The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) is proud to announce that eight research projects led by our investigators have been awarded a total of $219,795 in funding from the Austin Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) for 2026.
This substantial investment represents a significant portion of the $400,790 in research funding allocated by AMRF to support innovation across the Austin precinct, underscoring the quality and impact of cancer research being conducted at ONJCRI.
The funded projects span a remarkable breadth of cancer research, from novel immunotherapies and personalised treatment approaches to the repurposing of existing drugs and the development of cutting-edge RNA therapies.
Each project addresses critical challenges in cancer treatment and reflects ONJCRI’s mission to create more effective, accessible and tolerable cancer treatments for all people.
Our 2026 AMRF Awardees:
Early Career Innovation Seeding Grant
- Dr Pavitha Parathan – Repurposing Existing Anti-Migraine Therapies to Reduce Colorectal and Gastric Cancer Growth
Project Grants
- Dr Andrew Guirguis – Stopping blood cancer before it starts
- Dr Sagun Parakh – Personalising treatment for Early-Stage Lung Cancer
- Dr Teresa Sadras – Overcoming Targeted Treatment Resistance in Leukemia
- Dr Shiyao Li – A new RNA therapy for hard-to-treat bowel cancer
- Dr Quentin Gouil – Building long-lasting immune cells for leukaemia treatment
- Dr Zhipeng Cao – New targeted immunotherapy to treat cancer
- Dr Chamikara Liyanage – Boosting the immune system to fight breast cancer effectively
These projects represent the crucial early stages of research that can ultimately transform patient care. The AMRF funding will enable our researchers to test innovative hypotheses, generate preliminary data, and advance their work toward clinical translation, bringing new treatments closer to the patients who need them.
We congratulate all AMRF grant recipients across the Austin precinct and look forward to a year of innovative research that improves patient outcomes.