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Autumn 2026 13 Brain cancer Associate Professor Scott Graham, University of Auckland $20,000 Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. It can affect people at any age and has one of the worst survival rates of all cancers. One reason it is so difficult to treat is because glioblastoma avoids detection by the immune system. This project will identify proteins on the surface of glioblastoma cells that could be targeted with immunotherapies, which are designed to help the immune system detect and destroy abnormal cells. “This funding is thebest newsaswewrapup averybusy2025, especially in timesof such fundingpressure. It takesour glioblastoma research inanewandexcitingdirection, and meanswecanoffer positions toourmaster’s degreestudents tostart on thisproject in2026. “I am incredibly passionate about this area of research and firmly believe that we can kill cancers like glioblastoma with the immune system. We will then be in a position to offer some hope for themany NewZealand families affected by this terrible brain cancer.” Education and Training Grants Dr Joan Leung University of Auckland Centre for Brain Research early–mid career researchers retreat $3,747 Associate Professor Jay Bertran-Gonzalez Universityof NewSouthWales, Sydney Australasian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN) $20,000 Travel Grants More than $25,000 worth of travel grants will help some amazing Kiwi neuro-researchers attend conferences and meetings around the world, making valuable connections and bringing new skills back to our shores. Dr Lee-Anne Morris University of Otago Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026 $4,500 Dr Balakrishnan Nair Auckland University of Technology World Stroke Congress 2025 $4,500 Dr Thomas Park University of Auckland Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Neuro-Oncology Laboratory visit $4,500 Miss Alice Freeman University of Otago Labvisit toHudson InstituteofMedical ResearchandFetal andNeonatal Physiological SocietyConference2025 $4,208 Dr Helen Murray University of Auckland Australasian Neuroscience Society Conference and Cellular and Molecular Advances in Neurodegeneration satellite meeting $3,715 Dr Sulagna Banerjee University of Otago 20th International Xenopus Conference (IXC25) $3,460 Dr Christina Buchanan Health NZ Te Toka Tumai Auckland GP2 meeting and MDS Conference (Honolulu), followed by community work in Samoa $2,013