Australia’s National Lung Cancer Screening Program is finding more people at an earlier, more treatable stage than ever before.
But a diagnosis is only the beginning. Your donation funds the research that turns detection into survival.
✓ Tax deductible ✓ 100% to research
A Turning Point for Lung Cancer in Australia
Since the National Lung Cancer Screening Program launched in July 2025, more Australians are being diagnosed at an earlier, more treatable stage. That’s a genuine breakthrough, one that gives patients options they didn’t have before.
But it also means more people urgently need access to the best possible treatment. And right now, research funding isn’t keeping pace with demand.
Lung cancer remains Australia’s deadliest cancer, yet less than 6% of cancer research funding is directed to thoracic cancers. TOGA exists to close that gap by funding the researchers asking the questions that matter most.
What an Inspirational Research Grant actually does
Early career researchers are where bold ideas are born. They bring fresh thinking, new methods, and the energy to tackle problems others have overlooked. But they’re also the most under-resourced.
TOGA’s Inspirational Research Grants give them the runway they need — seed funding to ask important questions, gather early evidence, and attract the larger investment that carries discoveries into clinics and changes how patients are treated.
Every grant we fund is a bet on a better future for lung cancer patients. And every donation you make is what makes that bet possible.
Meet the researchers your donation supports
Dr Lara Edbrooke
Prehabilitation for lung cancer surgery
Dr Edbrooke is pioneering prehabilitation — preparing patients physically and mentally before surgery to improve recovery outcomes. Her TOGA-funded work has already attracted national and international recognition, and is directly relevant to the growing number of patients being identified through the new screening program.
The TOGA grant support has helped to raise my profile within Australia and contributed to a number of opportunities that have arisen since the funding was awarded. These include – invitations in 2024 to present at local, national and international training workshops. I was also invited to write a critically appraised paper for the Journal of Physiotherapy.
Dr Peter Shi
Personalised immunotherapy for mesothelioma
Dr Shi is developing 3D cell culture models that show how individual patients’ immune systems interact with cancer cells — a critical step toward truly personalised treatment. His TOGA-supported work has opened collaborations with leading oncologists and is accelerating the path from laboratory discovery to clinical use.
With the support of the TOGA Inspirational Research Grant, I have established the Mesothelioma Consumer Community and hosted two progress meetings to gather feedback from consumers about their needs...This work has opened up opportunities for collaboration with researchers at the CPC (USYD) and medical oncologists at ADDRI to further optimise the models for future clinical use.
Dr Mark Adams
Lung cancer microbiome research — sequencing, bioinformatics and clinical associations
Dr Mark Adams is leading a coordinated, multi-institutional study of the lung cancer microbiome in Australia — investigating how the microbial communities in the lung may influence cancer development, progression, and response to treatment. His work is helping establish the standardised methods that future research will rely on.
Through being awarded this grant, I have had the opportunity to collaborate widely with microbiome experts and now have an affiliation with the QUT Centre for Microbiome Research.
Help fund the next breakthrough
100% to research
Every donation funds an Inspirational Research Grant directly. No portion is used for administration or overhead.
Tax deductible
TOGA has deductible gift recipient (DGR) status. Donations of $2 and over are fully tax deductible.
Trusted & transparent
TOGA is a Fundraising Institute Australia organisational member and is code compliant. Your donation is in safe hands.
