The Kaiya Foundation has awarded one of its first major research grants, which will fund pioneering research into the fundamental cause of a high-risk leukaemia. The grant is being made to Dr Emily Neil and Professor Anindita Roy from the Childhood Leukaemia Research Group , based at the University of Oxford, in the hope that their discoveries will transform treatment approaches for sufferers through personalised medicine.
The announcement is being made ahead of the start of September which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Blood Cancer Awareness Month. It also coincides with what would have been Kaiya Patel's 13th birthday on 2nd September, and in whose memory the Foundation has been set up.
Kaiya was just five years old when she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive leukaemia. Despite her extraordinary resilience and a treatment journey that inspired thousands, Kaiya succumbed to her condition in January 2019. Her parents established The Kaiya Foundation in her memory, determined to accelerate research and improve outcomes for children facing similar devastating diagnoses.
Kaiya aged 5, strings her Beads of Courage spelling her name while receiving treatment for leukaemia (Image credit: The Kaiya Foundation)Dr Neil and Professor Roy are renowned experts in paediatric leukaemia and stem cell biology, and their research will seek to uncover why normal blood cells undergo malignant transformation into aggressive forms of leukaemia (namely TCF3-HLF ALL). By identifying the biological triggers and molecular changes involved, their work seeks to lay the foundation for personalised, targeted therapies for children and young people affected by high-risk subtypes of the disease.
'This research is a vital step forward in understanding how leukaemia originates and evolves at the cellular level,' said Professor Anindita Roy , whose group is based at the Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the University of Oxford. 'Our goal is not only to detect these changes earlier, but to predict and eventually prevent them - offering new hope to families facing the most aggressive forms of leukaemia.'
Dr Emily Neil added: With the support of The Kaiya Foundation, we have a unique opportunity to move beyond standard treatments and create therapies that are tailored to the genetic and molecular profile of each patient's disease.'
Dr Emily Neil from the Childhood Leukaemia Research Group, OxfordThe Kaiya Foundation is dedicated to funding innovative research and improving outcomes for children with leukaemia. This grant represents a major milestone in its mission to accelerate progress toward cures for high-risk blood cancers.
'We are honoured to support the exceptional work of Dr Neil and Professor Roy,' said Ruchit Patel, Director of The Kaiya Foundation . 'Their research aligns perfectly with our vision - to change the future of very high-risk leukaemia treatment, an under-funded area, through precision medicine and compassionate innovation. And it is really personal for us, as Dr. Neil and Professor Roy propose to study the cancer that afflicted Kaiya.'
Kaiya's story continues to inspire hope and determination. Cheeky, vivacious, and full of life, she loved rainbows, butterflies, and creating art that brought colour into every space. She dreamed of becoming a doctor one day to help others. By funding this ground-breaking research, The Kaiya Foundation is ensuring that Kaiya's light continues to shine - bringing new pathways to hope and healing for children and families worldwide.
This collaboration with the University of Oxford promises to drive the next wave of breakthroughs in understanding and treating childhood leukaemia, offering new pathways to hope and healing.
