Professor Elin Gray, Deputy Director of ECU's Centre for Precision Health, leads the Cancer Blood Biomarkers Cohort Study.
Edith Cowan University (ECU)'s Cancer Blood Biomarkers Cohort Study has been given a near $110,000 boost from the Western Australian Government's Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund.
Led by Professor Elin Gray, Deputy Director of ECU's Centre for Precision Health, the study brings together blood and tumour samples alongside clinical data from cancer patients to support advancements in cancer research.
Critical for enabling accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of cancer, the biomarkers also help predict response to treatment.
Professor Gray said the funding recognises the collective efforts of the many contributors who have helped establish and grow the study over time.
"This funding acknowledges the collective effort of our scientific committee, clinicians, study coordinators and our laboratory team who have worked tirelessly to establish and grow this cohort into a valuable resource for cancer research," she said.
The study has evolved into a well-curated biobank and now supports large-scale research projects and multinational collaborations.
Over the past five years, it has attracted more than $8 million in funding from organisations including the Medical Research Future Fund, Cancer Council WA and the Cancer Research Trust.
During 2025–2026, and with the ongoing support of the FHRI Fund, the cohort study has achieved substantial improvements in governance.
This progress is a testament to the commitment of Post-doctoral Scientist Leslie Calapre-Beasley, Oncologist Dr Lydia Warburton, Clinical Study Coordinator Anna Reid, Senior Research Assistant Anna Mills, Research Assistants Jessica Gornall and Tharani Senavirathna, and a dedicated Admin and Governance Coordinator Sharon Middleton.
The study is undertaken in close collaboration with oncology services at Sir Charles Gairdner, Fiona Stanley, Royal Perth, and St John of God hospitals.
At the hospitals, samples are collected from patients with skin and eye melanoma, lung cancer and ovarian cancer.
The FHRI Operational Support Program funding will help maintain the cohort and its associated infrastructure, ensuring continuity of this critical research resource.
The FHRI Fund awarded $2 million in grants to 13 West Australian cohort studies, to support the delivery of improved clinical outcomes, changes to health policy, and translational health outcomes.
