A Glasgow University student from Ukraine has helped secure funding to treat brain cancer.

PhD student and neurosurgeon Nazar Vasyliv moved to Scotland to find alternative ways to treat glioblastoma patients. 

Now the Beatson Cancer Charity has approved a £30,000 grant for his research to improve the use of photodynamic therapy to treat the disease.

Glasgow Times: Professor Anthony Chalmers, Chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of GlasgowProfessor Anthony Chalmers, Chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of Glasgow (Image: Sourced)

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The condition affects all ages and is a type of cancer that grows quickly in the brain or spinal cord and can invade and destroy the healthy tissue.

Anthony Chalmers, Chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of Glasgow, and Dr Paul Brennan, Reader and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon at the University of Edinburgh, will be supporting and training Nazar as part of this project.

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Glasgow Times: PhD student and neurosurgeon Nazar Vasyliv PhD student and neurosurgeon Nazar Vasyliv (Image: Sourced)

Professor Chalmers said: “This research project will investigate a new form of treatment for glioblastoma and look at ways to make photodynamic therapy more effective as a treatment for this aggressive brain tumour.

“I'd like to thank Beatson Cancer Charity for the support which will give a very promising Ukrainian neurosurgeon the opportunity to complete a 3-year PhD research project.

“We hope the outcome will benefit those diagnosed with glioblastoma in the future.”

The Beatson Research and Development Fund has spent £1.36 million after approving 23 grants.

This includes just under £67,000 to enable the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to develop a new surgery and chemotherapy service for patients with colorectal cancer metastases.

The treatment is set to be the first of its kind in the West of Scotland and will be worked on by Dr James Park, Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon.

Meanwhile £140,000 has been secured to support Jennifer Hay, Head of the Glasgow Tissue Research Facility.

Her project aims to improve early detection of colorectal cancer with new technology to analyse tissue.

Around £29,000 is also being granted to focus on developing the current understanding of cachexia in pancreatic cancer.

Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, Dr Adam Bryce, with a PhD research project which will lay foundations for treating this condition.

 

 

Martin Cawley, CEO of Beatson Cancer Charity, said: “This has been an exciting initiative for Beatson Cancer Charity to be involved in. We're grateful to be able to offer funding to these projects.

“We have continued to work in close partnership with clinicians and researchers at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research to help to deliver life-saving research over the years.

“We’d like to thank everyone who applied to our Beatson Research Development Fund Programme and we are looking forward to hearing updates from these projects.”