The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases | Businesses

The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases

Phone: +61 8 6151 1078

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Businesses
• Non-profit organisation

25.01.2022 The UWA Relay for Life wound up this afternoon, having more than doubled its fundraising goal, raising an extraordinary $125,000. Huge participation and enthusiasm from everyone there, and warm support for those honouring loved ones. Kudos to Team NCARD for smashing the group’s fundraising goal, being the only cancer research lab participating, AND winning the coveted best dressed award for those fabulous lab coats.

24.01.2022 Happening right now at Fraser's Restaurant looking over Perth is the Institute for Respiratory Health Annual Melbourne Cup Lunch #mc4cf to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research. Named in honour of Glenn Brown from Kalgoorlie, a young man who died at the age of 15 from cystic fibrosis and "was afraid that no one would remember him", this year's events have really brought out the supporters. NCARD is affiliated with IRH so that's me, NCARD Centre Manager Tracy Hayward, doing the meet and greet.

23.01.2022 Very proud of our PhD student Synat Keam, who has been awarded the Douglas Peter Swift Top Up Scholarship. Doug Swift, who grew up in Wittenoom, died far too young, but has left an extraordinary legacy, now supporting a second outstanding student (the first being Dr Shaokang Ma, who graduated last year) in their mesothelioma research. Synat, who has come from Cambodia to study at NCARD, is pictured here with one of his supervisors, Dr Alistair Cook. The Scholarship was open to a number of students not already receiving scholarships, and all applications were excellent. We are very proud of the calibre of our PhD students, who tell us that NCARD is a great place to study!

23.01.2022 And here's Anna, in her own words.

22.01.2022 The sight of the demolition of the eight chimneys of Hazelwood Power Station in Morwell, Victoria was apparently one of mixed emotions. "For some people this event represents change and renewal for others it's the end for the era. For the project team, it's the culmination of an enormous amount of pre-work and preparation". Hazelwood has been shut since March 2017, and the new owners, Engie, said the demolition was vital because the plant contained a "significant amount of asbestos" and could not be left to deteriorate. Preparing the risk of airborne asbestos from the demolition has taken 10-12 months.

22.01.2022 Hayley Caddy is an Adelaide based artist who lost her father to mesothelioma almost ten years ago. She is planning to hold a fundraiser, painting 100 portraits in 100 days, throughout January - April 2021, to finish by 14 April, the anniversary of her father's death. Her hope is to gather donations throughout the process, with people buying or commissioning a portrait, or simply donating to cover the cost of materials. To see Hayley's work and get in touch, go to her Instagram account www.instagram.com/hayleycaddyart A beautiful way to commemorate her father and use her talents to fund raise.

21.01.2022 We're very pleased to announce that NCARD Director Professor Anna Nowak was invited to join, and has officially been accepted, as a Board member of the Cancer Council of Western Australia. We're certain that Anna's passion, diligence and commitment will serve the community in this role. For the record, this is Anna's brief biographical note. There may be some aspects of her work with which you are unfamiliar. Congratulations Anna! Professor Anna Nowak is a medical oncologis...t at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and a Professor within the School of Medicine at the University of Western Australia. Anna treats and researches two invariably fatal cancer types: mesothelioma, and malignant brain tumours. Since 2018 Anna has been the Director of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD), an NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence based at UWA. With a research team of around 35, NCARD has an international reputation for mesothelioma immunology, biomarkers, and translational clinical trials. Anna also has a leadership role in brain tumour research, and since 2017 has been the Chair of the CoOperative trials Group for NeuroOncology (COGNO), the national brain tumour clinical trials group. As well as her medical qualifications, Anna holds a PhD in tumour immunology, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical trials and quality of life research, giving her a unique translational perspective with expertise in laboratory science, clinical trials, patient-rated outcomes and quality of life. Anna is passionate about patient-doctor communication, mentoring, and women in oncology and science. See more

21.01.2022 This week is Asbestos Awareness Week, and the legacy of the blue asbestos mine at Wittenoom in the Pilbara, and Australia's enthusiastic use of asbestos for hundreds of different products in the 20th Century, is the tragic fact that Australia has the highest incidence of mesothelioma per capita in the world (and WA the highest of any Australian state). Asbestos also causes lung cancer and the debilitating disease asbestosis.

21.01.2022 WA has the unenviable distinction of the being the state with the worst environmental asbestos legacy. A new report from the Office of the Auditor General highlights many serious deficiencies in removal and handling, and compliance with safety laws.

21.01.2022 Monday morning at NCARD, and our director and WA Cancer Council board member, Professor Anna Nowak, is talking about the direction of cancer research for the WA Cancer Council.

20.01.2022 A big thumbs up to NCARD research assistants Sam Neeve and Tina Firth for taking the initiative to run an R U OK? Day event about looking after our own mental health, and looking out for others. Sam has also completed a Mental Health First Aid training course, and Tina has volunteering running in her blood: well done team!

19.01.2022 This morning was the Asbestos Diseases Society 25th Ecumenical Memorial Service. A number of years ago, the Society began screening photographs of those who've died of asbestos disease, an intimate and beautiful tribute. It's mesmerising to watch these faces, more every year - some formally dressed for weddings and other occasions, some laughing and relaxing with their loved ones, some in various military uniforms. Anna Nowak said that about 80% of those faces are familiar t...o her: they were her patients. Asbestos disease has touched so many of us, especially in Western Australia. I watch for the photo of a dear late friend, and recognise the father of a former boss. Back at work I learn that a workmate attended a funeral at the same church at the age of 12, for a relative who died of mesothelioma. In memory of all of those touched by asbestos.

19.01.2022 We're the little lab with a big heart. The NCARD team has made the Top 5 in the run up to the Cancer Council of WA's Relay for Life at UWA. Go team!

