Annual
Report

Like so many people impacted by GI cancer, this experience has made me re-evaluate what’s truly important to me. I don’t take anything for granted anymore.

Upon my return to work, I took on a closer role engaging with our Community Advisory Panel, a volunteer group of people with lived GI cancer experience who guide our research. This dedicated group is crucial to deliver on our mission of patient-centric research. They work with our membership of passionate researchers who are constantly looking for new ideas that will make a meaningful difference to patients’ lives.

It was a pleasure to see so many of our members at our first ever Annual Scientific Meeting held in Aotearoa New Zealand. More than 350 delegates attended what is being hailed as one of our best meetings. The contributions from our members ‘across the ditch’ in the conference design and content was outstanding. We learned so much from your insights and experience about authentic engagement with First Nations people and improving inequities in healthcare and cancer treatment.

We couldn’t miss the opportunity to include a Gutsy Challenge while in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a group of 10 trekkers taking on the Crater Rim Trail. Together with two Blue Mountains one-day treks, the Gutsy Challenge raised more than $100,000 in 2023. I was thrilled to see members of our Research, Communications and Operations teams take on Gutsy Challenges this year. This speaks to our incredible team culture and their dedication to go over and above their usual work to trek and fundraise to support people with GI cancer.

We would not be able to undertake the work we do without the commitment from our incredible GI cancer community. I want to thank everyone who has participated in our trials, and for all the fundraising efforts made by their families for the GI Cancer Institute.

As someone with a GI cancer, I am relieved that an organisation like ours exists – one that is always questioning the status quo of treatment and trying to do better for people like me, one that is guided by patients to not just improve survival but quality of life as well, and one that has loyal donors who continue to give year after year to help fund new research.