The inspiration for a regional Victorian cancer research facility came from a young cancer patient, Fiona Elsey, who planted a seed in the mind of her oncologist, her family and her community. From Fiona’s dream a garden of hope has grown in the form of a world-renowned research institute in Ballarat.
The Fiona Elsey Laboratory first opened in February 1998 in a disused paint shed next to the Ballarat St John of God Hospital. Over the next 20 years the institute continued its fundraising efforts, eventually moving into a lab at Federation University. Our research has been published more than 40 times including in the International Journal of Molecular Science. The institute is still funded through community donations, corporate partnerships, and scientific grants and does not receive government assistance.
