NeuroSurgical Research Foundation

22/06/2026

⚡NRF Rivalry for Research Giveaway⚡

In honour of Showdown this Saturday we’re giving away TWO AFL team prize buckets — one Crows and one Port!

To enter:
🏉 Choose your team and complete the entry form
🏉 That's it!

Every share and conversation brings awareness to the vital brain and spine research happening right here in SA, helping improve outcomes for people affected by neurological conditions.

Enter now:
https://nrf.supporterhub.net.au/pages/showdown-rivalry-for-research

Entries close Thursday at 5pm ACST.

Who are you backing this Showdown? 👇

18/06/2026

🧬 Advancing future CAR-T therapy trials

Dr Tessa Gargett’s research is helping improve safer and more efficient cell therapy manufacturing for future brain tumour clinical trials.

With support for new GatheRex equipment, this project aims to streamline CAR-T therapy production and expand opportunities for future clinical trials and patient access. 💛

Learn more at nrf.com.au/news

17/06/2026

Please sign the petition below to support life-saving proton therapy radiation treatment here in Australia.

The Facility is built. The expertise is here. This is not a political or state rivalry issue. It is about the hundreds of families still having to uproot their lives and travel to the US away from their support networks to access proven, life-saving treatment that should be available here.

Please sign and share if you can 🙏

Thank you to those that have already signed 💛

Australians Need Proton Therapy Here at Home

16/06/2026

Progress can't wait.

Every day, families are facing brain tumours, stroke, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
Every day, SA researchers are working to improve treatments, outcomes and quality of life.
Our researchers are making important progress, but that progress depends on ongoing support.

Sustained funding helps researchers continue their work, pursue new discoveries and move promising research closer to the people who need it most.

This End of Financial Year, your donation can help keep life-changing research moving forward. Because every breakthrough starts with research, but progress relies on continued support.

Donate before 30 June.
nrf.com.au/news/eofy-appeal-2026-progress-cant-wait
100% of every donation funds life-changing research

16/06/2026

As Grey May 2026 comes to a close, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who went grey, donated, fundraised, shared our message, and supported the brain tumour community throughout May. 🩶

Thanks to your incredible generosity, together we raised more than $190,000 to support people living with brain tumours and their families. Every dollar raised is making a difference.

Together, we've raised awareness, sparked important conversations, and brought hope to those affected by brain tumours.

A special thank you to our sponsors and community partners for helping make Grey May 2026 possible, including The Memorial Hospital , Jamaica Blue , Munno Para Foodland , Adelaide's finest supermarkets , Calvary Adelaide Hospital , Jones Radiology , Radiology SA , Servier , Icon Cancer Centre - Australia , B. Braun and Adelaide University.

Thank you for being part of Grey May 2026. We couldn't do it without you.

09/06/2026

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Richard Scolyer AO, whose courage and dedication to advancing cancer treatment inspired so many.

Following his diagnosis with glioblastoma in 2023, Professor Scolyer chose to share his journey openly, helping raise awareness of brain cancer while continuing to push the boundaries of research and treatment. His tireless advocacy and determination to improve outcomes for those facing glioblastoma have left an extraordinary legacy that will continue to shape the future of cancer research and care.

Our thoughts are with his wife Katie, their children, family, friends and colleagues.

Thank you, Professor Scolyer, for the hope you gave, the lives you changed, and the progress you helped make possible.

You can read his final message in an open letter penned to all Australians here:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/08/richard-scolyer-open-letter-to-australians-before-death-aged-59

Prof Richard Scolyer, the world-renowned cancer researcher and former Australian of the Year, has died at the age of 59. Scolyer’s family shared a statement the eminent pathologist and melanoma expert penned before his final stages of illness. “My final message to all Australians is to say thank you for your outpouring of love and support for me and my family,” Scolyer said in the statement.

“Those of you I met during my travels as joint 2024 Australian of the Year, my amazing online community which spans many countries, and of course my hometown Tasmanians - you’ve laughed with me, cried with me, and provided encouragement and support to keep going just when I needed it most,” he said.

“I haven’t sugar-coated my journey and I sincerely thank you for allowing me the space and opportunity to share it with you, warts and all. I hope I have in some small way made the road ahead easier and smoother for others.

“If my legacy was to continue beyond these words, I would be delighted and humbled to be remembered as a proud everyday Aussie who ‘gave it a crack,’ and in doing so, inspired others to pursue their dreams and passions with humility, love and compassion.”

08/06/2026

What if the key to fighting brain cancer was already inside us?

This World Brain Tumour Day, we're celebrating the remarkable work of Associate Professor Lisa Ebert and her team at the Centre for Cancer Biology in Adelaide, who are developing groundbreaking CAR T-cell therapies to help patients with some of the most challenging brain tumours.

The science is extraordinary.

Researchers take a patient's own immune cells, genetically engineer them in the lab, and return them to the body as a "living drug" - one that can seek out, attack and destroy cancer cells while continuing to work for months, or even years.

But discoveries like these don't happen by chance.

Every clinical trial, every breakthrough, every researcher working tirelessly behind the scenes relies on funding. In fact, many of these projects begin because of the support provided by the Neurosurgical Research Foundation and its incredible community of donors.

Your support isn't just funding research.

It's funding possibilities.
It's funding the next breakthrough that could change a life.

Thank you to every person helping make this work possible. 💛

05/06/2026

🧠 Research Publication Spotlight

Our researcher Rebecca Hood recently co-authored a publication exploring the possibility that some iron-rich brain cells may represent a distinct population involved in iron regulation, termed “ferriglia,” with potential importance in brain health and disease.

The research examines how these cells may differ from traditionally classified oligodendrocytes and why understanding them could provide new insights into neurological conditions where iron dysregulation is observed.

Congratulations to Rebecca and the research team on this exciting publication milestone ✨

Read the full publication: www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/6/511

04/06/2026

Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month 💜

Today, we stand with all South Australians living with Alzheimer’s and the families who support them.

Throughout June, we’re raising awareness of the importance of brain research, community support and continued investment in discoveries that can change lives.

03/06/2026

NRF Star of Hope ✨

Shine a light for someone affected by a neurological condition through the NRF Star of Hope. Whether you send a star, dedicate a tribute, or purchase a star in support, every contribution helps fund vital neurosurgical research and brings hope to patients and families.

Explore the 3 ways to share hope and support life-changing research 💫
nrfstarofhope.com.au