Fiona was just 19 when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of cancer that affects the brain and spinal cord. The tumour spread quickly and 18 months later, Fiona passed away.

The money received through the Fiona Walker Fund is used to support ‘seed’ projects.

When we approach government bodies, research councils, and large charities for major research grants, our applications are more likely to be successful if the funding is linked to a seed project. This is because we already have small scale results to show potential funders they are making a safe investment.

To date the Fiona Walker Fund has supported five different scientists in several aspects.

For example Professor Steve Pollard and team used the Perkin Elmer Plate Reader to rapidly screen gene control elements. This directly led to science that is now being developed into new types of gene therapy. It also helped identify a new pathway that might control the key 'master regulator' proteins that define glioblastoma identity. This would be a novel strategy to kill off tumour cells.

As well as proving the validity of new research projects through seed projects, the Fiona Walker Fund also funds mid-range equipment without the need for additional matched funding.

We would like to express our thanks to The Walker Family for supporting vital research in Fiona’s memory. And we would like to thank everyone who has donated to cancer research in memory of Fiona.

Now ten years on from Fiona's death, the Walker family are hosting a Ladies Golf Tournament (13 Oct 21) to raise more money in aid of vital cancer research.

Thanks to supporters like you, Edinburgh now has the largest number of brain tumour researchers and research projects in the UK, spanning the breadth of research questions from basic tumour biology, drug discovery, clinical research and clinical trials, epidemiology and quality of life.

Please donate to the Fiona Walker Fund today and help fund vital new research ideas and collaborations.

Thank you.