Home builder funds cancer institute

THE Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Centre will now receive an annual cash boost with regular donations provided by Ballarat building company JG King Homes.

The funding will take the form of quarterly instalments of $25,000 to aid the cancer research institute.

FECRI’s director Professor George Kannourakis said he was was “blown away” by the announcement and that with a staff of 15 scientists and five students, the money would allow the team to hire an additional member each year.

“A hundred thousand dollars a year will fund a senior scientist each year, will fund their salary and support for each year,” he said.

“It costs the institute about $1.8 million a year to run. So, $100,000 is a major thing for us, especially when they say it’s not just this year which means we have security.

“I always say cancer research is a team effort, not just between the scientists but between the supporters of research.”

The annual intake will comprise the JG King cancer research fellowship, and it is hoped each new scientist will further the institute’s research into what Professor Kannourakis calls bar code proteins and their role between cancer and the immune system.

JG King Homes chairman John King said the regular funding will allow them to “formalise” their relationship with FECRI and provide ongoing support for their research.

“This is for not just for this year, this is for years to come, and we hope in the future we can make it even more significant,” he said.