Empowering Women in Cancer Research
Supporting the bright minds dedicating their lives to cancer research
A 3-year partnership between Amgen and Australian Cancer Research Foundation, built around a shared vision to advance gender diversity in the field and to empower women at every stage of their careers.
A partnership to support diversity and inclusion
In early 2025, ACRF and Amgen entered a partnership to champion the role of women in oncology and related fields. We seek to support, amplify, and celebrate the contributions of female researchers across Australia, ultimately working toward improved patient outcomes and breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
This innovative collaboration aims to address the critical need for greater female representation and leadership in the field, fostering breakthroughs from the laboratory to clinical care.
Partnership impact
To ensure the partnership has maximim impact and delivers to its aims and promises - there are a number of key activities included:
- Women in Cancer Research Survey - completed in early 2025 by 200 female cancer researchers from universities, hospitals,MRIsand industry throughout Australia.
- Empowering Women in Cancer Research Webinar Series - connecting women researchers to build communities of collaboration and support through skill-sharing, mentorship, and career growth.
- Women in Cancer Research Preceptorship Study Tour - fully funded learning and study tour for ACRF-funded cancer researchers to AmgenGlobal Headquarters in California.
- Women in Cancer Research Grant Award - an Annual Collaborative Funding Grant dedicated to supporting a female researcher as part of ACRF’s Annual Grant Awards - $100,000 per year for 3 years
Women in Cancer Research Preceptorship Study Tour – 2025
Our 2025 inaugural preceptorship brought together four outstanding early- to mid-career female cancer researchers for an immersive experience at Amgen’s global headquarters in Thousand Oaks and San Francisco.
- A/Prof Loretta Lau, ACRF Child Cancer Liquid Biopsy Program, Children’s Cancer Institute
- Dr Angela Pizzolla, ACRF Radiation Immuno-oncology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Dr Brooke Pereira, ACRF Centre for Intravital Imaging of Niches for Cancer Immune Therapy, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
- Dr Melyssa Grieve, ACRF Facility for Targeted Radiometals in Cancer, The University of Queensland
Through lab tours, mentorship and interactive discussions, participants gained insights into precision medicine and digital health and how world-class research is translated into real-world patient impact.
“Participating in this preceptorship has been an inspiring and eye-opening experience. Connecting with global leaders and seeing firsthand how research drives real impact has given me a broader perspective and renewed motivation to push the boundaries of what’s possible in cancer research." - Brooke Pereira
Women in Cancer Research Grant Award Recipient
Amgen’s 3-year annual collaborative funding grant of $100,000 dedicated to supporting a female researcher as part of ACRF’s 2025 Grant Awards was awarded to:
Dr Amelia Parker BE/BSc (Hon1 and University Medal, University of Sydney) 2010; PhD 2016 (UNSW) Senior Researcher at Garvan Institute of Medical Research for the The ACRF Centre for Mass spectrometry Analysis of Tumour Response In compleX microenvironments (ACRF MATRIX)
The Women in Cancer Research Survey
In early 2025, we conducted a research survey amongst 200 women currently working in Cancer Research to gain a deeper understanding of the unique obstacles and opportunities women face. The results from this survey have allowed us to assess the current status quo and utilise the findings to develop webinar content that is truly meeting a need for women working in the field. By shining a light on this important topic, we are hoping to not just support women in the field, but to also accelerate life-changing cancer research for everyone impacted by this devastating disease.
Empowering Women in Cancer Research Webinar Series
Thank you to those who attended our 2025 Empowering Women in Cancer Research webinar series.
The series will recommence in 2026, with further details to be shared. Stay tuned for updates or email [email protected] to join our mailing list.
Webinar 1: Not all journeys take the same road
In this webinar we heard from three brilliant female cancer researchers: Professor Marina Pajic, Professor Kaylene Simpson, and Professor Tracey O’Brien AM who shared their journey to their current positions and all they have learnt along the way.
Webinar 2: Building skills to sell yourself and your ideas
This second 60-minute virtual workshop, led by NIDA Corporate Training, gave participants tools to strengthen funding applications by improving storytelling, delivery, and non-verbal communication. Eye contact, posture, energy, and presence were explored to help researchers present with greater clarity and impact. Rewatch unavailable.
Webinar 3: How to develop an award-winning grant application
This third webinar featured a panel of leading experts in grant strategy, writing, and review. They shared how their successes and setbacks shaped their approach to strong applications and offered practical insights into how proposals are assessed. Panellists included Dr Andrew Stone, Professor Nikki Verrills, and Nic Makoviney. Attendees were able to ask questions directly to strengthen their own grant-writing techniques.
