Dr Brett Stringer has been appointed to a new three-year Brain Cancer Research Fellowship at Flinders University, funded by Flinders Foundation.

Funds were raised by those who attended the 2019 Pink Yellow Blue Ball and SAPOL’s Ride Like Crazy cycling event, and generous donations from Sarah Constructions and supporters in the community.

Dr Stringer joins Flinders from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland, where he worked as a brain cancer researcher for 10 years. Prior to that he worked in the leukaemia research area.

Working across Flinders and SAHMRI alongside brain cancer researchers Associate Professor Simon Conn and Dr Cedric Bardy, Dr Stringer said he was excited to join the team at Flinders where the focus is on developing biomarkers for the earliest possible detection of brain cancer, and creating personalised treatments for those diagnosed with the disease.

“Brain cancer is a big challenge and there’s lots to be done,” Dr Stringer said.

 “A/Prof Conn and Dr Bardy are doing some quite innovative work, and to their credit they’re doing it in a really meaningful way.

“Using my experience working with brain cancer tumour tissue collected directly from patients, I hope to build some useful resources here to provide them both with the tools they need to test their novel ideas in a meaningful way to help detect brain cancer earlier and treat it in a different way.”

Unlike other cancers, there has been no improvement in survival of patients with brain cancer over the past 30 years. That is one of brain cancer’s “terrible statistics” Dr Stringer wants to play a part in changing.

“Brain cancer affects so many people, and I’m thankful to Flinders Foundation and all the generous people who are recognising this is a problem that needs addressing and are doing something about it to help make a real difference.”