15 Annual Report 2021 15 Annual Report 2021 “They’re the most fantastic people you’ll ever meet,” he says. “Faced with their own very grim prognosis, they are still working hard, campaigning to get their message out there. It’s very confronting, but also very motivating. One of the most powerful drivers for me and for everyone in my laboratory, is that we really want to help them, to make a difference.” How getting out of the shiny lab motivates researcher’s to pursue ovarian cancer breakthroughs To take on one of medicine’s most baffling and deadly conditions – one with a devastatingly high death rate, few treatment options and virtually no early detection – is proof enough that Dr Andrew Stephens loves a challenge. At Melbourne’s Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Dr Stephens leads his team in developing the groundbreaking Active Ratio Test (ARt). With an obvious, urgent need for ovarian cancer research, the Hudson Institute established a dedicated team in 2009. The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s (OCRF) expert Scientific Advisory Committee and Consumer Representative Panel have since identified and funded several promising projects, including ARt, which turned into a decade-long commitment as a result of it continuing to deliver to the high standards of the committee. Dr Stephens is driven by much more than scientific curiosity alone. At every opportunity he escapes his shiny lab to mingle with the community of supporters, donors and, most critically, patients, at OCRF events. He’s deeply moved by the courage and positivity of women he meets who are up against the heartbreaking reality of ovarian cancer. By Michelle Schlechta Interview with a Researcher