For over 45 years the The Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia has been pioneering study into some of the most widespread diseases affecting our community. It is a world leader in biomedical research and its scientists have achieved significant breakthroughs in understanding and treating diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and Osteoporosis.

BNP Paribas and its staff in Australia have proudly supported the Garvan since 2006, in particular its research into breast and prostate cancer. Since early 2008 this work has been led by Associate Professor Chris Ormandy, Head of the Development Group of Garvan’s Cancer Research Program and is now primarily focused on breast cancer.

Professor Ormandy and his team are focussed on discovering and understanding the genetic program that underlies the body’s processes to build mammary or prostate glands, and controlling their function. These same genes can be targets for the production of cancer cells and could potentially be used to develop more effective and successful treatment options.

The team is now concentrating on the genes that respond to prolactin, a key hormone that when produced in excessive quantities, can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

In the future the team will also continue to investigate the transcription factor Elf5, which it discovered in 2009 controls the development of the mammary gland during pregnancy, and also regulates the spread, growth and function of breast cells.

Along with BNP Paribas, the team hopes to achieve its ultimate aim – the development of more effective and successful treatment options for breast cancer.