The fellowship will help to fund prostate cancer research. Photo: Peter Braig
Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Urologic Oncologist Dr Ian Vela has been awarded the 2015 Tolmar ANZUP Clinical Research Fellowship to assist his further studies in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
The fellowship will provide $60,000 to support Dr Vela in his research to provide a more realistic model of how cancer spreads through the body.
Dr Vela said his research would use prostate-specific imaging technology to facilitate biopsy and analyse amplified cancer cells to undertake the study of metastatic prostate cancer.
Prof Ian Davis, Chair of ANZUP Board & Scientific Advisory Committee, fellowship recipient Dr Ian Vela and Danny Dimitropoulos, head of marketing, Tolmar Australia. Photo: Supplied
“The research we are undertaking is very cutting edge and will allow us to identify the early and reoccurring stages of prostate cancer, to ultimately improve the outcome of this disease in men,” Dr Vela said.
“Through the funding of the fellowship we are now able to grow the cancer cells in our lab and monitor their reaction to the medication we treat them with.
“It is very humbling to be chosen within this competitive field to undertake this research, which I hope will not only benefit men in Australia but also men all around the world.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare more than 21,000 Australian men are diagnosed annually with prostate cancer, with numbers estimated to rise to approximately 267,000 in the coming years.
ANZUP Board and Scientific Advisory Committee member Professor Ian Davis said the Fellowship will support Dr Vela’s research into this critical health issue.
“Dr Ian Vela is a most deserving recipient of this year’s fellowship, coming from a strong field of applicants across Australia,” Prof. Davis said.
“His project is an interesting and exciting one based on cutting edge technology, which will improve our understanding of how prostate cancer grows and spreads.”
The CRF is intended for early and mid-career clinician-researchers of any health care discipline and provides funding for one year to the institution of the successful applicant.