The Translational Cancer Research Network ("TCRN") is currently carrying out its annual reporting on the membership network.

All TCRN members should have received a notification email by now regarding the 2013 TCRN reporting process. The first step in the annual review process is to confirm key details of our membership network via the short online survey. Please ensure that you complete this survey and submit by the closing date of Wednesday, 18th December 2013.
Please complete the survey using a desktop computer where possible as functionality may not be compatible with iPad or other devices.

Your participation in this survey is key to ensuring an accurate reflection of our member activities for 2013 and forms part of your obligations for continued membership of the TCRN. This information will be used to help the TCRN fulfil its own reporting obligations to the Cancer Institute NSW.

Depending on your level of involvement in the TCRN you may be contacted for additional information in December 2013 and January 2014

The survey should be completed by close of business, WEDNESDAY 18th DECEMBER. If you have not submitted your survey response by this date, you may be ineligible for TCRN member benefits in 2014.

Thank you for your participation; we appreciate your assistance.
Complete Survey Now

The TCRN Translational Bioinformatics team has been awarded a University of New South Wales (UNSW) 2014 Major Research Equipment & Infrastructure Grant to develop a platform project called Computational Infrastructure for Translational Research (CIRT).

We have secured funding from both the Prince of Wales Clinical School and the UNSW which will allow us to fast track this project and achieve 2 years work in just over 12 months.

The CIRT platform is the expansion of our initial bioinformatics projects to link clinical data from hospital systems into research databases that are hosted on health grade secure servers at UNSW. The aim is to make available clinical and experiment data and to then enable seamless data integration & querying of biobanking, clinical and experimental data within one single sign in system.

Stay tuned for more updates in 2014.

The TCRN will award a number of 2-year, and 1-year PhD Scholarship Top-up Awards to students who have received funding via a peer-reviewed, competitive scholarships.

These Scholarship Top-up Awards are designed to enhance the translational cancer research capabilities of PhD students who possess research interests aligned to the core strengths of the TCRN. This will be achieved by promoting access to a strong foundation of research support services, including opportunities for professional development and the mentoring and expertise of experienced translational cancer researchers.

Applications:
Applications for the TCRN PhD Scholarship Top-Up Awards open Friday 29th November and will close at 4.00 pm Tuesday, 28th January 2014.

View the guidelines at PhD Scholarship Top-Up Awards

To learn more about the experiences of one of the current TCRN-funded PhD Scholarship Top-up students; please click here

The TCRN has made some changes to its website; improving usability and content features throughout to create a more simplified and user-friendly experience for its members.

For example the HSA Biobank now has its own distinct tab and dedicated pages for users; participants, researchers and health professionals. Please visit the TCRN website to learn more about the HSA Biobank, how it works and what it makes it unique.

The TCRN website is updated regularly with news and articles on our membership network as well as resources and features, such as how TCRN grant recipients have benefited from their awards

Your comments and feedback are welcomed; please contact us with any questions or recommendations you may have regarding the TCRN website. View TCRN Website

Dr Maarit Laaksonen was recently awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council grant of more than $300,000 to investigate the relative importance of lifestyle risk factors for different cancer outcomes in Australians.

To find out more about the project featured on the Sax Institute website

please click here

Congratulations to Alan Truong who was awarded the UNSW Translational Cancer Research Network Prize of $200 for the best performance in PATH3208 Cancer Sciences this month. The certificate was awarded by the Translational Cancer Research Network, the University of NSW and the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick. Read more...

Research Fellow Jody Church developed a poster presentation on the economic evaluation of various treatments for patients with Barrett’s oesophagus, a serious complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease that leads to increased risk of oesophageal cancer. To learn more about Jody's experiences please click here...

The TCRN will be closing in line with the University of New South Wales’ end of year shutdown from Friday 20th December to 3rd January 2014 inclusive.

The TCRN staff will be back at work from Monday 6 January 2014.

The TCRN wish to thank all of its members for their valuable contribution throughout the year and we look forward to continued success in 2014.

Warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year.