Our ultimate goal is to find a cure for brain tumours.
We believe research will make the single biggest difference to patients’ lives in terms of early diagnosis, treatment, survival and quality of life – which is why we invest around £1m each year into our research programme, making us the largest dedicated funder of brain tumour research in the UK.
We are working together with major organisations such as Cancer Research UK and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to maximise our impact in brain tumour research.
This vital work is being made possible by the inspirational efforts of all our supporters in raising funds for brain tumour research. With your support we can do even more.
Latest updates (August 2011)
- Children and young people Aug 2011
- High-grade Aug 2011
- UCL Aug 2011
- Lay summary compilation individual projects – Aug 2011
What we fund
Since the charity was established in 1996, we have supported over 50 high quality, peer-reviewed medical research projects across the UK, with funding in excess of £6 million.
We have also opened our first dedicated research centre of excellence at University College London, at a cost of £1,667,511 over five years. The Samantha Dickson Brain Cancer Unit is housed in the UCL Cancer Institute, a state-of-the-art facility incorporating the most advanced technologies, forming part of the largest biomedical research centre in Europe.
Our research covers many different tumour types, both low and high-grade, affecting children and adults, and ranges from studies in the laboratory right through to clinical trials.
See some examples of projects we fund here, or view our full brain tumour research programme here.
The impact of our research
Our research is leading to a better understanding of the ways in which brain tumours develop and how they can best be treated.
A number of breakthroughs and exciting findings have been generated through our research. For example:
- Researchers at Newcastle University have developed a pioneering test for children with medulloblastoma tumours
- With our help, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London is now offering an important new test to patients diagnosed with high-grade brain tumours
- Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London have found an important genetic change in pilocytic astrocytoma tumours
Find out more about some of our breakthroughs here, and read our latest research news here.
Choosing our grants
We strive to ensure that your money is used to fund brain tumour research of the highest quality, that will be of the greatest value to patients.
Our research grants are awarded only after a stringent review process that utilises the expertise of brain tumour experts from around the world. In 2009, this process was recognised by the Association of Medical Research Charities with the award of a Certificate of Best Practice in Medical and Healthcare Research Peer Review. In 2011 we were awarded the Certificate for the second time in recognition of the high standards of scrutiny with which the charity operates.
Find out more here about how we choose which projects to fund.
If you have any questions in relation to our research, please email enquiries@sdbtt.co.uk or call 01252 749990.
SDBTT is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) – a membership organisation of the leading medical and health research charities in the UK.