Gillies McIndoe Research Institute

13/11/2025

A huge thank you to Rotary Club of Plimmerton , our community champions! 💙

Through their incredible Garden Tour, they raised $14,000, with $7,000 generously donated to the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute.

At Gillies, every dollar donated is used to fuel the engine that keeps our research moving forward and enables the freedom to explore bold approaches; from repurposing existing medicines to discovering safer, more effective treatments for cancer and related diseases.

We are deeply grateful to the Rotary Club of Plimmerton members, everyone who organised this wonderful event, all those who thought of us when choosing where to donate, the generous homeowners who opened their gardens, and everyone who attended and supported the tour. Your collective effort made this event truly blossom. 🌸

Congratulations again to Jennie Wright, winner of our Garden Lover Gift Basket! And a special thank you to everyone who donated the beautiful items inside, your kindness helped raise awareness for the important research we do at Gillies McIndoe.

With appreciation to Anita Baker - Mayor of Porirua City for generously sharing Photo 1.

12/11/2025

10/11/2025

We thought we’d have a bit of fun today at Gillies McIndoe! 🧬✨

We challenged some of our team members to describe their research in fifteen words or less! It wasn’t easy, but we think they did an exceptional job. 👏

Now it’s your turn! Could you summarise what you do in just 15 words?
Drop your best attempt in the comments below! 💬👇

04/11/2025

🌿🔬 What a weekend at the Plimmerton Rotary Garden Tour!
We had a wonderful time meeting all of you, chatting about our research, and enjoying the beauty of the garden around us. 💙🦋
And we even had a stunning tūī strike a pose just for us! 🐦✨

🎉 Congratulations to Jennie Wright — winner of our Garden Lover Gift Basket!
Everyone else is still a winner for enjoying the beautiful weather with us… better luck next time! 😉🌸

We are incredibly grateful to the Rotary Club of Plimmerton for inviting us to be part of this fantastic community event — and for generously donating some of the net proceeds to support our life-changing research. Your support means the world to us. 💙🙌

We also want to acknowledge our incredible PhD and Masters students who took time away from the lab to share just how cool science really is. You represent the future of research — and we couldn’t be prouder! 🔬✨

Together, we’re raising awareness of our work in:
• Strawberry birthmarks (infantile haemangioma)
• Keloid scars & fibrosis
• Brain tumours including glioblastoma & meningioma
• Drug repurposing for safer, smarter therapies

Your support helps science grow — right here in Aotearoa 🌱

30/10/2025

If you caught our last post, you’ll know we’re so excited to be part of the Rotary Club of Plimmerton Garden Tour! 🌿🌸
And we’ve got another reason for you to stop by and say hello… 👋

Sign up for our newsletter at the start of the tour in Aotea and you’ll go in the draw to WIN a $250 garden gift basket full of treats for plant lovers! 🎁🌼
Don’t miss your chance to chat about our research and see 10 wonderful gardens— get your tickets now through Rotary Club of Plimmerton 👉 https://www.plimmertonrotary.org.nz/garden-tour-2025

🌸

Terms and Conditions: Open to NZ residents 18+ who sign up for the Gillies McIndoe newsletter at the Plimmerton Garden Trail on 1–2 Nov 2025. One entry per person. Prize is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and must be delivered to a NZ address. Winner drawn 5 Nov 2025 and announced on Facebook and Instagram; if the winner can’t be contacted within one week, a new winner may be drawn. Entries become property of Gillies McIndoe and may be used for promotional purposes. Personal information will be managed under the Privacy Act 2020 (contact info@gmri.org.nz)

29/10/2025

Gillies McIndoe researchers to present at international neuro-oncology meeting

PhD students Jasmine (Jaz) White and Clara López from the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute will attend the Society for NeuroOncology Meeting in Hawaii from 19-23 November, supported by funding from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Otago respectively.

Jaz will present a poster outlining research showing how patient-derived glioblastoma neurospheres respond differently to temozolomide and radiation treatment. Her work identifies treatment-resistant subgroups and reveals mechanisms such as metabolic reprogramming and oxidative-stress evasion, offering insights into potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to overcome chemoradiation resistance.

Clara's poster presentation explores the hormonal and s*x-specific influences on drug metabolism in patient-derived meningiomas. Her findings suggest that oestrogen and cholesterol-related pathways may drive subtype and s*x differences in tumour biology.



PhD students Jasmine (Jaz) White, left, and Clara López. Photo montage: Gillies McIndoe.

