Children’s Brain Cancer Centre

The Children’s Brain Cancer Centre is Australia’s first research initiative solely focused on paediatric brain cancer, treatment, and survivorship, and brings together world-leading researchers, doctors, and facilities to boost brain cancer research capacity and outcomes in Queensland and beyond. The Centre is funded by the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The Centre will play a vital role in the Australian Brain Cancer Mission, which aims to double survival rates and improve the quality of life of people living with brain cancer over the next 10 years, with the longer-term aim of defeating brain cancer. The Centre has brought together leading researchers from UQ, the Queensland Children’s Hospital, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and QUT.

Brain cancer claims the life of one Australian child every 9 days – more than any other disease.

Despite advances in other types of childhood cancer, survival rates for brain cancer have made little progress over the past 30 years. The Children’s Brain Cancer Centre aims to change that.

The Children’s Brain Cancer Centre seeks to reduce chronic side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.

We want to stop relapse and recurrence of brain cancer, and reduce the likelihood of a child developing secondary cancers. We want to find better ways to support sick children and their families throughout their cancer journey, including palliative care and bereavement care.

Ultimately, we want to find a cure for this devastating childhood illness.

Find out more on current research programs

The centre is led by four directors:

  • Professor Brandon Wainwright, Frazer Institute
  • Dr Tim Hassall, Queensland Children’s Hospital
  • Professor Bryan Day, QIMR Berghofer
  • Professor Greig de Zubicaray, QUT Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation