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MIMR's Inaugural Flagship Project Announced

Drs Elizabeth Williams and Renea Taylor's research into genes involved in the suppression of a type of prostate cancer has been announced as the inaugural Flagship Project.

Drs Williams and Taylor have received $100,000 from the Institute to identify genes involved in advanced prostate cancer, with the ultimate aim of developing new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of the disease. They will use a new, highly clinically relevant model of prostate cancer that they have developed from a human bone metastatic prostate tumour. The funding they have received will allow them to develop a genome-wide approach to identifying the genes and pathways involved in the progression of prostate cancer to the advanced stages of the disease.

The Flagship Project Initiative was introduced in 2008, with the aim of identifying and providing initial funding for projects of high scientific and medical significance that will result in major discoveries and publications that enhance the national and international standing of MIMR. Drs Williams and Taylor's project was one of four shortlisted. All projects were presented before a judging panel chaired by the Governor of Victoria, Emeritus Professor David de Kretser AC. The panel members were the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Professor Steve Wessselingh, Director, MIMR, Professor Bryan Williams, Director, Prince Henry's Institute, Associate Professor Matt Gillespie and Group Leader, Uterine Biology, Prince Henry's Institute, Professor Lois Salamonsen.

Drs Williams and Taylor are excited and optimistic about the possibilities presented to them as a result of the Flagship Project Initiative.

"It's an honour to be part of the inaugural Flagship Project. The generous funding provided by the Institute will enable us to progress our research at a greater pace," Dr Williams said.

"We are very excited to be embarking on a project that will ultimately shed light on an aggressive form of prostate cancer, that, up until now, has been poorly understood," said Dr Taylor.