Brain Cancer Research Showcase « Charlie Teo Foundation

Brain Cancer Research Showcase

9 April 2024

Charlie Teo Foundation held our research showcase in collaboration with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in March 2024 to highlight the outcomes of our brain cancer research partnership over the last five years.

Charlie Teo Foundation Chair, Garry Browne AM, warmly welcomed our guests. We were proud to celebrate this work at our recent research showcase generously hosted by Garvan. We warmly welcomed scientists and supporters from Garvan and other research teams including University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, University of Technology, Sydney and University of Newcastle. We were honoured to have join us neurosurgeons, neurooncologists and neuropathologists from the St Vincent’s/Garvan network.

Charlie Teo Foundation supported scientists from left to right: Dr Sylvia Chung, UTS; Dr Kristina Cook, University of Sydney; and Professor Jeff Holst, University of NSW.

Charlie Teo Foundation CEO Alana Phadke opened the showcase by thanking all the scientists and clinicians working together to improve outcomes for people with brain cancer.


“I want to sincerely thank and acknowledge Garvan for the wonderful partnership that we have built over the last 5 years.

It is a collaboration based on professionalism, trust, confidence and fantastic working relationships.

This research collaboration genuinely showcases what can be achieved when two teams share their resources and expertise to achieve a common goal – better treatments for brain cancer.”

Alana Phadke, CEO of the Charlie Teo Foundation

Professor Benjamin Kile, Executive Director of the Garvan Institute and Alana Phadke, CEO of the Charlie Teo Foundation

Professor Joseph Powell, Director of Translational Genomics at the Garvan Institute, was travelling overseas, virtually shared an important update and his vision for the future.


“The collaboration with the Charlie Teo Foundation has been one of the most enjoyable, productive and rewarding experiences of a research partnership that I have had in my academic career.”

Professor Joseph Powell, Director of Translational Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research

Joseph elaborated, “We started by generating an atlas of single-cell genomic data for brain tumours. This is the largest resource of its type in the world and is used by many researchers locally and globally.

That enabled us to move forward and develop computational and wet lab techniques to identify glioma stem cells (the origin cells in diffuse gliomas) and identify the genomic underpinnings of those cells that we think we can start targeting with new therapies.

Moving towards the future, we are looking at pre-clinical work—both for evaluating the role and impact of current therapies and for what we can do to start thinking about developing new therapies for diffuse gliomas.

This is something we are proud to continue in our lab at Garvan in collaboration with the Charlie Teo Foundation.” – Professor Powell

Dr Ashraf Zaman with Dr Charlie Teo in the lab

Dr Ashraf Zaman, a Garvan Research and Biobank Scientist, took guests on a deep dive into the team’s work and its future direction.

We were honoured to round off the evening with sincere thanks to everyone involved from Dr Charlie Teo AM. 

A special acknowledgment to all our speakers on the night representing the Charlie Teo Foundation and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research

Garry Browne AM, Chair of the Board of the Charlie Teo Foundation
Alana Phadke, Chief Executive Officer of the Charlie Teo Foundation
Professor Benjamin Kile, Executive Director of the Garvan Institute
Professor Joseph Powell, Director of Translational Genomics, Garvan Institute
Dr Ashraf Zaman, Research and Biobank Scientist at the Garvan Institute
Dr Charlie Teo AM, Founder of the Charlie Teo Foundation


Together we are driving scientific progress in the field of brain cancer, and strategising for future success. Thank you for your incredible support of this collaboration!