Fellowship fuels search for new ovarian cancer treatments

Each year in Australia, about 1,000 Australian women lose their lives to ovarian cancer. While advances in treatment have improved outcomes for many patients, ovarian cancers can eventually stop responding to therapies, leaving women with limited options.

Thanks to the generosity of the 5point Foundation, SVI researcher Dr Ruofei Liu will continue searching for new solutions as the 2026 recipient of the Christine Martin Fellowship.

Working in Associate Professor Elaine Sanij’s DNA Damage & Cancer Therapy Lab, Ruofei is investigating a newly discovered weakness in treatment-resistant ovarian cancer cells.

To grow and spread, cancer cells must constantly copy their DNA. In treatment-resistant ovarian cancers, this process occurs under intense pressure, creating vulnerabilities that the cancer cells rely on to survive. Ruofei’s research has shown that by disrupting this process, cancer growth can be slowed, and in some cases stopped altogether.

The next phase of her work will focus on identifying the biological pathways driving this response. By understanding exactly how these cancers survive, Ruofei hopes to lay the groundwork for new therapies that target the disease’s core vulnerabilities.

The Christine Martin Fellowship supports talented female researchers, helping ensure promising scientific careers can continue. For Ruofei, the Fellowship provides vital stability as she advances this promising work.

“I am incredibly grateful to the 5point Foundation for their support,” said Ruofei.

“After returning to work following the birth of my son, this Fellowship provides important stability and allows me to continue research that could ultimately lead to better treatment options for women with ovarian cancer.”

Established in 2016 in memory of Christine Martin, the wife of former SVI Director Professor Jack Martin, the Fellowship reflects the 5point’s commitment to improving lives through supporting key pillars of First Nations, Environment and Families.

Their son, Simon Martin, co-founded 5point Foundation which has supported SVI since 2012. In 2016 the Christine Martin Fellowship was established to support a female researcher post a career break due to family leave.

SVI is deeply grateful for the 5point Foundation’s ongoing generosity, which is helping talented researchers like Ruofei pursue discoveries with the potential to improve outcomes for women facing one of the most challenging forms of cancer.