New funding to boost cancer research capacity
Over $1.8 million has been awarded to 9 Western Australian cancer researchers across 6 funding streams, consisting of:
- Early-career Fellowship
- Mid-career Fellowship
- Senior-career Fellowship
- Early-career Investigator Grants
- Mid-career Investigator Grants
- Clinical Capacity Building Grant
The Strategic Priority Program – Capacity Building program is co-funded by the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund and the Cancer Council WA.
The co-funding partnership has enabled Cancer Council WA to increase the number of grants and funding amounts provided and to support the growth of cancer research in this state, including for early and mid-career cancer researchers.
Further information is available on the Cancer Council WA website.
Recipients were assessed on merit by the Cancer Council WA Research Grants Advisory Committee.
The 2026 Strategic Priority Program – Capacity Building recipients are shown below:
| Recipient | Responsible entity | Activity title | Funding awarded | |
| Early career fellowship | ||||
| Dr Omar Elaskalani | The Kids Research Institute Australia, on behalf of the Centre for Child Research, UWA |
Unlocking immune power: tailored therapy for kids' cancers | $150,000 | |
| Mid-career Fellowship | ||||
| Dr Annabel Short | The Kids Research Institute Australia, on behalf of the Centre for Child Research, UWA | Improving treatments for childhood brain cancer while protecting the developing brain | $526,613 | |
| Senior career fellowship | ||||
| Prof Willem Lesterhuis | The Kids Research Institute Australia, on behalf of the Centre for Child Research, UWA | Discovering and developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies | $768,000 | |
| Suzanne Cavanagh Early-career Investigator Grant | ||||
| Dr Hannah Newnes | The University of Western Australia | Using gene editing to make cancer treatment more precise and less toxic | $40,000 | |
| Dr Ayeisha Milligan Armstrong | The University of Western Australia | Improving breast cancer treatment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women | $40,000 | |
| Dr Rebecca D'Alonzo | The University of Western Australia | Using radiotherapy to make immunotherapy drugs work better for people with mesothelioma | $39,982 | |
| Mid-career Investigator Grant | ||||
| Dr Rodrigo Carlessi | Curtin University | Cutting down liver cancer growth signals with RNA scissors | $60,960 | |
| Dr Vincent Kuek | The Kids Research Institute Australia, on behalf of the Centre for Child Research, UWA | A new therapeutic approach to treat children with leukaemia | $60,748 | |
| Clinical Capacity Building Grant | ||||
| Dr Hetal Dholaria | The University of Western Australia | Bridging the gap: advancing brain tumour research and diagnostic services for adolescents and young adults | $114,000 | |