The Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) has committed $18.9 million to brain cancer research over the next five years.
The funding will support the MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle (UoN).
It takes the organisation’s total investment to more than $36 million.
The commitment is one of the largest philanthropic outlays in brain cancer research in Australia and also the largest philanthropic gift in the uni’s history.
MHF founder and former Newcastle Knights premiership winner Mark Hughes OAM, who launched the charity following his brain cancer diagnosis in 2013, admitted the milestone belonged to the community.
“We are putting in $18.9 million over the next five years for brain cancer research and patient support… this doesn’t happen without the support of our community,” he said.
“People buying a beanie, doing a fundraiser, donating or taking part in a trek.
“The Mark Hughes Foundation genuinely is a community organisation.”
Brain cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in children and adults under 40 and survival rates haven’t changed much in recent decades.
So, the funding will help researchers turn discoveries into new treatments and improved patient care.
Since opening in 2022, the MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research has grown into a national research network.
More than 160 researchers, clinicians and health professionals are now involved.
Centre director Professor Mike Fay said the next phase would focus on delivering results for patients.
“We have the expertise, technology and strong relationships with the nation’s leading researchers in brain cancer research,” he explained.
“This next phase is about turning our momentum into real-world change – including new approaches to treatments and accelerating drug development.”
The centre works with more than 40 hospitals, universities and medical research institutes across Australia.
The latest commitment will help continue that work.
It will support research, collaboration and patient-focused programs aimed at finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
“The establishment of the MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research has been a game-changer,” UoN Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO said.
“We now have access to national registries, the MHF Brain biobank, advanced imaging and biomarker platforms, and a network of researchers working together across the country.
“These foundations have positioned us to move with speed and purpose, translating research from the lab into patient care and delivering outcomes that matter.
“The next five years represent a unique opportunity to accelerate progress and bring together everything we’ve built to make a tangible impact on the lives of brain cancer patients, today and into the future.”
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