It takes a colossal effort to turn brilliant ideas into an actual pill or therapy that can help someone regain their health.

This undertaking relies on the skills and expertise of a wide range of professionals – engineers, technicians, cyber security experts, scientific communicators and drug developers – who all require funding. However, they are often excluded from traditional research grants, leaving institutes like WEHI to seek support for these costs from alternative sources.

Think of our researchers as scientists planning a rocket launch to Mars.

Imagine having philanthropic and government funders supporting the astronauts and mission leaders, but not the costs for the highly skilled engineers, supercomputing technologies, rocket fuel or even the optimally calibrated rocket, essential to reach space.

Investing in all the costs of research is critical for maintaining the high standards that lead to research excellence and far-reaching, impactful discoveries.

We’re shining a light on some of WEHI’s indispensable team members and their crucial contributions that help power our journey, so the discoveries we make in the lab can benefit patients, sooner.

Dr Julia Man – Division Coordinator, ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells  

I help the brilliant brains stay on schedule! The administrative burden is high in research, so reducing this for scientists means there is more headspace for them to focus on their life-saving work.

Scientific admin is varied and interesting, encompassing reporting, finances and disseminating findings. I enjoy seeing the journey of projects, progressing from something written in a grant application, to the final published results.

It’s also rewarding to witness the growth of the next generation of researchers nurtured at WEHI.

I did my PhD in plant biology, so I have basic undergraduate knowledge of cancer biology, although now I know a lot more since working at WEHI (seven years!). Sometimes I feel like a ‘walking almanac’ – a keeper of all general information from project numbers to the intricate biological details of WEHI’s latest cancer prevention investigations.

Goran Arsovski – Senior Laboratory Technician (Media Supervisor) 

I oversee the production and quality control of specialised cell culture solutions at WEHI’s Media Kitchen, the largest facility of its kind in Australia. It’s a bio-culture production lab and is crucial for the success of experiments, providing stable conditions for cell growth and research in medicine, biotechnology and genetics.

I ensure the highest reliability in every substance or mixture produced. Every year, around 20,000 solutions are prepared to support the precise experiments conducted at WEHI. For example, our leukaemia researchers might need specialised formulations containing particular amino acids (building blocks of proteins). The preparations require careful planning, a deep understanding of biochemistry and precisely controlled conditions.

The importance of the Media Kitchen cannot be overstated as it allows researchers to study cells outside the body. As a painter needs a canvas to bring their art to life, medical researchers need tissue culture and bacteriological solutions (media) as their ‘canvas’ to study diseases and test treatments.

I started working at WEHI while studying at university. Almost 34 years later, having worked in four different departments, I’m still filled with pride knowing that my team contributes to life-saving discoveries.

Kelly Trueman – Consumer Program Coordinator  

I work in a team that supports over 147 consumers (patients and carers impacted by disease) and WEHI researchers. I help researchers understand a consumer’s real-life experience in relation to a particular illness, to help drive discoveries and improve patient outcomes.

I ensure needs are met and voices are heard, enabling meaningful and productive relationships that lead to better informed research.

Our researchers gain valuable insights from these conversations that lead to more meaningful real-world treatments and diagnostics that have the greatest impact for the community. Our consumers find the collaboration deeply empowering, knowing that their perspectives are working towards shared goals.

Meeting consumers with unique perspectives makes my role dynamic and inspiring.

Header image: Dr Julia Man, Goran Arsovski and Kelly Trueman

To support the full costs of WEHI’s research efforts, please donate today.