Newsletter for the Rotary Club of Western Endeavour - Issue No.: 1115 Issue Date: 14 Apr, 2024

Judi Lane, Community Education and Engagement Manager for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research Team, updated members on research being done at the institute at our meeting this week.

Judi has a strong personal interest in the work of the Parkins having four close members of her family die from four different types of cancer. 

Some background.....

The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research conducts innovative research into the diseases that rob us of our loved ones.

The Perkins was established in 1998 to unify Western Australian scientists in a collaborative research powerhouse. In the years since, it has grown to become one of the nation’s leading medical research centres, where a close knit team of more than 450 research and trial staff work together to defeat the major diseases that impact our community – diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and rare genetic diseases.

Everyone at the Perkins is driven by a desire to keep families together for longer, but they cannot do it alone. It is thanks to support from the public that they can continue their life-saving work. The Perkins is proof that when you put world class scientists, doctors and researchers together in state-of-the-art facilities with a culture of innovation, amazing things happen.

What they are
A leading research institute
A charity
An employer
A state-of-the-art facility and venue
A pioneer in world-class clinical trials

Of the many advances in research at the Perkins, Judi told us about one of particlar interest in our current circumstances, where they have a most exciting Covid-19 vaccine in trials. Also, personalised therapy for breast cancer where the survival rate is now 90-95%. The Perkins has developed tests with real-time feedback for breast cancer patients undergoing surgery so they are less likely to need a second lot of surgery. One of their researchers, Dr Ciara Duffy, has found that honeybee venom induces cancer cell death in hard to treat triple-negative breast cancer with minimal effect on healthy cells. After testing is complete, this research may make a major difference to women with triple-negative breast cancer.

Sadly, for brain cancer sufferers, there hasn't been a change in survival rates in 30 years and it is the biggest killer of children.

Amongst other diseases, the institute is heavily involved researching melanoma, heart disease (including work being done on a predictive test) and liver cancer, their next big challenge. Professor Jonas Nilsson from Sweden recently joined the team as inaugural chair in Melanoma.

Researchers collaborating with the Perkins are found in 97 cities, 29 countries and 6 continents across the world.

Research is funded by:

• Fundraising
• Sponsorship
• Donations and Planned giving
• Grants

You read more about the Perkins, its personnel, , research, successes and how you can support the institute, click here.