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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is an extremely rare and fatal neurological disease that has no effective treatment. The CJDSGN is keen to promote awareness and knowledge amongst health care professionals and support the work of the research teams with continued hope for a treatment or cure in the future. Every cent counts and the CJDSGN guarantees that all donations received go directly to support this goal.

The University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Melbourne  and the University of Sydney are very appreciative of all monies received that assist the research teams in their work on CJD and prion diseases in Australia.

Our research community is very touched by the support that CJD families and friends give towards their work by providing that extra funding that, hopefully, will make the difference.

The CJD Support Group Network will continue to provide funds to assist with the purchase of equipment that will enhance the work that researchers are doing at the forefront of research into CJD to develop diagnostic and treatment strategies for this and similar diseases. Very recently funding has been provided for equipment that will see the introduction of the RT-QuIC diagnostic test into Australia.

With the generous support of CJD families and friends the CJDSGN has also provided a number of memorial awards to assist with new projects that will bring some exciting research work to a level required to attract future NHMRC funding. In recent years our focus has been on providing memorial grants to assist maintain the level of research into prion disease in Australia as traditional scientific research grants have been reduced across all fields.

Without the amazing support of families and friends in memory of a loved one lost to CJD, prion disease research would have been greatly decreased.

Thank you so much for caring and for helping us towards our goal of finding a cure for those who will unfortunately will be affected by this devastating disease in the future.

CJDSGN Memorial Grants, Awards and equipment purchases for 2017- Total to date $134,014.70

Memorial Grants and Awards for 2017

CJDSGN Memorial Grant in memory of Frank Burton
Grant No 4 2017- $40,000 Awarded to the Lawson Laboratory, University of Melbourne.

CJDSGN Memorial Grant in memory of Lorraine Seabrook
Grant No 5  2017- $51750.00 Awarded to Professor Andrew Hill, La Trobe University, Melbourne.

CJDSGN Memorial Grant in memory of Frank Burton
Grant No 6 2017-$19,803.80 Awarded to Cathryn Ugalde, Hill Laboratory, La Trobe.
Ph.D. scholarship $14803.80 plus $5000 consumables.

CJDSGN equipment donations 2017

CJDSGN donation in memory of Norma Crawley
Cell Counter – $4210.90 – Professor Andrew Hill, La Trobe University, Melbourne.

2017 ‘Top up’ Scholarship Awards

Carol Willesee Ph.D. Scholarship
$5,000 Awarded to Taufiqual Islam, Collins Laboratory, University of Melbourne.

CJDSGN Memorial Ph.D. Scholarship in memory of Marek Gorcynski
$5000 Awarded to Simote Foliaki, Collins Laboratory, University of Melbourne.

CJDSGN Memorial Ph.D. Scholarship in memory of Frank Burton
$5000 Awarded to Laura Ellett, Lawson Laboratory, University of Melbourne.

CJDSGN Memorial Ph.D. Scholarship in memory of David Matthews
$3250 Awarded to Cathryn Ugalde, Hill Laboratory, La Trobe, Melbourne.

CJDSGN Memorial Grants, Awards and equipment purchases for 2016 – Total $181,300

Memorial Grants and Awards for 2016

CJDSGN Memorial Grant in memory of Sandra Kernahan, Stephen (Jake) O’Hara, Catherine Heagerty, Grasso family, Victoria Larielle, Barbara Childerhouse, Marilyn Hart and Pamela Thomas (City2Sea 2015)
Grant No 1 2016 – $25,000 Awarded to Dr Victoria Lewis.

CJDSGN Memorial Grant in memory of Rhonda McCoy and the many people affected by prion disease in Australia
Grant No 2 2016 –  $25,000 Awarded to Dr Cathryn Haigh.

CJDSGN Memorial Grant in memory of Susan Maclean, Carmel Petersen, Anne O’Shea, Leslie Cleary, Beryl Hogg, Peter Smith, Sophie Desteno, Pamela Conoulty and Richard Ratliff
Grant No 3 2016 –  $25,000 Awarded to Laura Ellett.

CJDSGN Memorial award in memory of Silva Coelho, Year 2 funding
$31,200 Awarded to Professors Simon Hawke and Georges Grau, University of Sydney.

CJDSGN equipment donations and funding to the Australian National CJD Registry 2016 – $57,106

CJDSGN donation in memory of Douglas Brown
Forma™ 900 Series -86°C Upright Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer – $12,990

CJDSGN donation in memory of Mario Papalia
FLUOstar Omega – Plate Reader – $31,700

CJDSGN Special Travel Award in memory of Sandra Kernahan
Awarded to Shannon Sarros –2 week training visit to Edinburgh UK for RT-QuIC training – $7,033

CJDSGN Special Travel Award in memory of Frank Burton
Awarded to Dr Christiane Stehmann – visit to the CJD Foundation conference, Washington DC, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Unit (NPDPSC) Cleveland USA and the CJD Program, University of California, San Francisco –   USA  $5,383.

2016 Travel Awards to assist students and young researchers to participate in overseas prion conferences

CJDSGN Travel Award in memory of Silva Coelho
$1,000 Awarded to Cathryn Ugalde.

CJDSGN Travel Award in memory of Silva Coelho
$1,000 Awarded to Simote Foliaki.

2016 ‘Top up’ Scholarship Awards

Carol Willesee Ph.D. Scholarship
$8,000 Awarded to Cathryn Ugalde, Hill Laboratory.

CJDSGN Memorial Ph.D. Scholarship in memory of Sandra Kernahan
$8,000 Awarded to Taufiqual Islam, Collins Laboratory.

Thanks again to our sponsor Australian Animal Care Systems Pty Ltd for continued and ongoing support of research in Australia in memory of Silva Coelho.

We would also like to acknowledge donations made in memory of so many lost to CJD – every cent helps towards an answer and hope.