Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute

12/06/2026

☕ A morning tea for cancer research

Last week, the incredible community at Lifestyle Communities Officer held their 7th annual morning tea for cancer research, and this year, they chose to support brain cancer research at ONJCRI.

Over 100 residents and friends gathered at the Lifestyle Officer Clubhouse for tea, coffee, cakes, scones, and sandwiches, with beautiful flowers from Bunty and Fuzz Florist gracing every table, and pies generously donated by Ivan’s Pies.

🎁 The raffle was so well-stocked that 1 in 3 tickets took home a prize!

Scientific Project Officer Kerryn Westcott spoke to attendees about the unique challenges of brain cancer research, and the vital work being led by Prof Hui Gan at our Centre for Research Excellence in Brain Cancer.

Kerryn highlighted the urgent need to develop new treatment strategies for brain cancer; an area of research which has lagged behind other cancer types.

To Sandra, Sue, Kaye, Hilary, and the organising team, and the homeowners who donated raffle prizes, baked scones and slices: your passion and dedication mean the world.

And to the Lifestyle Officer Clubhouse, whose generosity in matching every dollar raised will double the impact of this incredible event: thank you.

There are no small donations. Every morning tea, raffle ticket and slice of cake adds up to real change for people living with cancer.

➡️ Learn how you can organise your own fundraiser for cancer research: https://ow.ly/mh9Y50Z60aq

11/06/2026

🚴‍♀️ VIC Discovery Tour 2026 🚴‍♂️

We are thrilled to announce that Tour de Cure Australia is once again partnering with ONJCRI for VIC Discovery Tour 2026! 🎉

After a record-breaking year that saw VIC Discovery Tour 2025 raise more than $570,000 for cancer research, we are hoping to have another successful year in 2026.

Whether you are an experienced cyclist looking for your next challenge, or keen to support a cause that changes lives, this is an adventure you will not want to miss.

🚴‍♀️ The event will run from Sunday 22 November to Wednesday 25 November 2026.

🚴‍♀️ The tour begins in Traralgon and continues through Gippsland’s rolling countryside to the coastal beauty of Inverloch, before a final ride into Melbourne.

🚴‍♀️ This 4-day adventure includes 3 days of riding over 371km , with 3,131m of elevation.

How to get involved:

➡️ Sign up as a rider or Support Crew and be part of an unforgettable experience: https://vicdiscovery.tourdecure.com.au/t/team-onjcri

➡️ Support the riders as they take on this incredible challenge: https://vicdiscovery.tourdecure.com.au/donate

Last year's participants showed what can be achieved when a community comes together behind a common purpose.

Join us for this epic adventure!

Tour de Cure Australia

05/06/2026

Join us for an inspiring presentation that reveals the hidden beauty of biomedical discovery.

05/06/2026

🎭✨ Community theatre making a real impact

We are grateful to KBT Community Theatre for choosing ONJCRI as the charity partner for its recent production of Grease: The Musical.

Performed over three nights at the Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, the production brought together more than 50 cast, band, backstage crew and production team members to celebrate an iconic musical linked to our founding champion, Olivia Newton-John.

For KBT Community Theatre President Michael Kneebone, supporting cancer research was deeply personal.

“Just over fifteen years ago, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.”

“Fortunately, my wife is one of the success stories and is now cancer free. Sadly, that has not been the case for many of our colleagues and friends.”

When KBT decided to stage Grease, the company felt it was important to support cancer research and help raise awareness of the work being done at ONJCRI.

We thank Michael, the cast, crew, volunteers and everyone who attended the show for helping advance our mission to develop more effective, tolerable and accessible cancer care.

Communities like KBT Community Theatre are helping create a future with better outcomes for people affected by cancer. 💙

Learn how you can organise your own fundraiser for cancer research: https://ow.ly/5EeE50Z60ar

02/06/2026

Thank you to each and every one of you who has given to the Imagine Appeal.

Your support will help our researchers progress promising research projects into cancer treatments that are more precise and gentler.

