We are delighted to announce that we have joined forces with Cancer Research UK to create an unprecedented £18m fund for research into all aspects of brain tumours
Our new co-funded Brain Tumour Awards are targeted at six areas of research, each of them vital in accelerating progress towards our goals of doubling survival and halving the harm caused by brain tumours.
Under the awards scheme, research teams will be invited to apply for grants of up to £10m over five years to investigate one or more of the following areas:
- Why and how brain tumours form and grow;
- The genetic factors that affect brain tumour growth and potential new drugs to target them;
- The unique environment in which brain tumours develop, incorporating the challenges posed by the blood-brain barrier;
- More accurate ways of studying brain tumours and their growth, so that potential breakthroughs developed in the laboratory translate more quickly into better treatments for patients;
- Improving diagnosis to classify brain tumours more precisely and make treatments more personalised;
- Reducing the long-term health damage caused by some brain tumour treatments.
Dr David Jenkinson, chief scientific officer for The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We have two goals at The Brain Tumour Charity: to double survival and halve the harm caused by brain tumours.
“The Brain Tumour Awards are designed to drive progress towards those goals by encouraging research across all areas, from brain tumour development through to diagnosis, the impact of current treatments and the discovery of more effective drugs.
“We know that collaboration is key to achieving our goals, which is why we are delighted to be co-funding these awards with Cancer Research UK.”
Dr Iain Foulkes, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of research and innovation, said: “We urgently need new insights and treatments to tackle brain tumours to improve survival.
“We want to attract and inspire the research community to accelerate progress for a disease that has seen few treatment options developed for patients and consequently little change in survival.
“We hope the Brain Tumour Awards will create even more capacity in the UK for brain tumour research, and we are excited to be working with The Brain Tumour Charity on this initiative.”