University of Newcastle cancer researcher receives almost $600,000 grant for single cell precision tool

newy.com.au – University of Newcastle professor Nikki Verrills has been awarded almost $600,000 in NSW Government funding for a tool designed to isolate individual living cancer cells, as part of $1.8 million in grants announced on Saturday, 31 January 2026.

The Minns Labor Government said the Cancer Institute NSW Research Equipment Grants would fund world class research infrastructure to speed cancer research and improve care for people with cancer.

Verrills will use the funding to purchase a CellenONE instrument, which the Government said could capture subtle differences between individual cells and help researchers identify the different types of cancer cells within a tumour, including those that may resist therapy.

The Government said the device would support cancer research teams across NSW to better understand why relapse or treatment resistance can occur and, ultimately, help prevent it. Verrills’ work will focus on blood cancer, breast cancer and brain tumours, and on developing precision therapies tailored to the cellular makeup of each individual cancer.

“In the past, we lacked the tools to study cancer cells individually, which meant most treatments were designed to target the bulk of the tumour,” Verrills said. “Unfortunately, this approach can leave behind cells that resist therapy and allow the cancer to return.”

Minister for Medical Research David Harris said the grants were aimed at improving outcomes for patients. “Targeted research is vital to delivering better treatments and interventions that reduce the impact of cancer and ultimately save lives,” he said.

Two University of Sydney researchers also received $600,000 research equipment grants under the same program. Professor Hilda Pickett will purchase two high resolution microscopes that the Government said would allow researchers to see cancer cells growing, changing or becoming resistant to treatment, helping to visualise how cancers develop, spread and respond in real time.

Associate Professor Emily Blyth will fund two specialised systems intended to streamline steps in cell therapy manufacturing so treatments can be produced faster and more safely and scaled up to support greater patient access, according to the Government.

Cancer Institute NSW chief cancer officer and chief executive Professor Tracey O’Brien AM said, “Significant progress has been made in understanding and treating cancer however it remains the leading cause of death in NSW,” and said the institute was partnering with clinicians and researchers to accelerate understanding of the disease.