The funding was secured by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and awarded under a joint initiative by the Heart Foundation and the Federal Government. It was one of eight projects to share in $8,000,000 worth of grants, after an extensive survey highlighted the need for additional support surrounding the impact of cancer treatments on cardiovascular health.
The cardio-oncology network builds on Dr Conyer’s work with Dr David Elliot, which The Kids’ Cancer Project has been supporting for several years. The pair recently founded the Australian Cardio Oncology Registry and Biobank (ACOR). Through this, their research has undertaken genomic sequencing in children whose chemotherapy has resulted in life-threatening impairment of heart functions.
The team has determined genetic markers that predispose some children to irreversible, and sometimes fatal, chemotherapy-induced heart damage.