Published Wednesday, 18 June, 2008 at 03:00 PM
Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
$ 2 million for new research program to help beat prostate cancer
SAN DIEGO: The Queensland Government announced today that it was providing $2 million to help fund a new research program to successfully treat prostate cancer which has become the second leading cause of death amongst men in the Western world.
Ms Bligh announced the Smart State Innovation Projects Fund grant to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in San Diego at BIO 2008.
QUT will use the funding as part of a $15.639 million project to establish the Australian-Canada Prostate Cancer Research Alliance.
“I am pleased to announce that under the alliance, specialists from Vancouver will work closely with their counterparts at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Biomedical Precinct in Brisbane as well as 28 partners throughout Australia and Canada.”
Ms Bligh said the alliance would bring together world-class expertise, extensive public health data from both countries and state-of-the-art investigative tools.
“This will lead to improved diagnosis and treatments for a disease which mainly targets men aged over 50,” she said.
“Based on current data, the number of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer in the Western world is expected to double by 2020.”
The Innovation Projects Fund is part of the Queensland Government’s $300 million Smart State Innovation Funding program, which aims to build world-class research facilities, attract top-quality scientists to Queensland and stimulate cutting-edge research projects.
Ms Bligh said the Queensland Government has invested more than $3 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998.
The recently released next stage of the Smart State Strategy builds on the significant work and investments already undertaken by the Government in funding research and development infrastructure throughout the State as well as the Government's substantial investments in education and training reform and developing the State's industry capabilities.
Ms Bligh said that with world-class infrastructure now in place the emphasis would shift to people, projects and partnerships.
“We are trebling our investment in people,” she said.
“This Australian-Canadian research partnership is a perfect fit with our Smart State agenda which is transforming our ‘rocks and crops’ economy.”
The Premier is leading a Queensland biotechnology delegation to BIO 2008, the world’s largest biotechnology convention, which will be held in San Diego from 17-20 June.
18 June 2008
Media contact: 3224 4500
Ms Bligh announced the Smart State Innovation Projects Fund grant to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in San Diego at BIO 2008.
QUT will use the funding as part of a $15.639 million project to establish the Australian-Canada Prostate Cancer Research Alliance.
“I am pleased to announce that under the alliance, specialists from Vancouver will work closely with their counterparts at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Biomedical Precinct in Brisbane as well as 28 partners throughout Australia and Canada.”
Ms Bligh said the alliance would bring together world-class expertise, extensive public health data from both countries and state-of-the-art investigative tools.
“This will lead to improved diagnosis and treatments for a disease which mainly targets men aged over 50,” she said.
“Based on current data, the number of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer in the Western world is expected to double by 2020.”
The Innovation Projects Fund is part of the Queensland Government’s $300 million Smart State Innovation Funding program, which aims to build world-class research facilities, attract top-quality scientists to Queensland and stimulate cutting-edge research projects.
Ms Bligh said the Queensland Government has invested more than $3 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998.
The recently released next stage of the Smart State Strategy builds on the significant work and investments already undertaken by the Government in funding research and development infrastructure throughout the State as well as the Government's substantial investments in education and training reform and developing the State's industry capabilities.
Ms Bligh said that with world-class infrastructure now in place the emphasis would shift to people, projects and partnerships.
“We are trebling our investment in people,” she said.
“This Australian-Canadian research partnership is a perfect fit with our Smart State agenda which is transforming our ‘rocks and crops’ economy.”
The Premier is leading a Queensland biotechnology delegation to BIO 2008, the world’s largest biotechnology convention, which will be held in San Diego from 17-20 June.
18 June 2008
Media contact: 3224 4500