$2 million donation to fund unchartered cancer research

In support of the St Vincent's Clinic Foundation's real research projects for real people, an incredibly generous donation of $2 million was recently bequeathed to fund vitally important cancer research projects on St Vincent’s Campus.  The grant will be known as ‘The De Angeli Cancer Grant’ and will help ensure the continued support of bright enquiring researchers who can pursue ambitious research in new areas.  

With research funding levels well below what is required, the Foundation plays an increasingly vital role in encouraging and supporting those hard-working doctors, nurses, lab technicians and clinical teams who are committed to creating a brighter future for medicine and patient health by undertaking crucial research. 

For more than 26 years, the St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation has supported emerging researchers, including 2018 grant recipient Dr David Hermann, who is currently using a novel biosensor made from the fluorescent proteins of jellyfish for his research into the spread of cancer in the prostate. The initial funding provided by the St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation will enable Dr Hermann to test whether his research model works.  “The biosensor technology uses very tiny, glowing probes that are isolated from jellyfish.  We have generated a biosensor mouse to understand, in the live tumour, when the cancer cells unzip from each other, leave the tumour and subsequently spread to distant sites,” says Dr Hermann.  If his biosensor model works, “we can really start applying this technology to further prostate cancer research as well as other cancer types, such as breast cancer,” he says.  

President of the St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation A/Prof Brett Courtenay OAM says “We are extremely thankful to the De Angeli family for this generosity and we are excited about the potential real world impact to cancer care and treatment outcomes this funding could unravel.” Find out more here.

Frank and Kazuko De Angeli