In a significant step forward for brain cancer research, UniSA scientists have secured $2.9 million in Federal Government funding to investigate the genetic causes of diffuse midline glioma (DMG), the most aggressive childhood brain cancer, claiming the lives of around 25 Australian children each year.

The disease, which typically strikes children between the ages of five and 15, is considered one of the cruellest diagnoses a family can receive.

With no cure and an average survival time of just nine months following diagnosis, DMG robs children of their futures and leaves families with little more than memories.

The project

Associate Professor Quenten Schwarz will lead the UniSA research over the next five years.

Drawing on expertise from Adelaide and Sydney, the team will use engineered and patient-derived stem cell technology to map the genetic and environmental factors that drive the disease.

By pinpointing the abnormalities that trigger tumour growth, scientists hope to pave the way for treatments that are far more effective than current options.

Assoc Prof Schwarz says progress has been frustratingly slow in recent decades and that children deserve better.

“There has been very little progress made in identifying the causes and finding effective treatments for DMG over the decades,” he says. “We need to do better.”

“This grant offers an exciting opportunity to pioneer a new approach to uncover the genetic and environmental factors that lead to the development of childhood brain cancer.

There are limited treatment options right now, but we believe our research will provide vital insights into the mechanism behind the origins of DMG, paving the way for more effective therapies.”

The project is being delivered by UniSA’s Centre for Cancer Biology in collaboration with the Children’s Cancer Institute in Sydney.

It is one of three brain cancer research initiatives to share in $23.3 million of national funding from the Medical Research Future Fund.

A father’s tragic loss to childhood brain cancer

For families, the announcement is more than just research dollars; it represents a lifeline of hope.

Adelaide father Steve Bickley knows all too well the devastation DMG brings.

His daughter Jess was just 11 when she was diagnosed in April 2023. Within nine months, she had passed away.

“The diagnosis in April 2023 came like a bolt out of the blue,” Steve says.

“Nothing can prepare you for that. We were told there was no cure, and ‘to go home and make memories’ for the short time that Jess had left.”

Jess’s first symptoms seemed deceptively ordinary: recurring pain in her neck. But what followed was a rapid decline that ended in September 2023, leaving a family and community reeling.

In the two years since, Steve has dedicated himself to supporting charities in Adelaide and interstate that raise funds for DMG research.

He hopes that other parents will be spared the grief that his family endured. “Research is vital to this cruel and devastating disease.

"It’s heartening to know that Adelaide has some of the best brain cancer scientists in the country who will be doing everything possible to uncover the causes and best treatment options for DMG.”

Why it matters

Childhood cancers are rare compared with adult cancers, but their impact is uniquely harrowing.

DMG is particularly notorious because it resists conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation. For decades, there has been almost no improvement in survival rates.

That is why the $2.9 million grant matters. It not only funds lab work but also builds a network of expertise across Adelaide and Sydney, pooling knowledge and resources to chase down answers that have eluded researchers for years.

The research is expected to generate insights that could eventually extend far beyond DMG, contributing to a deeper understanding of how childhood cancers form and how they might be stopped at their genetic roots.

For families, however, the focus is personal and immediate: a future where children diagnosed with DMG have more than just nine months.