move further and faster towards our twin goals of doubling brain tumour survival and halving the harm caused by the disease.”
Dr David Jenkinson, our Chief Scientific Officer