ACRF Innovative Cancer Imaging and Therapeutics Facility opened

The Honourable Jay Weatherill MP, Premier of South Australia, will today officially open the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) Innovative Cancer Imaging and Therapeutics Facility at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), located within a new health and biomedical precinct in Adelaide.

The Facility will enable ground-breaking cancer research to be conducted by providing investigators with access to biomedical imaging technologies. Such technologies include: advanced flow cytometry, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Equipment purchased thanks to funding from the ACRF will give researchers and their collaborators the capacity to rapidly translate basic biomedical research discoveries to novel cancer therapies.

“ACRF is thrilled to support the cutting-edge cancer imaging research being conducted by SAHMRI’s scientists. This facility will enable discoveries and the development of improved treatment protocols that will bring hope to patients with all types of cancers,” said Professor Ian Brown, Chief Executive of the ACRF.

SAHMRI’s Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh, said that this gift from the ACRF is invaluable.

“The Facility enables the collaboration between specialists and researchers, who are working together in the pursuit of better treatments, cures and even ways to prevent cancer in its many manifestations.

“We are thrilled to have received this funding from the ACRF. Thanks to the combined funds from the ACRF, HSCGB, the Beat Cancer Project and the Detmold Group, we have been able to purchase specialist-imaging equipment located in our two dedicated facilities of SAHMRI North Terrace. This equipment will be used in pre-clinical testing of novel potential therapies for a diverse array of diseases and conditions - not just cancer - including depression, stroke and heart disease, immune dysfunction and metabolic disease.

“Our work in the Cancer theme would not be possible without this assistance from the ACRF. It has enabled us to relocate an entire laboratory to the new facility and continue their excellent work, with access to state of the art equipment.”

About the ACRF

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) is dedicated to funding research in Australia that has the power to make significant breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and treatment. It does so by awarding multi-million dollar grants, stimulating Australia’s best scientists to embark on ground-breaking research projects that speed up the cancer discovery process – ultimately working to save lives by saving time.