Three Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute researchers have been awarded funding from Tour de Cure Australia, allowing them to pursue innovative and impactful cancer research projects.
These grants were made possible by the 2025 VIC Discovery, which raised over $580,000 thanks to the powerful commitment of generous supporters and donors.
This year’s Tour de Cure funding recipients include:
- Dr Bhupinder Pal, laboratory head, who will investigate strategies to restore anti-tumour immune function and improve cancer immunotherapy outcomes..
Cancer treatments such as immunotherapies work best when the immune system can effectively recognise and destroy cancer cells. Dr Pal’s team has identified a naturally occurring semi-nutrient that may boost the activity of important cancer-fighting immune cells. The team will now investigate how this molecule can be used to improve the safety and effectiveness of cancer treatments.
- Dr Zhipeng Cao, postdoctoral researcher, who will create a new type of cancer immunotherapy using a novel antibody previously developed by his team.
Immunotherapies are a more targeted type of cancer treatment that cause fewer side effects than traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy. Dr Cao will explore creating a new type of immunotherapy that both attaches to immune cells and blocks a key protein that helps cancer cells evade treatment.
- Dr Rebekah Crake, postdoctoral researcher, who will lead research into existing cancer drug combinations that could improve treatment response in different types of cancer.
Cancer does not wait for anyone, and treatment solutions could already exist in the form of combination therapy. Testing existing cancer drug combinations means that promising leads can be fast-tracked into clinical studies sooner, compared to developing new cancer therapies from scratch.
Thank you to Tour de Cure Australia for their commitment to our research, and congratulations to this year’s deserving recipients!
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