OCRF Research Timeline

In 2011, it is remarkable for us to think of tremendous strides we have made in the fight against ovarian cancer.

The Foundation has grown to become one of Australia’s pre-eminent body supporting ovarian cancer research programs that occur nationally, and are focused upon the understanding of the causes of ovarian cancer, its early detection and improve patient survival.

The OCRF has the infrastructure to support and drive health studies across Australia and globally. By supporting those investigators working in all of the global components of basic, translational and clinical research, it has helped to generate a world class infrastructure for the study of epithelial ovarian cancer in Australia, which did not exist before the year 2000.

Read more on our achievements in any of the following years:

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2000

• Official launch of the Foundation led by eminent gynaecological oncology specialist, Chairman/Co-Founder Associate Professor Thomas Jobling and CEO Liz Heliotis

• National Australia Bank announced as the Principal and Founding Partner

• OCRF appointment of Dr Jane McNeilage, (known hereafter as the NAB Research Fellow), the foundation's first research fellow dedicated to ovarian cancer research. Laboritory alignment sited at Prince Henry's Institute Victoria.

2001

• Witchery join the partner family as a premium partner. Witchery commit to selling the silver ribbons and the exclusive OCRF coffee table pictorial book, "Exposure", in all outlets

• The Foundation celebrate the launch of the Exposure book with imagery by Jason Lucas, words compiled by Leta Keens, Design by Paul Giorgilli - a portrait of Australian women of all ages who have had cancer

• Foundation welcomes ACP - Australian Gourmet Traveller as an official media partner

• The OCRF proudly support the SMART Study, that is evaluating a new treatment that may improve the long-term survival of women with ovarian cancer

Exposure Book

Exposure CD

2002

• Ovarian Cancer Research Week is officially launched on the Federal Government Health Calendar
  

• The OCRF developed a compilation CD, Exposure, to be launched and sold in Witchery outlets across Australia. Exposure featured multiple Australian and international artists

• OCRF purchase an Axon Microarray Reader, a vital piece of equipment which allows us to look for the expression of many thousands of genes in the tumor tissue and to compare that expression with normal ovary or each of the different types of ovarian cancer

• The OCRF support the MIDAS study. This study is a direct extension of the SMART study, which was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the HMFG1 antibody in the treatment of ovarian cancer

2003

• NAB launch the Annual Silver Ribbon Campaign at all NAB branches across Australia. This campaign supports the sale of the silver ribbon and encourages NAB staff to host their own fundraising activity across Australia. The Foundation support host the Annual Silver Ribbon Exposure Gala raising over $100k


• OCRF Research Fellow Dr Jane McNeilage received the Keith Free Memorial Prize in 2003 for her presentation on ovarian cancer at the annual meeting of the Australian Society of Gynaecological Oncologists

• OCRF purchase a Laser Dissection Microscope, enables the isolation of single ovarian cancer cells or a group of cells which then can be characterised for their specific function

Dr Jane McNeilage

2004

• The OCRF are proud to support the Ovarian Health Study will involve 500 healthy post menopausal women using existing methods to determine a normal range of ovarian health from which to compare the differences between healthy and non healthy (or diseased) ovaries, moving a step closer to developing an accurate early detection test


• The Ovarian Health Study was in conjunction with the Monash University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PHIMR and the Jean Hailes Foundation from May 2004 for three years

• The OCRF announces the appointment of a second full time Ovarian Cancer Research Fellow, OCRF NAB Research Fellow Martin K. Oehler
  

• The Foundation announced Mercedes Benz to the sponsor family. Mercedes Benz support the OCRF Silver Ribbon Exposure Gala through fully donating a Mercedes Benz vehicle

2005

• Associate Professor Martin K. Oehler received the Keith Free Memorial Prize in 2005 for his scientific presentation on ovarian cancer at the annual meeting of the Australian Society of Gynaecological Oncologists

• OCRF purchase a SELDI Mass Spectrometer, surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time of flight mass spectrometer, a discovery tool for identifying specific protein profiles or signatures in biological fluids characteristic of ovarian cancer

• The OCRF conducted a collaborative study with Biosceptre International Inc to examine the potential use of the non-functional P2X7 receptor as a diagnostic tool in ovarian cancer

Professor Martin Oehler

2006

• The OCRF is proud to be the official charity partner of the L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival
  



