The New South Wales Government has announced $7 million in grants to two esteemed research groups as part of the translational cancer research program.

 

The funding is an addition to the $30 million over five years that is currently being provided by the government, which in turn forms part of the overall $105.6 million in medical research over the 2011-12 year.

 

The grants are managed by the Cancer Institute of NSW and have been  been awarded to the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) and the ANZAC Research Institute, based at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney.

 

The group led by Professor Nico van Zandwijk, director of the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute, has been awarded $3.5 million to improve outcomes for people with asbestos-related cancer and their families.

 

A team working at the Anzac Research Institute and the University of Sydney, led by Professor Derek Hart, has been awarded $3.47 million for the diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers.

 

The translational cancer research program is a key part of the NSW Government’s commitment to boosting medical research – bringing staff from seven new research hubs together to share knowledge, resources and technology.