Prof. Obermair front and centre!

The QCGC Research team first met Jane Grealy three years ago.

Jane walked into our offices one Tuesday morning to learn more about the work we do at QCGC Research. We knew Jane was pretty special when she declared “your research needs funding so I’m here to help.”

Since that first meeting and true to her word, Jane has organised two major successful fundraising events and has participated in multiple fundraising treks to raise funds for gynaecological cancer research. And if that isn’t enough, Jane and members of her extended family will join Prof Andreas Obermair on a fundraising adventure to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in 2023.

Jane has also applied her passion and gift as an artist to raise awareness and funding for gynaecological cancer research. This week QCGC Research “revealed” Jane’s portrait of Andreas that was a finalist in the 2021 Brisbane Portrait Prize in its new home at the UQ Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR) building.

“Cancer He Said” captures the moment in time that Andreas stands at the end of Jane’s hospital bed and tells her she has cancer. However, Jane not only gifted this artwork to the Faculty of Medicine, she used it as an opportunity to challenge the QCGC Research community to raise an additional $20,000 for gynaecological cancer research. Our community responded quickly and generously.

Our sincere thanks to Jane for her continuing generosity, her endless supply of energy and determination to make a difference in the lives of women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. We also thank each and every person who accepted Jane’s challenge and donated to QCGC.

The portrait is now located permanently in a meeting space in the UQCCR building. This floor is home to the QCGC Research team and other cancer research groups.

If you would like to join Jane as an important contributor and supporter of the work that we do at QCGC Research, you can find out more information here. If you would like to make an online gift, please click here.