The Menzies Research Institute and The Cancer Council Tasmania today announced the appointment of the first Cancer Council Tasmania Research Fellow.

The Menzies Research Institute and The Cancer Council Tasmania today announced the appointment of the first Cancer Council Tasmania Research Fellow.

Dr Joanne Dickinson will take up the three-year, $345,000 fellowship with the aim of strategically expanding work on cancer prevention and treatment at Tasmania's premier health and medical research facility, the Menzies Research Institute.

Director of the Menzies, Professor Simon Foote, says that Dr Dickinson is Menzies' first Research Fellow dedicated to cancer research.

"Dr Dickinson is an excellent researcher with a strong record in research into the genetic and environmental causes of cancer.

"The appointment of Dr Dickinson, funded by The Cancer Council Tasmania, will help to build critical mass in Tasmanian cancer research, maximising the potential of the state's unique resources and producing better outcomes for Tasmanians," he said.

Dr Dickinson heads the Menzies' current research program examining the genes and risk factors associated with the development of prostate cancer.

Her research focus has also recently expanded to include a study of the genetics of blood cancers such as leukaemia.

The Menzies Research Institute's research over the last 18 years has contributed to significant advances in treatment and prevention of cancer and many other diseases and health conditions.

"Menzies welcomes this partnership with The Cancer Council Tasmania as we work together for a healthier future," Professor Foote said.

The Cancer Council Tasmania Chairman Stephen Foster said that this fellowship brings to over $2.5 million the research funds raised by the state's leading cancer control organisation in the past decade.

"Medical research has led to great advances in our ability to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer. More than 50% of people diagnosed with cancer today will survive.

"However, despite these accomplishments, cancer still affects too many people. Around seven Tasmanians are diagnosed with cancer and three still die from the disease every single day," he said.

The Cancer Council Tasmania has funded around 100 research projects in its 11 years on issues ranging from cancer risk factors and new treatment options through to treatment side effects.

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