Pancreatic cancer researcher Dr George Sharbeen has been awarded a NSW Government grant worth $499,230 to continue his work developing a breakthrough in treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Dr Sharbeen and his expert team of researchers from the University of New South Wales will be testing their new RNA nanomedicine in cutting-edge models of pancreatic cancer.

The work includes forcing cancer calls to ‘self-destroy’ and a world-first 3D "tumour-in-a-dish" model enabling researchers to grow and treat patient tumour tissue in the lab.

Dr Sharbeen is one of 10 promising health researchers receiving a share of $5 million from the NSW Government, as part of the NSW Health Early-Mid Career Grant program.

This round of the program is focused on advanced therapeutic impact, and awards researchers who are ready to take their career to the next level by building a multi-disciplinary team of expert researchers, clinicians and other key stakeholders.

The latest round of funding will support research into gene therapy, precision medicine, RNA nanomedicine, advancing therapeutics in osteoporosis, cancers such as melanoma and immunotherapy-resistant tumours, and more.

The 2024 recipients of the Early-Mid Career Researcher Grants:

• Dr George Sharbeen – The University of New South Wales
• Associate Professor Nicole Verrills – Hunter Medical Research Institute
• Dr Kimberly Alexander – Chris O’Brien Lifehouse
• Dr Etienne Masle-Farquhar – Garvan Institute of Medical Research
• Dr Gerard Kaiko – The University of Newcastle
• Associate Professor Yazi Ke – Macquarie University
• Dr Ameneh Khatami – Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
• Dr Grant Logan – Children’s Medical Research Institute
• Dr Amali Mallawaarachchi – Sydney Local Health District
• Dr Camelia Quek – Melanoma Institute Australia.

For more information on the recipients and their research projects visit NSW Health and Medical Research - Funded projects.

Minister for Medical Research David Harris said:

“The NSW Government is committed to supporting the best and brightest minds in medical research through this grant program, which aims to keep NSW at the forefront of medical research.

“This round of grants was highly competitive, and I would like to extend my congratulations to the 10 successful recipients and thank all those who applied.

"It is our hope the important work undertaken by these 10 talented researchers, their multi-disciplinary teams and collaborators, will make a real difference to the lives of people living in NSW and across the globe.”

Deputy Lead of the UNSW Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Group Dr George Sharbeen said:

“Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with less than 13 per cent of patients surviving five years post-diagnosis and is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030.

“The funding from the NSW Health Early-Mid Career Grant will support the internationally recognised NSW Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Group to develop new and more effective therapies for the disease

“UNSW researchers have partnered with the UNSW RNA Institute to develop a new RNA nanomedicine suitable for clinical use, to treat pancreatic cancer by overcoming physical barriers to drug delivery and forcing tumour cells to release a signal to self-destroy.

“We hope that this therapeutic approach will have the potential to increase the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer, while offering a less toxic alternative to current chemotherapies.”