Programs We Fund

HOW GAP WORKS

A small percentage of the funds raised in each country are allocated to a global fund.  The global fund is then allocated to one priority project each year that is determined by an independent Global Scientific Committee (GSC). The GSC is comprised of internationally renowned prostate cancer experts from around the world, and chaired by prostate cancer expert, Dr. Colleen Nelson. Each year, Movember’s Global Scientific Committee (GSC) comes together to determine a research focus that would best benefit from global collaboration. Once the priority area is endorsed by Movember’s Board, the best prostate cancer researchers in the world from both Movember and non-Movember countries are brought together and funded to collaborate and answer a pre-determined issue or question.
 
Once the researchers are recruited, they collaborate through a number of mediums, including Movember’s online collaboration platform called Promoveo, which provides a secure wiki-based forum, conference calls, and annual meetings.

“Our vision is to have an everlasting impact on the state of men’s health and it’s to this end that we've established our GAP. We believe that getting the best researchers from around the world to work together on key challenges will accelerate breakthroughs that will ultimately benefit men with prostate cancer. Further, we believe that team-based research, performed across borders with a strong collaborative mindset, can deliver innovation and knowledge sharing that leads to an acceleration of results that benefit men diagnosed and living with prostate cancer today.”
-Head of Programs at Movember, Paul Villanti
 

Currently, Movember's GAP has two programs underway:

GAP 1 – THE GLOBAL PROSTATE CANCER BIOMARKER INITIATIVE

Overall Goal: To better predict aggressive prostate cancer, characterize metastatic disease and treatment resistance by identifying clinical biomarkers that ultimately enhance treatment decisions

This initiative aims to answer critical, but as yet unanswered, questions which allow clinicians to identify clinical biomarkers that will ultimately enhance patient treatment decisions, because they more accurately predict aggressive prostate cancer, characterize metastatic disease and treatment resistance.

The key results that we seek to achieve from this project are:

• Stronger international collaboration in the global prostate cancer research arena leading to improved knowledge sharing and greater efficiencies in the research effort.
• Development of promising new blood, urine and tissue based tests (biomarkers) that can more accurately predict low risk versus aggressive prostate cancer and optimize a patient's treatment decisions.

Movember has appointed Dr Mark Buzza as the Program Manager to implement GAP. If you would like more information on the GAP Program or the GAP 1 biomarker project, contact Mark directly at: mark@movember.com.

GAP 2 – COLLABORATIVE GLOBAL IMAGING PROJECT

Overall Goal: Push the limits of prostate cancer imaging breakthroughs to detect disease progression at a much earlier stage.

Imaging is a truly “front-line” investigative tool in diagnosing cancer. Current technology can view a tumor down to around 1mm in size and, as cancer spreads at a cellular level (typically around 1000 x smaller than this), there is real benefit in making improvements in this area. There is a significant need to improve the ability to detect disease progression at a much earlier stage to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer.

The key results that we seek to achieve from this project are:

• Detect the spread of prostate cancer earlier
• More targeted decisions on which treatments will lead to the most effective outcomes for patients
• Realize synergies from and continue to leverage the investment and collaborative networks established in GAP 1

Movember has appointed Sam Gledhill as the Project Manager to implement the GAP 2 project. If you would like more information on GAP 2, contact Sam directly at: sam@movember.com.

PROMOVEO

One of the primary ways the GAP researchers work together is through Movember’s online collaboration platform, called Promoveo. Promoveo is a Latin phrase which means to push forward, move ahead, advance and that is exactly the aim of this online platform, which Movember has custom built for the prostate cancer research community.
 
Collaboration is at the heart of Movember’s GAP. A key deliverable is the creation of a fit-for-purpose online communication platform to help GAP researchers work together more easily. Promoveo connects the global GAP community, helping  them work together across clinical and scientific disciplines and multiple time zones.

• Connects the global prostate cancer community  
• Showcases the program and its participants
• Allows researchers to collaborate by sharing knowledge
• Helps manage and track projects
• Promotes ongoing communication and resource sharing

This page will be regularly updated with progress on all of the GAP programs and details of new initiatives funded by GAP. Please check back to see how Movember funds are truly making a difference at a global level, thanks to the on-going support of the Movember community.