– Dr Samreen Shaikh

2024 CERN and Robert Connor Dawes Foundation Fellowship


SAMREEN SHAIKH RECEIVES 2024 CERN AND ROBERT CONNOR DAWES SCIENTIFIC FELLOWSHIP AWARD WITH THE NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY.

We are excited to announce the recipient of the 2024 CERN and Robert Connor Dawes Foundation Fellowship – Dr Samreen Shaikh, scientist at the Children’s Brain Centre in The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, as a component of the Brain Cancer Vaccine Project.

In a unique round, the Fellowship was advertised to accelerate the formation of the first ependymoma focused research team in Australia. The project aims to develop and test an RNA vaccine against recurrent ependymoma tumours. The position will also work closely with colleagues in the University’s Ian Frazer Centre for Children’s Immunotherapy Research

As part of her work, Dr. Samreen Shaikh will travel to Professor Eric Holland’s laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre in Seattle, Washington, in the United States, to learn how to create, maintain and use validated ependymoma animal models, which are critical to the project’s success. Together with tumour tissue samples, she will validate the vaccine and generate the necessary data to translate it into a phase one clinical trial. The project has already partnered with an international mRNA vaccine company and manufacturer to provide all the necessary translational components.

Not only is this project the first of its kind, but it offers hope to the paediatric ependymoma community as there still remains no effective, targeted treatment in the clinic. Concurrently, it also contributes to building workforce capacity and capability in Australia for ependymoma research, whilst leveraging cutting-edge knowledge and resources from our overseas colleagues that will continue to have long term impact.

This fellowship award is a part of an ongoing collaboration between the CERN Foundation, National Brain Tumor Society, and the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation, and was created with the goal of advancing pediatric ependymoma scientific research through collaborative partnerships, internationally.

The Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network (CERN) Foundation, a designated program of the National Brain Tumor Society, works to advance ependymoma research toward the development of new and better treatments for this rare brain and spinal cord tumor that impacts both adults and children. CERN is committed to improving the care and outcomes of people with ependymoma through community support and research efforts.

Inspired by a big heart and brain, the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation was created in June 2013 in the memory of Robert ‘Connor’ Dawes. We are battling paediatric brain tumours and supporting brain matters in the areas of research, care and development – to fund the science to end brain cancer and support patients in the meantime.

We wish Dr. Shaikh and the team all the best and look forward to progress from this important initiative.