• The Foundation expand its relationship with ACP, welcoming madison to the OCRF partner family

• In early 2006 the OCRF invested in a proteomics study with the aim of identifying early detection markers for ovarian cancer

• The OCRF continue to support two clinical trials which target ovarian cancer by means of radioactive antibodies (radioimmunotherapy): The SMART (Study of Monoclonal Antibody Radioimmuno Therapy) Study evaluates the effect of those antibodies on the survival of ovarian cancer patients and The MIDAS (Mab Imaging and Dosimetry Assessment) Study examines how those antibodies are distributed in the abdominal cavity of ovarian cancer patients

• The OCRF appointed Dr Andrew Stephens as the NAB Research Fellow.

• The OCRF is funding the Granulosa Cell Tumor Study: PhD study on further research into Granulosa Cell Tumor

2007

• OCRF establish an ongoing clinical collection program and encourage ovarian cancer patients and healthy women to participate. Collections are occurring in Melbourne (Monash Medical Centre), and Sydney (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital). Community participation is essential for the development an early screening test for ovarian cancer



• The Leading Hotels of the World together with Yering Station, Australian Waters and Centrepiece by Design commit to continue to support the Foundations Silver Ribbon Exposure Gala ongoing
  

• OCRF Research Assistant, Rebecca Crook appointed to support this vital research

• OCRF purchase a Sanyo -86ºC Upright Freezer, for storage of ovarian cancer samples

• OCRF purchase an Immunoaffinity Purification, purchased September 2007

• OCRF continues to support research using OCRF granted equipment the SELDI and 2D PAGE delivering very promising results. We are confident that by using these technologies we are moving an important step closer to the development of an early detection test for ovarian cancer

• OCRF supported a pilot research program over the past 12 months, aimed at identifying protein changes that are specific to cancer patients using a small group of patient samples. Analysis of these samples have thus far identified 156 specific changes that are found in ovarian cancer patients, but not in healthy women. Of these, 47 proteins have been identified by mass spectrometry, with the remainder currently under investigation. The identification of these proteins is extremely promising and our focus is now to identify the remaining proteins

2008

• OCRF purchased a Gell Spot Cutter, used to cut out gel spots containing protein following fractionation of plasma sample for subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry

• The Foundation is proud to support the Evaluation of Symptom Benefit during Palliative Chemotherapy in Women with Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: Measuring subjective improvement as well as objective response to estimate the benefit of palliative chemotherapy in women with platinum resistant or refractory ovarian cancer

• The OCRF funded pilot program using proteomics technologies, has identified 146 cancer-specific changes in patient blood samples. The proteins identified include a number that are involved in causing cells to grow inappropriately - the hallmark of a developing tumour

• The OCRF approve the appointment of two additional full time Research Fellows
  

• The 2008 OCRF Silver Ribbon Exposure Gala raises a record $200,000

• The OCRF continues to reach communities across Australia with over 100 approved events in 2008 raising close to $500,000

• Witchery introduce the White Shirt Campaign, raising over $500,000

• SCA Australia - Libra confirm their commitment to the Foundation for a further three years

2009

• The OCRF has secured the committed support of Foundation has the on-going support of 23 corporate partners and sponsors. Including Founding Partner NAB, Premium Partners Witchery and L'Oréal Paris and Major Partner Mercedes-Benz
  

• The Foundation welcomes Dr Katie Meehan and Dr Simon Chu to the research team. This brings the OCRF research team to 5 full-time members; 3 postdoctoral scientific research staff, 1 research assistant and 1 full-time clinical research nurse all based in the Ovarian Cancer Biomarker laboratory. The funding provided by the OCRF supports a comprehensive program of research aimed at the identification of cancer-specific changes in patient's blood and urine - termed "biomarkers" - that can be used to detect cancers at an early stage.

• The OCRF is delighted to announce the new partnership with premium partner L'Oreal Paris
  

• The OCRF agree to fund two additional nurses based at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) New South Wales and the Royal Brisbane Hospital (Queensland)
  

• The Foundation continues to review research grants from across Australia and to date has supported 12 Ovarian Cancer Research Projects. The Foundation is currently reviewing the options to extend the research program to New Zealand

• The OCRF has contributed more than $10 million dollars directly into the research of ovarian cancer
  

• The Foundation welcomes the ongoing commitment from these new partners Mindshare, Eye, oOh Media and Axis Films

Dr Simon Chu