Brain Tumour Research announces major funding boost for childhood tumours.
An investment of £144,000 is being made to increase the team at our Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University London (QMUL) where Professor Silvia Marino and her research group are studying the epigenetics of medulloblastoma. The research will also impact on other childhood brain tumours, including ependymoma.
The funding has been possible largely thanks to a generous donation from our Member Charity, The Children’s Brain Tumour Foundation. The charity was set up by Cheryl and Paul Davis with other parents, doctors and researchers to raise awareness and fund research into childhood brain tumours, following the diagnosis of their son Miles, aged five. Miles is now 16 and studying his GCSEs at secondary school.Cheryl (pictured with Paul and sons, Edward, Miles and Lucas) said: “Miles was one of the lucky ones although it took us nine months of him vomiting and losing weight for us to finally get a diagnosis. He had surgery twice to remove an ependymoma brain tumour and had chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. We know that many other families are not so fortunate; brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.”
Nine years after starting their charity, they are winding it up and donating the balance of their fundraising to Brain Tumour Research. The money will fund a four-year PhD student to work with Prof Marino at QMUL.
Sue Farrington Smith MBE, our Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely grateful to The Children’s Brain Tumour Foundation for its enormous support and commitment to our cause. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”
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