With the end of financial year around the corner, there has never been a better time to give to cancer research: https://ow.ly/fcYO50Z4Z9S

We look forward to updating you on the progress and achievements of our research projects.

💛 With your support, the future of cancer treatment is within reach.

29/05/2026

🎉 Fellowship Success!

We are delighted to share that Dr Sarah Yeo, TRACKER PhD Candidate, has been awarded a 2026 Millennium Science – 10x Genomics Fellowship (Special Focus Edition: FFPE).

This prestigious Fellowship supports emerging researchers working at the forefront of translational science, applying next-generation single-cell technologies to complex clinical questions. Sarah’s project will focus on Chromium Single Cell analysis in lung cancer.

Her work will investigate EBUS biopsy specimens to identify biomarkers of immunotherapy response in NSCLC, supporting the development of more precise, clinically actionable insights.

💬 “I’m excited to use the 10x Millennium Fellowship to advance single-cell analysis of EBUS biopsy specimens and uncover biomarkers of immunotherapy response in NSCLC, helping bring more precise, clinically actionable insights into routine care.” — Dr Sarah Yeo

A wonderful achievement and a strong recognition of the innovative research underway at TRACKER 👏

Congratulations, Sarah — we look forward to seeing the impact of your work!

____

The University of Melbourne Austin Health Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute

28/05/2026

📣 The Imagine Appeal is ending soon!

If you have been meaning to give to cancer research, this is the moment ➡️ Support cancer research today: https://ow.ly/TGZt50Z4wFk

Your donation to the Imagine Appeal is fully tax-deductible, and with the end of financial year just around the corner, there has never been a better time to give 📆

Right now, someone is going through treatment that is saving their life but causing harsh side effects that impact their quality of life.

The Imagine Appeal supports research into treatments that are more targeted and less harmful than what many patients face today.

If you, like us, refuse to accept that people must suffer to survive cancer, now is the moment to act on that conviction.

27/05/2026

We are delighted to share that our 2025 Annual Report is now published and available to read ➡️️ https://ow.ly/5C5N50Z4xVF

This report highlights our institute’s achievements and reflects our bedside-to-bench-to-bedside research model. We hope you enjoy learning about our achievements in the latest edition.

🔬 2025 marked the launch of our Impact Strategy 2025–2029, the framework that will guide our research over five years.

📈 Our institute grew to its largest size ever, with over 290 researchers, students, clinician–scientists, research support staff and honorary staff members in 2025.

🌏 Our researchers published 141 papers and interacted with 150+ contributors and collaborators from over 20 countries.

🤝 We appointed seven new laboratory heads, spanning clinical research, bioinformatics, nanomedicine and more.

🩺 We led 13 clinical trials in lymphoma, breast cancer, bowel cancer, rare cancers and others.

🗣️ We launched our Patient Advocacy Program, which reinforces our commitment to ensuring patients are central to every initiative we undertake.

💛 Our amazing community of donors and philanthropists raised over $1.5 million for our research, including VIC Discovery Tour 2025, which raised over $580,000. Tour de Cure Australia

🎓 Our 63 students, the next generation of cancer experts, successfully published their research, presented at conferences, and took part in community fundraising events.

Thank you to our incredible supporters. Your generosity powers our mission to create a future where cancer care is more effective, tolerable, and accessible for all.

And a huge thank you to our Board of Directors for continually providing strategic guidance to help advance our research.


Victorian Department of Health

26/05/2026

🔬 Our researchers are studying cancer up close to map cell structures and uncover weaknesses that can be targeted more effectively.

One exciting area that ONJCRI scientists are advancing is CAR-T therapy, which has already improved outcomes for some blood cancers.

A patient’s own immune cells are engineered outside of the body to hunt down and destroy cancer cells.

But reaching solid tumours, the kind found in the breast, lungs, and bowel, has remained a challenge.

🧬 Our researchers are working to change that, using mRNA technology to deliver CAR-T more precisely and effectively.

This approach could create a new frontier of therapies for cancers that have historically been very hard to treat.

💛 This is the kind of work your donation to the Imagine Appeal makes possible:
https://ow.ly/6quE50Z0UgK

22/05/2026