We have been working with leading yacht designer, Ed Dubois, to establish the Dubois Child Cancer Fund. The fund will support research into the childhood cancer, neuroblastoma.

Over the past few years Sparks has become a leading funder of neuroblastoma research in the UK. Through the setting up of the Dubois Child Cancer Fund, it is hoped that we will be able to fund even more of this potentially life-saving work.

“Most people who organise charitable donations have a good reason to do so,” explains Ed Dubois. “In our case, our second daughter, Minna, was diagnosed with the rare form of childhood cancer – neuroblastoma – in July 2005. Her chances of survival, statistically, were about 40%.”

The current treatments of chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been, so far, an effective treatment for Minna and, six years on, she is doing well. However, all too frequently the treatment is not successful and the Dubois Child Cancer Fund is being set up to support essential research programmes in this area. For Ed and his wife Honor, this move is not a decision that was difficult to make – it simply has to be done.

DCCF funding

Thanks to the DCCF, a £213,104 clinical research training fellowship co-funded with the Medical Research Council has been awarded to Dr Elizabeth Cullis under the supervision of Dr Louis Chesler at the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Marsden Hospital in the UK to conduct research into neuroblastoma.

The focus of Dr Cullis’ research will be to investigate new treatments to target the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) gene which is over-activated in aggressive neuroblastoma.

Dr Cullis says, “I am very grateful for the Clinical Research Training Fellowship funding provided by the Dubois Child Cancer Fund which enables me to undertake a PhD and be involved in leading research aiming to improve the outcome for children diagnosed with neuroblastoma. I am currently training as a paediatrician and will return to finish my clinical training after completing a PhD at The Institute of Cancer Research. My long-term aim is combine basic science research and clinical paediatric oncology, in order to improve the treatment of children’s cancers.

The major goal of my research project is to identify new agents, which target the ALK gene directly or indirectly, in order to improve the outcome for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.

This Fellowship allows me to build the foundations of a career in paediatric oncology, in which I hope to continue both academically and clinically ultimately as an academic clinician with a joint appointment as a research team leader and a clinical consultant.”

Programmes of research

Sparks, on behalf of the DCCF, have currently selected two programmes of research for funding consideration as well as a small number of oncology-related project research grant proposals. There will be further opportunities to apply for funding; grant deadline dates will be released in due course.