PROJECTS
The Fordham Foundation is the principal financial supporter of the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation.
The Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, established by John Fordham OAM and Professor Tom Havas, is a not-for-profit charity. Their mandate is to perform and fund cutting-edge research in Head and Neck Cancer with the dual aims of early diagnosis and the introduction of a personalised, patient-centric approach to treatments.
Funding received from the Fordham Foundation has been critical in the following areas:
- Prince of Wales ORLH&N Research Group
This is a research group encompassing senior clinicians from several specialties, researchers, specialists-in-training, junior medical staff, and medical students.
The group meets monthly to provide a relaxed, informal forum of mentored research to assist and enthuse junior researchers.
The Fordham Foundation provides support by way of funding research costs, supporting the salary of a Research Fellow, and salaries associated with the group’s activities.
- Rapid Access Clinic
The Head and Neck Rapid Access Clinic is a novel strategy to provide optimal head and neck cancer care. It is a free, bi-weekly service at the Prince of Wales Hospital’s Nelune Centre available to the public via a single phone call. Our mandate is to provide personalised, resource-cognisant precision medicine for our community.
Early diagnosis leads to less invasive treatments and better outcomes and this is the driving ethos of the clinic. Patients are seen by a team including a specialist and a clinical nurse consultant and are either triaged for expedited treatment or placed on a surveillance database.
An initiative of the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, the Fordham Foundation was instrumental in obtaining government support for the establishment of this clinic. The Fordham Foundation continues to provide help by way of logistic support, purchase of essential equipment, and publicising the clinic.
- Facial Nerve Rapid Access Clinic and Research Group
Headed by Dr Catherine Meller, this service has rapidly become one of the premier units in the country. Tasked with the early diagnosis and treatment of facial nerve paralysis in conditions such as Bell’s Palsy, the clinic is setting new standards in early diagnosis, expedited treatments, research, and patient support.
The Fordham Foundation funded the purchase of the expensive electrophysiological equipment needed for diagnosis and the monitoring of treatment. It provides ongoing support by meeting the salary of a dedicated, specialist facial nerve physiotherapist.
- Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Research Group
With the aid of funding from the Fordham Foundation, we have established an outstanding research team in conjunction with the University of New South Wales and are funding research in the areas of:
Novel cancer drug delivery systems
Development of new drugs for Head and Neck Cancer
A new treatment paradigm for Indigenous ear disease.
We are providing research career opportunities for young Australian scientists.
- Fordham School/Centre of Translational Medicine
We have commenced preliminary discussions regarding the establishment of a centre/school of translational medicine.
It will be based on our outstanding research team and what we have and are achieving. Encouraging the development and commercialisation of Australian research and innovation, it will award a formal Masters degree at the completion of a one-year program.
The projected cost for the establishment of this centre is approximately $5 million (plus recurrent costs) which will need to be raised.
- Medical Education/Social Responsibility
The Fordham Foundation, through the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, was a major funder of a five-part, evidence-based podcast series produced by The QUO. This podcast series, entitled Chasing Clouds, raises awareness on the social and public health impact of e-cigarettes in contemporary Australia. It is available on Apple Podcasts here