17.01.2022 It can be hard to get our researchers to blow their own trumpets, and this story slipped by without mention. Here's one of our talented PhD students, Joel Kidman, talking about the scholarship he's received from icare. Joel is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, and will be itching to get back into the lab! (Apologies that the photo doesn't appear, but clink on the link or see below).

17.01.2022 It was not so long ago, in 2019, that we shared this photo of Dr Rachael Zemek with her then NCARD PHD supervisor Dr Joost Lesterhuis. We can now announce that Rachael is one of two researchers awarded Early Career Cancer Researcher of the Year by the Cancer Council of WA. Rachael said that, as a researcher just at the beginning of her career, she was both surprised and delighted to receive such a prestigious award. Receiving recognition for my work motivates me to continue... researching ways to improve immunotherapy to treat cancer. I also appreciate that this work has been a collaboration of many WA scientists, and I’d like to particularly thank the team at NCARD for their support. Like so many things, the awards ceremony has been put on hold for now, but hopefully a date will be announced in Spring. Congratulations, Rachael, from everyone at NCARD! See more

15.01.2022 Our staff and students don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk! Please support PhD students Caitlin Tilsed, Jess Boulter and Nicola Principe as they tackle the Cancer Council of WA's Relay For Life.

13.01.2022 Congratulations to NCARD researcher Dr Joost Lesterhuis, whose application for a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant has been successful. This will provide Joost with fellowship funding for 5 years: no mean feat, given the competitiveness of NHMRC funding. The investigator grant will allow Joost to continue working on the DREAM3R chemo/immunotherapy trial and many other strands of cancer research, both at NCARD and the Telethon Kids Institute. It will also mean an unbroken run of successful fellowship applications of one kind and another since returning to Australia from the Netherlands to join NCARD. A well deserved "win"!

12.01.2022 "Between 1987 and 1991, 37% of people lived at least one year after their diagnosis, 10% lived at least 3 years after diagnosis, and 6% lived at least 5 years after diagnosis. After accounting for changes in the population’s age structure over time, these rates had increased to 55%, 17% and 10% respectively between 2012 and 2016." Thanks to the Asbestos Diseases Society of WA Inc, for first sharing this report. Patients living longer, with a better quality of life, is what we work towards.

12.01.2022 While silicosis affects the respiratory system in a different way to mesothelioma, this could certainly be good news.

12.01.2022 https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media/

12.01.2022 At the Relay for Life, UWA Oak Lawn, Saturday 10 October 2020.

12.01.2022 Congratulations to these two newly announced Nobel Prize winners. CRISPR is a tool used by NCARD scientists in their research into mesothelioma.

11.01.2022 Today is International Clinical Trials Day! While there is much in the media at the moment about clinical trials for COVID-19, cancer clinical trials are constantly starting and developing through thorough, meticulous processes; a focus of hope for new and improved cancer treatments. Professor Anna Nowak and Dr Joost Lesterhuis are two of the researchers at NCARD whose research work involves clinical trials. Here's to the hope of a brighter outlook for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused cancer.

10.01.2022 Having fun, warming up, raising funds!

09.01.2022 Here's a post we've had to keep secret until day, when it was announced in the final session of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) Conference that NCARD Director Professor Anna Nowak is the recipient of the 2021 Wagner Medal. Named to honour Christopher Wagner, a pioneering mesothelioma researcher, the Wagner Medal is the most prestigious award in this field. We are immensely proud of Anna's well deserved win.

08.01.2022 Thanks and kudos to Robin Chapple for using his own personal circumstances to draw attention to the dreadful legacy of Wittenoom. No one wants a diagnosis of asbestos caused disease.

07.01.2022 NCARD organisers, and our very own Dr Jon Chee as a speaker: support your local Day of Immunology!

05.01.2022 A sweet memory from three years ago, when NCARD scientists celebrated International Day of Immunology, 29 April, the way we celebrate most things: with cake! We are still working from home at NCARD, although some laboratory work, samples and experiments have been kept running by our dedicated staff, and any visit to the office will find a number of people working at a social distance. Our meetings and communications are now all online. WA has just yesterday allowed gatherings to increase from 2 to 10 people, so the way we work will continue to change over the coming weeks. So while eggs and flour aren't always there on supermarket shelves at the moment, we'll see if anyone whips something up to share virtually for 2020, a year when immunology is so very, very important.

04.01.2022 It's ... the NCARD Avengers. Through the week they're in the lab, researching mesothelioma. On the weekend they're ... back in the lab, checking on their experiments... and fundraising for cancer research at the Cancer Council's Relay for Life. From midday Saturday 10 October to midday Sunday 11 October 2020, the NCARD team - PhD students, Research Assistants, Post-docs, Honours students and our Centre Manager will be doing laps of the Oak Lawn at UWA to raise funds. Proud of our team!

02.01.2022 A reminder about this event on Saturday 8 May. It's in times like the ones we are living in when we all need to find out more about our immune system, by people who know what they are talking about.

01.01.2022 The Hon Dr Mike Kelly has served Australia in many ways, through his distinguished military career and as a hardworking MP; but he was also a solicitor fighting for the rights of those suffering from asbestos disease in Sydney in the 1980s. He has been a voice in Federal Parliament on asbestos. It is tragic that his own health is now suffering as a result of his work, in his case renal problems from long periods of dehydration as an army officer.

01.01.2022 The first mask free day for a fortnight is a good day to think about immunology! NCARD staff and students were at work and play on a Saturday at a community event to celebrate the World Day of Immunology (29 April, when we were in a snap long weekend lockdown). Excellent talks on how the immune system works, viruses, vaccines, immunology and cancer immunology showcased our rich resource of future scientists in Western Australia. Games and activities helped to inspire the next generations, and illustrate immunology.