Integra Supports Cancer Research

The Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute is set to hold its biannual Cancer Research Ball this September. This is a major fundraising event for the research centre and follows the highly successful 2019 event that raised over $150,000 for the charity.

The 2021 Ball is set to be held on Saturday 4 September at the Civic Hall in Ballarat, with organisers aiming to bring the community together for a night of glamour and dancing for a great cause.

Integra is proud to be partnering with FECRI to ensure a successful fundraising event for the research program. The event is aiming to raise over $100,000 to support research focused on the immune system, and how it relates to and can be used to treat cancer.

“We are a proud contributor to the Ballarat community. Cancer unfortunately touches many families, and we are pleased to support this event to make a difference for cancer research.“

– Integra General Manager, Matt McCabe

The Institute is a world-class cancer research facility based in Ballarat, Victoria. As Australia’s only regionally based cancer research centre, it is community-funded, relying on fundraising and donations to continue research into more effective ways to diagnose and treat cancer. This fundraising event will raise money for cancer research through ticket sales, auctions, and a raffle from donated items.

Opened in 1998, the Institute was inspired by Ballarat teenager, Fiona Elsey, who lost her fight with cancer in 1991. Today, led by Professor George Kannourakis, the Institute is making a world-class contribution to cancer research, with recent recognition for achievements in Bowel cancer, triple-negative Breast cancer, chemoresistance in ovarian cancer and in the understanding of histiocytic disorders.

“Our research is focused on the immune system and cancer. It is hoped that by identifying proteins on the surface of cancer cells, druggable targets can be developed to allow the immune system to attack cancer, without chemotherapy and radiation.”

– Institute Director at FECRI, Professor George Kannourakis

FECRI currently has eight PhD students from Federation University and 12 senior scientific staff. Key projects being conducted at the Institute are:
– Ovarian cancer
– Breast cancer
– Immunology
– Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
– Renal cancer
– Bowel cancer
– Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Tickets to this event sold out in 12 hours.

To contribute to the life-saving cancer research work of the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, visit Fundraising Appeal.