newy.com.au – University of Newcastle Professor Nikola Bowden will lead a $5 million expansion of a cancer research network spanning the Hunter and regional NSW, aimed at narrowing the gap in outcomes between country and city patients.
The Cancer Institute NSW grant will support regional research fellowships, PhD scholarships and training, helping develop more cancer researchers outside metropolitan areas. The expanded network plans to build its research capacity over the next five years.
People with cancer in regional, rural and remote NSW have lower survival rates and poorer outcomes than metropolitan patients, according to the university. It says evidence shows engagement and participation in research can help improve those outcomes.
Bowden will oversee the expansion of the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network, established in 2023 to strengthen research that can be translated into better cancer care. It already connects the University of Newcastle with the Hunter New England, Central Coast, Mid North Coast and Northern NSW local health districts.
The expansion will extend that reach through new partnerships with the University of Wollongong, Illawarra Shoalhaven and Western NSW local health districts, and Cancer Voices NSW.
Alongside fellowships and scholarships, the funding will support schemes to co-fund research grants, travel awards and education opportunities. The emphasis is on developing the next generation of regional researchers, with more equitable outcomes for people with cancer the network’s long-term goal.
