$2 million gift for gynaecological cancer research

In October 2019, FMDHS received a philanthropic gift of $2 million from the late Mrs Marion Patten (now deceased), to support research into ovarian cancer at the University, especially genome sequencing of women with ovarian cancer.

The Wayne and Marion Patten Fund has allocated $1million as an expendable gift to Professor Clare Scott, Professor of Gynaecological Cancer and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor Orla McNally in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.  A further $1 million was endowed to the University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research (UMCCR) under the direction of Professor Sean Grimmond.

Orla McNally and Clare Scott
Associate Professor Orla McNally and Professor Clare Scott

For the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the funds will be used to expand current research programs to focus on rare, under-researched gynaecological cancers that offer great potential for new insights that will benefit women and their quality of care. Clare and Orla will continue working closely with Sean and the UMCCR, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Royal Women’s Hospital, Peter McCallum Cancer Centre and Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

We are enormously grateful for this generous gift.

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