Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) researcher Dr Elyse Page will target earlier detection and less toxic treatment plans with the funding she has been awarded from SAHMRI’s inaugural Discovery Circle.

Dr Page says this project will focus on a particularly insidious form of ALL, which is a leading cause of non-traumatic death among Australian children.

“The most damaging form of this terrible disease is when it invades the brain and central nervous system,” Dr Page said.

“Survival rates for children with ALL that doesn’t reach the central nervous system are approaching 90% but that plummets to around 40% for those who develop CNS-ALL.”

Dr Page’s Discovery Circle Award project will, for the first time anywhere in the world, seek to identify which children are at high risk of CNS-ALL and which are unlikely to develop the condition.

“Because progression to CNS-ALL is so serious, we currently give every child diagnosed with ALL a preventative treatment.

“This can be of great benefit to the 10% or so of those whose leukaemia will progress to CNS-ALL, but for the other 90% it is potentially an unnecessary and somewhat traumatic injection into their spine.

“If we can discover a biomarker – a clue in the blood – that tells us which children are at low risk of CNS-ALL, we can save them from this unnecessary treatment and associated impact on their physical health, wellbeing and overall path to recovery.

“Additionally, being able to identify those at high risk of CNS-ALL means we can begin more targeted treatments earlier for a better chance of recovery.”

The Discovery Circle is a new philanthropy initiative which brings together donations from 20 SAHMRI supporters to create a pool of $100,000 for one early- or mid-career researcher.

The funding is awarded through a competitive process. From 16 applicants, three were selected to make a five-minute pitch to Discovery Circle members who in turn voted for the project that would be funded.

Alongside Dr Page, Dr Rachel Elovaris presented her project to promote healthy pregnancies among Aboriginal women with gestational diabetes, and Dr Ryan O’Hare Doig presented his project to use the branch of science known as omics to map the many different causes and progression pathways of spinal injuries.

“Being awarded this funding means so much more when you consider the calibre of people and projects who applied,” Dr Page said.

“Not just Rachel and Ryan – whose projects are phenomenal and have the capacity to make such an impact on improving health – but all of the applicants.

“I can’t thank the Discovery Circle members enough for their support of this initiative. The money is one thing, but the interest they show in our work and public advocacy for what we do is just as valuable, especially for researchers like myself, Ryan and Rachel, who are just finding our feet in what is a highly competitive industry.”