Pirate Day is here! Gather Your Crew
Col Reynolds Fellow, Dr Aaminah Khan, does work that is admirable. The early-career researcher has achieved so much in so little time, with clinical trials on the horizon as she looks to tackle medulloblastoma relapse head on, which is currently incurable.
According to Dr Khan herself though, it’s the families affected by brain cancer that deserve admiration, and the work of Pirate Day fundraisers that make it possible.
“There are families that I speak to who have gone through unspeakable things, that have lost children, that have been told there’s nothing that can be done. They still find the strength and resilience to tell their story in order to raise awareness,” she says.
“No matter the experience, their motivation is the same – to ensure the next child doesn’t have to go through something like this.
If they can do something, then why shouldn’t I? Researchers, funding bodies, donors the government – all need to do their part. It’s humanity, really.
The damning statistics that stand against children with brain cancer was a driving force for Dr Khan to dedicate her time to research, as was a lack of funding. She felt families and patients who were left without answers deserved more.
"Brain cancers are rare, but they’re just so aggressive. The idea of parents being told there’s nothing that can be done blew my mind. I couldn’t believe that was happening in this day and age.”
Shifting her focus from DMG to medulloblastoma, Dr Khan has utilised over $400,000 in funding from The Kids’ Cancer Project to setup the Children's Cancer Institute’s maiden program dedicated to the fast-growing tumour that begins in the cerebellum.
Medulloblastoma has a survival rate of less than 50%, with no known cure for relapse. Dr Khan has utilised over $400,000 in funding from The Kids’ Cancer Project to setup CCI’s maiden medulloblastoma program. Dr Khan’s research involves targeting a pathway within a medulloblastoma cell with two drugs that may be able to stop a cell being able to multiply and grow.
If successful, Dr Khan will have created a new, highly effective treatment that spares healthy cells, offering improved outcomes for children with medulloblastoma.
Dr Khan is hoping to spearhead a worldwide clinical trial in the coming years, with a pharmaceutical company currently working on drug formulations and safety data based on her research, with Dr Khan’s findings due to be published later this year.
She says that without the support of Pirate Day fundraisers, donors and The Kids’ Cancer Project’s wider community, she’d struggle to make an impact.
“The Kids’ Cancer Project’s funding has helped me to build my career. It was my first ever fellowship and has built the research to the point where I’m now on the verge of having my findings published.
"That'll be a nice, memorable output for the fellowship. I can't thank The Kids' Cancer Project's community enough.”
Dr Khan believes a breakthrough is around the corner.
“There’s been so much growth in the field. We’ve got orthotopic and patient-derived models and patient tumours are being tested. We’re finding therapies that are making their way into clinical trials. It’s amazing,” she says.
“Key metrics and data are appearing across everyone's projects, which makes me believe we’re hitting the right vulnerabilities and key targets. We just need to modify and adapt the therapies to really hit the nail on the head. We’re close.”
It’s why she’s hoping to see a record number of crews come aboard for Pirate Day 2026 as The Kids’ Cancer Project charts a course to a world without brain cancer.
I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to our Pirate Day fundraisers and donors. Without you, none of our work would be possible. Your generosity has real cause and effect. It’s the reason there are so many options now being investigated for future treatment for kids with cancer.
“No amount is too small, everything matters. I really want to emphasise that.”