27/10/2025

There’s nothing quite like unboxing new lab equipment to spark excitement for science! 🧪
We’re welcoming our new Microplate Reader from Thermo Fisher Scientific - ready to support the next wave of research. 💙🔬

27/10/2025

Measles outbreak update - Wellington

Two new measles cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to 10 nationwide, including 3 in Wellington. Most cases are linked to the 3 October Bluebridge Ferry exposure.

New locations of interest and several hundred close contacts have been identified at Wellington College and Wellington Girls’ College. We are contacting affected individuals. Please follow all advice if you are contacted.

📍 Locations of interest are updated regularly: http://spr.ly/61827BjPm

What you need to know:
✅ Watch for symptoms: high fever, cough, sore red eyes, rash
✅ Stay home if unwell
✅ Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice
✅ Check your immunity: http://spr.ly/61837BjPW
✅ Book your free MMR vaccine: http://spr.ly/61847BjPo

Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious health problems like pneumonia and brain swelling. One in three people with measles will need hospital care. Children under five, those who are pregnant, and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk. Two doses of the MMR vaccine after 12 months of age offer strong protection.

19/10/2025

Last week, our PhD student, Dr. Sam Siljee, won a morning tea from Cell Signalling Technology. We celebrated together with a delicious spread!

Not only did we enjoy Sam’s well-earned prize, but it was also a double 25th birthday celebration for both CST and our PhD student Imogen Skelton. How’s that for perfect timing? Happy birthday Imogen!

A big thank you to:

Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. for the morning tea

The Wellington City Mission for the beautiful catering- Sandwiches, Charcuterie Platter, Fruit Platter (See Craig & Gail's Cafe)

Sweet Bakery & Cakery for the stunning lemon and raspberry cake

And to Michelle Cagney and Ryan Tay (from CST) for making it all come together

When one of us wins, we all feast.

17/09/2025

🦋✨ Community, Research, and Generosity in Action

We were honoured to have some of our researchers from the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, together with our Ambassador Nick White, share their work with the Upper Hutt Rotary Club this week.

It was a fantastic opportunity to talk about the science driving our mission, the impact of our research, and the difference community partnerships make.

A heartfelt thank you to Upper Hutt Rotary for their generous $3,500 donation. Your support directly fuels our research and helps us move closer to breakthroughs that can change lives.

Together, we’re proving that when science and community come together, the possibilities are endless. 💙

05/09/2025

What makes PhD student Freya Weth’s research approach to drug repurposing new and different?

Past repurposing efforts tend to look at single drugs or drug pairs, often chosen based on broad assumptions rather than direct in vitro (in lab)/ in vivo (in living organism) evidence. Unfortunately, there isn’t any systematic framework to evaluate and optimise multi-drug combinations in vitro/in vivo, which is where my work comes in.

In Freya’s research, she’s using a combination of synergy testing - analysing how drugs may work best together, and proteomics—a way of analysing all the proteins in a tumour—to investigate how to build successful drug combinations in vitro for glioblastoma. Instead of randomly testing drugs, she looks for repurposed drugs that could rationally target potential vulnerabilities. And, just as importantly, she focuses on drug combinations, because no single drug is likely to be effective on its own.

Read more about her research: Unlocking hidden potential: advancements, approaches, and obstacles in repurposing drugs for cancer therapy | British Journal of Cancer

27/07/2025

Recognizing World Head and Neck Cancer Day (27th of July), we share Carolyn’s (Caro's) journey.

After losing her husband Brian to melanoma in 2006, Caro never imagined she'd face cancer herself. When squamous cell carcinoma struck in 2023, she found herself under Dr Swee Tan's expert care undergoing multiple surgeries to her mandible and bilateral neck dissection, followed by radiation therapy and now rehabilitation at Hutt Hospital. From Marton, Caro now supports research that could spare others this journey.

"The challenging journey I've experienced is precisely why the research at Gillies McIndoe is so vital. As I have no children, I have also pledged to remember Gillies McIndoe Foundation in my Will with a bequest and leave them a percentage of my estate, to help them continue their great work in the future.

Also, as a coincidence, the Institute is named in part as a homage to Sir Harold Delf Gillies, the renowned plastic surgeon considered the pioneer of modern reconstructive plastic surgery, and a cousin of my great-grandmother Agnes Casbourne Douglas (nee Gillies), who was born in 1878 in Dunedin, which is where Sir Harold and his family came from.”

We're incredibly grateful for her courage as our Ambassador and Guardian.