The Leukaemia Foundation and Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand (HSANZ) have again partnered to award three of Australia's brightest blood cancer researchers and clinicians with PhD scholarships.
The 2026 recipients, Ms Ashley Whitechurch, Dr Samuel Grigg and Dr George Mason, will each undertake innovative research projects aimed at improving the treatment, care and outcomes of Australians living with blood cancer.
Leukaemia Foundation Head of Research Bill Stavreski said that the Leukaemia Foundation HSANZ PhD Scholarships are a critical component of the Leukaemia Foundation's National Research Program, with the new scholars joining a prestigious list of previous recipients since the partnership began in 2018.
"The Leukaemia Foundation is thrilled to partner with HSANZ on these PhD scholarships which continue to mark one of our most important research announcements each year," said Mr Stavreski.
"We extend our congratulations to Ms Whitechurch, Dr Grigg and Dr Mason, who will each receive a $150,000 PhD scholarship, jointly funded by the Leukaemia Foundation and HSANZ over three years from January 2027 to December 2029, to undertake some of this country's most innovative and cutting-edge blood cancer research projects."
According to the Leukaemia Foundation, funding local blood cancer research is crucial to reducing the devastating burden of blood cancer in Australia, with incidence projected to double over a ten-year period¹.
"Every day, 55 Australians will be newly diagnosed with blood cancer and a further 17 will sadly lose their life to the disease, with blood cancer remaining one of the nation's deadliest cancers².
"Research projects like those of the PhD scholarship recipients are fundamental to improving the survival rates of Australians diagnosed with blood cancer and accelerating research to realise advancements in blood cancer treatment."
The ongoing partnership between the Leukaemia Foundation and HSANZ ensures that the research conducted is of a high quality and that Australia's most promising blood cancer researchers and clinicians have an opportunity to make impactful discoveries that transform the health and survival outcomes for blood cancer patients.
"Investment into blood cancer research is a key pillar of our work at the Leukaemia Foundation and to date we have funded over 65 million dollars of research and more than 100 PhD scholarships," said Mr Stavreski.
"We're extremely proud of our legacy as Australia's leading funder of PhD scholarships in blood cancer and for over two decades we've championed and supported the nation's brightest emerging researchers.
"By further partnering with HSANZ since 2018 - an organisation who shares our goals and aspirations - the depth of research we're able to fund has increased exponentially, further empowering groundbreaking discoveries, advanced treatments, and bringing hope to every Australian impacted by blood cancer.
"If we are to have any hope of reducing blood cancer mortality in this country, it's paramount we continue to invest in local blood cancer research projects and continue to be the biggest supporters of Australia's next generation of researchers and clinicians, so together we can find better treatments and one day a cure."
The PhD scholarship recipients' research projects will assist in paving the way towards realising the Leukaemia Foundation's goal of fewer preventable lives lost to blood cancer, and additionally strongly align with HSANZ's purpose to lead, communicate and support excellence in haematology through independent education, professional development and advocacy.
Information on the 2026 Leukaemia Foundation HSANZ PhD Scholarship recipients and their respective research projects below:
Ms Ashley Whitechurch - Improving patient outcomes through nurse led care in patients with lymphoma receiving bispecific therapies
Ms Whitechurch is a Nurse Practitioner specialising in lymphoma and chronic leukaemia at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, whose research aims to improve the safety and accessibility of new lymphoma treatments through an innovative nurse-led model of care.
Bispecific antibodies are a promising treatment for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) whose cancer has returned or failed to respond to previous therapies. However, potentially serious side effects mean patients often require frequent hospital visits and close monitoring, placing significant demands on patients and health services.
Ms Whitechurch's research will explore how specialist nursing support, remote patient monitoring and home-based treatment for suitable patients could make these therapies safer, more accessible and less disruptive to patients' lives.
Her research project seeks to:
- Develop and pilot a nurse-led model of care allowing suitable lymphoma patients to receive treatment and monitoring outside traditional hospital settings.
- Introduce digital symptom-reporting tools to identify treatment side effects earlier and enable timely clinical intervention.
- Assess patient experiences, treatment-related complications, hospital visits and admissions, and the impact on health services.
- Determine whether the model is safe, practical and suitable for implementation in everyday clinical care.
If successful, Ms Whitechurch's research could reduce unnecessary hospital visits, improve early detection of side effects and provide greater support to patients, paving the way for safer, more convenient and patient-centred delivery of innovative lymphoma treatments across Australia.
Dr Samuel Grigg - Programming smart RNA 'sensors' to selectively kill leukaemia cells
Dr Grigg is a final-year Haematology trainee at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, whose research will investigate an innovative new approach to treating acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) using programmable RNA technology designed to identify and destroy cancer cells.
AML is an aggressive blood cancer that can be difficult to treat, with leukaemia cells often developing resistance to therapies, allowing the disease to return and leaving patients with limited treatment options.
Unlike many existing treatments that target features on the surface of cancer cells, Dr Grigg's research will explore a new type of 'smart' treatment using RNA sensors designed to recognise specific genetic messages from within leukaemia cells.
Much like a lock and key, the sensors are designed to activate only when they detect the correct cancer-specific message, triggering the cancer cell to destroy itself while sparing healthy cells.
His research project seeks to:
- Develop programmable RNA sensors capable of recognising specific genetic messages within AML cells and triggering their destruction.
- Test the effectiveness and selectivity of these sensors in laboratory-grown leukaemia cells and samples from patients with AML.
- Investigate whether the sensors can distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells, potentially reducing damage to healthy tissue.
- Explore whether the sensors could be reprogrammed as leukaemia cells change over time, potentially overcoming treatment resistance and reducing the risk of relapse.
If successful, Dr Grigg's research could pave the way for a new generation of more precise and adaptable blood cancer treatments, offering renewed hope to patients with treatment-resistant AML and ultimately improving survival outcomes.
Dr George Mason - Using liquid biopsies and advanced genetic testing to improve treatment for children with leukaemia
Dr Mason is a clinical and laboratory haematologist whose research aims to improve how childhood leukaemia is monitored and treated through advanced genetic testing, including liquid biopsies and whole-genome sequencing.
For children diagnosed with leukaemia, detecting how much cancer remains after initial chemotherapy is critical to determining whether treatment is working and identifying those at risk of relapse.
While current testing methods help guide treatment decisions, emerging genetic technologies could detect even smaller amounts of remaining leukaemia more accurately and with less invasive procedures, allowing doctors to better tailor treatment to each child's needs.
Dr Mason, who was the inaugural Cameron Family Leukaemia Fellow in 2025, will investigate which combination of advanced genetic technologies is most effective at detecting and monitoring leukaemia, with the aim of developing a more accurate, reliable and less invasive approach to monitoring children during treatment.
His research project seeks to:
- Investigate advanced genetic testing methods, including liquid biopsies and whole-genome sequencing, to more accurately detect small amounts of leukaemia remaining after treatment.
- Explore the potential for a reliable blood-based test to monitor children during treatment and identify early signs of relapse.
- Help doctors tailor chemotherapy to each child's individual risk, reducing unnecessary treatment while ensuring those at higher risk receive the care they need.
- Inform future national clinical guidelines, monitoring practices and clinical trials for childhood leukaemia.
If successful, Dr Mason's research could pave the way for more precise, personalised and less invasive approaches to treating childhood leukaemia, improving outcomes while reducing unnecessary chemotherapy and its long-term impacts on children and their families.
