Prof Terence O’Brien is a leading neurologist and researcher.
He is Program Director of Alfred Brain, Deputy Director of Research and Consultant Neurologist at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He also serves as the Head of the School of Translational Medicine at Monash University. In addition to his clinical and academic roles, he is a member of Brain Cancer Australia’s National Consortium Steering Commitee, contributing to collaborative efforts that aim to transform brain cancer research and patient care.
"Brain cancer accounts for less than 5% of all cancers but causes the greatest loss of productive years in midlife due to its aggressive nature."
The Final Frontier of Research
Terry’s journey into brain cancer research began with his fascination for the brain, which he saw as one of medicine’s last unexplored frontiers. Initially focusing on neurology, he developed a deep interest in epilepsy—a condition he found intellectually engaging, but also promising with the advancement of treatments.
His focus on epilepsy naturally led to an interest in brain tumours because they are a cause of acquired epilepsy. Terry saw that for many patients, it was the uncontrolled seizures, not the tumours themselves, that most impacted their quality of life. This drew him to brain tumour research, with the goal of improving treatments to address both the tumour and its disabling symptoms.
Collaboration for Combined Impact
As co-leader of the Alfred Brain Tumour Biobank, along with A/Prof. Martin Hunn, Terry recognises the importance of collaboration in tackling brain cancer. While local biobanks are valuable, he explains that individual hospitals often see too few cases to collect the data needed for large-scale research.
The Alfred Brain Tumour Biobank is part of Brain Cancer Australia’s network of 20 biobanks with over 11,000 specimens available for researchers globally. “By combining samples and clinical data from multiple sites, we can dramatically increase the size and the impact of the studies,” he explains.
"We desperately need better treatments. There is still a dearth of trials compared to other cancers. By combining samples and data from multiple sites, we can dramatically increase the size and the impact of the studies."
The Urgency for Brain Cancer Patients
As both a clinician and researcher, Terry sees the urgent need for better treatments for brain cancer. He describes it as a neglected cancer in terms of research and funding, despite its devastating impact. “Brain cancer accounts for less than 5% of all cancers but causes the greatest loss of productive years in midlife due to its aggressive nature,” he explains.
In the past 40 years, advancements in brain cancer treatments have been minimal compared to other cancers. “We desperately need better treatments. There is still a dearth of trials compared to other cancers. We need to understand the biology better, align adult and paediatric research, and build infrastructure like the biobank network so we can increase trials and find new treatments that actually improve outcomes for patients,” he says.
