Jenny George, vibrant and compassionate mother of four, was deeply loved by her friends, family, and community. In May 2023, her world was turned upside down when she received an aggressive, incurable brain cancer diagnosis. Just 11 months later, she passed away.

Upon learning of her diagnosis, Jenny delved into understanding glioblastoma (gbm) and its impact. Approximately 2000 Australians receive this diagnosis annually, facing a typical survival period of 12–18 months. While gbm treatment has remained unchanged for two decades, Jenny discovered a bold new approach pioneered by the Melanoma Institute of Australia (MIA).

MIA’s Co-Medical Director, Professor Richard Scoyler AO, and his team have achieved remarkable success with immunotherapy for melanoma treatment, significantly improving survival rates for metastatic melanoma. When Professor Scoyler faced gbm shortly after Jenny in 2023, his team at MIA embarked on an innovative approach to determine if their melanoma immunotherapy work could assist in gbm treatment. Their groundbreaking work with melanoma treatment led to joint recognition as the 2024 Australian of the Year, alongside MIA’s Co-Medical Director, Professor Georgina Long AO.

Inspired by MIA’s work, Jenny knew that while this treatment wouldn’t save her life, it had the potential to transform countless others’ lives. Despite MIA’s global recognition as a leading cancer research and treatment organization, it still relies on grants and charitable donations to continue vital research.

Jenny and her family resolved to fund the Jenny George Research Fellowship at MIA, ensuring the continuation of novel gbm treatment. This fellowship supports a talented clinician/researcher working alongside Professor Scolyer and other MIA specialists. Their focus? Advancing immunotherapy research for both brain cancer and melanoma. The goal is to fund a 3-year Fellowship, building on the progress Jenny initiated during her lifetime.

At the time of Jenny’s passing, her fundraising efforts had secured funding for approximately 2 years of the 3-year Fellowship. The target (shown at the top of this page) is to raise the total amount necessary to fully support the Fellowship.

Jenny’s family expresses deep gratitude for the donations received to date and welcomes all further contributions, regardless of size, to advance this crucial research.

See further information on Richard’s journey here.

And see current information on how successful immunotherapy has been for Richard's GBM.

Click ‘Donate’ to make a secure online donation. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Thank you for your support.