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Medical research into cord blood banking

Dedicated to providing funding to assist with life-saving medical research, the Lions Medical Research Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation committed to discovering medical treatments in the future. With medical research funding, we aim to improve health conditions in Australia and many countries around the globe.

For years, the Lions Medical Research Foundation has awarded fellowships and provided medical research funding assistance in various fields. Among these many medical research funding grants, we took pride in awarding a fellowship to Dr Robyn Rodwell. This funding supported the Queensland Cord Blood Bank at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane during its early and crucial years in cord blood banking.

What is cord blood banking?

From the name itself, cord blood banking pertains to the collection of cord blood from the consenting mothers’ umbilical cord and placenta. Instead of being discarded, the cord blood should be processed and stored because it can provide treatments for certain diseases like leukaemia, bone marrow disorders and other immune deficiency disorders.

Cord blood banking is a form of storing the essential stem cells contained in cord blood.  With cord blood banking, the stem cells will be in excellent condition to provide therapy for patients, especially those in need of treatment for advanced stages of bone marrow diseases.

The cord blood transplant is the last resort for many patients suffering from genetic and blood disorders. Cord blood transplant provides the much-needed stem cells alternative necessary for patients without a bone marrow donor or match. A cord blood bank meets the demands of patients with specialised stem cells and cord blood transplant needs.

Medical research funding for cord blood banking

Seeing the need for building a cord blood banking facility, the Lions Medical Research Foundation awarded a fellowship with medical research funding to Dr Robyn Rodwell which helped establish The Queensland Cord Blood Bank (QCBB).

Serving as the chair of AusCord, Dr Robyn Rodwell has earned the experience of handling cord blood banks from different parts of the world. She has also received several work-related awards and is an honorary member of Lions Club International since 1999. Dr Rodwell viewed the grant as a significant contribution both in her career and in the formation of QCBB. One of her recent projects included the alignment of the three public cord blood banks operations in Australia. After 50 years of dedicated service, Dr Robyn Rodwell retired in 2019.

How Lions Medical Research Foundation can help

You can help us make a difference in cord blood banks in Australia and across the world. For those who want to help in medical research funding to discover possible life-saving treatments, you can donate online or get in touch with our friendly Lions Medical Research Foundation team today.

Get in Touch

Do you have a question for our team? Please leave us a message via the online contact form.