"Brain Cancer Australia is building the kind of national infrastructure that can change everything — and with the right support, we can deliver the breakthroughs patients desperately need."
Professor Lindy Jeffree
Brain Cancer Australia at the 2025 Andrew Olle Media Lecture
On Friday 25 July, Brain Cancer Australia was proud to once again be the official charity partner for the prestigious Andrew Olle Media Lecture held at W Sydney and hosted by the ABC.
This year’s event marked 30 years since journalist Andrew Olle lost his life to brain cancer. With survival rates barely improving in that time, the evening was a powerful reminder of why progress is so urgently needed.
Professor Lindy Jeffree, Chair or the Brain Cancer Australia National Consortium, spoke at the event about the opportunity we have to transform outcomes for brain cancer patients. She highlighted how national infrastructure can help every patient receive world-class treatment and ensure researchers have the tools they need to make discoveries faster.
She also acknowledged the contribution of Professor Richard Scolyer AO, who attended the evening as a special guest. The groundbreaking work in melanoma demonstrates what’s possible when the right research infrastructure is in place.
“What worked in melanoma can work in brain cancer,” Lindy said. “Brain Cancer Australia is building the kind of national infrastructure that can change everything — and with the right support, we can deliver the breakthroughs patients desperately need.”
Robyn Leonard, Founder and Director of Brain Cancer Australia, shared the story of her daughter Lucie, who she lost to brain cancer in 2012.
“Someone once told me there’s no hope when it comes to brain cancer, but I disagree. Hope carried me through Lucie’s diagnosis, the failed treatments, and when the tumour came back.
After she died, I turned that hope into action — establishing Brain Cancer Australia because business as usual wasn’t working. Together, we can create the change that patients and families so urgently need.”
Thanks to the ABC, the Olle family, Geraldine Doogue - who delivered this year’s media lecture - our sponsors Servier and Superloop, and every guest and donor who gave so generously on the night. Every donation helps drive more brain cancer breakthroughs — faster.
Donate here to support this vital work: https://www.braincanceraustralia.org.au/donate.
