Peter Mac doctor receives grant to fight prostate cancer

The Victorian Minister for Health, the Hon David Davis, with the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Carlton Football Club, today announced Dr Helen Pearson as the 2012 recipient of the Richard Pratt Fellowship in Prostate Cancer Research.

Dr Pearson, from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, received a $200,000 Fellowship over two years that will go towards investigating the role of polarity regulators in the human prostate.

Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Research funds and facilitates research into prostate cancer treatment. Each year, a Fellowship is awarded to an individual conducting translational research into the disease.

Minster for Health David Davis said the Victorian Coalition Government is committed to supporting Victoria’s medical research sector and recognises Victoria’s strengths as a world leader in biomedical research, particularly in cancer.

“We need research to learn more about prostate cancer and how to reduce its burden on our community. We need to find ways to improve diagnosis, improve treatments and better support men with prostate cancer,” Mr Davis said.

“The Government also recognises the strengths of Victoria’s outstanding philanthropic sector and we are very fortunate indeed to have the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Foundation here with a significant track record in contributing in many ways to our community.

“It is very exciting that the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Government, through the Victorian Cancer Agency, are working together to offer young researchers an opportunity to research prostate cancer.”

The Fellowship is critical in fighting prostate cancer by enabling better treatment options for sufferers. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Australian men, with one in nine expected to develop it in their lifetime and nearly 20,000 Australians diagnosed each year.

Dr Pearson said that funding from the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Foundation is crucial in developing this new area of prostate cancer research.

“In continuing our study of the polarity network, we hope to gain a better understanding of prostate biology and cancer progression, to establish a novel avenue for therapeutic intervention and to better predict cancer progression and patient survival,” said Dr Pearson.

Carlton Football Club midfielder, Bryce Gibbs, said the initiative is crucial in the development of prostate cancer treatment.

“Each year, close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer in Australia ‐ equal to the number of women who die from breast cancer. It is important that men become more proactive about their prostate health,” Mr Gibbs said.

To raise awareness and funds for the fight against prostate cancer, the Carlton and Collingwood Football Clubs will battle it out at the MCG on Friday, 13 April for the Richard Pratt Cup.

The blockbuster match will showcase more than 30,000 clapping blue thunder sticks, while 50 Carlton members will form a pre‐game on‐field guard of honour in memory of Richard Pratt and those who have suffered from the disease.

Those attending the round three game can make a donation to the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Foundation via one of the collectors at the MCG or through www.carltonfc.com.au\rpc.

The Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Research has been established by the family of the late Richard Pratt who suffered from the disease.

The initiative provides fellowships to researchers aiming to identify significantly improved treatment for sufferers of prostate cancer. Each year the Fellowship commits funds to individual applicants who are conducting translational research in prostate cancer.

Money raised through the Richard Pratt Cup will be used to help fund the Fellowship; ultimately facilitating improved treatments for prostate cancer suffers. Early career researchers working in any area related to prostate cancer are invited to apply for the Fellowship at www.victoriancanceragency.org.au/. The Fellowship applicant will be selected by an eminent panel in prostate cancer research.

Early career is defined as a person holding a Master’s degree, or a PhD or equivalent research doctorate, awarded within the last five years.