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The Leadership League: Where Rugby League Icons Inspire Leadership for a Cause

The Leadership League: Where Rugby League Icons Inspire Leadership for a Cause

Dec 2025 | Events, Fundraising, News

The Leadership League launched its inaugural corporate speaking series last night, bringing together Rugby League greats Wayne Bennett and Phil “Gus” Gould to explore what authentic leadership truly means. Their wisdom sparked powerful conversations… and real impact.

The purpose of The Leadership League is to raise vital funds for Cure The Future Foundation, supporting groundbreaking research into cures for incurable diseases. Corporate supporters, guests, and partners came together to learn, connect, and contribute to life-saving medical breakthroughs.

Special thanks to our corporate supporters and the CTFF Board, led by Diane Langmack OAM, for making this possible. The energy, engagement, and generosity in the room proved this inaugural Leadership League was an extraordinary success.

A new platform for Leadership. A new way to drive change. And a powerful start to something much bigger.

Meet Data Scientist Ulf Schmitz

Apr 2019 | News

Dr Ulf Schmitz is a serious computer wizard.

Currently Ulf is a Data scientist in Professor John Rasko’s team at the Centenary Institute.  As an expert in Bioinformatics metrics, Ulf spends his days discovering patterns in data that help to explain normal biology and human diseases.   

 

Cure the Future © Photo by Salty Dingo 2019

‘With the support of Cure The Future, I was able to continue exploring mechanisms of gene regulation in cancer without interruption*. This allowed me to produce important research output leading to numerous publications.’

Dr Ulf Schmitz

Ulf received the Cure the Future Award of Scientific Excellence in 2016 as a post-doctoral researcher. This 12 month fellowship allowed the completion of experiments that capture the life of cancer cells in a detail that has never been achieved before. Data from these experiments allowed Ulf to study patterns of unanticipated forms of cancer gene regulation.

The Cure The Future support has been invaluable to Ulf in laying a foundation for many other grants, awards and career progressions.

‘I’m now able to share my experience and give advice to younger, junior researchers and help them progress in their careers as well.’

Thanks to the solid foundation provided by Cure The Future, Ulf continues to deliver impact to cancer patients in his roles as Conjoint Senior Lecturer of the Sydney Medical School, Associate Faculty of the Centenary Institute and Head of the Computational Biomedicine Laboratory.

’Foundations like Cure the Future are a cornerstone for modern biomedical research. By raising funds for research, they are able to provide rapid financial support, flexibly, and at times when its most urgently needed. This kind of support is crucial for facilitating world-class research right here in Australia.

During his fellowship Ulf published 6 journal articles, one book chapter, and a book about ‘Systems Medicine’ – the first of its kind in the field, all while presenting at National workshops and International conferences in Iran and the Philippines.

Your support can help us continue to support amazing scientists like Ulf.

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Home Grown Talent Attends Oscars Lunch in Support of Cure The Future

Mar 2019 | News

Guests at the Recent Oscars Lunch glammed up to enjoy the broadcast of the 91st Oscars in style.  Guests included the Today Show team, participants in Married at First Site, Doctor Doctor cast members and many more.

Hosted By Channel 9 at Glass Brasserie, guests were treaded to a sumptuous 3 course lunch by Luke Mangan and the team at glass brasserie.

While watching all the events unfold from LA, guests were entertained by Host Tom Steinfort as well as vying for the amazing raffle items which including a 9 litre bottle of Louis Roederer.

Funds raised from the day, a total of almost $40k, will help Cure The Future to fund fund equipment, services and the professional development of Professor John Rasko’s inspirational team of scientists and researchers to enhance their ground breaking work, to have a greater impact now and for generations to come.

Thank you to our major sponsors Volvo, Channel 9, glass brasserie, The Luke Mangan Group for making the event possible.

Thanks also goes to those who supported the event with raffle prizes or products for the event goodie bag, including:

Clinique, Harvey Norman, Kemenys, Sofi Spritz, CharGrill Charlies, Lady Jane, Sparkling White Smile, Warner Bros, Stage and Screen, Pierre Haddad, Flawless Rejuvenation, Liquefy, Coca Cola, Candice PR, DeLorenzo, Sebamed, Zeka Manfred, Slim Secrets, Long Lashes, Taprobane Tea Company, Maine Beach, Skyzone, Holey Moley, Strike Bowling, B x Earth, Veraision Wines, Calabria, The Healthy Chef, Shannakin Fine Jewellery, Loreal, Argyle Inn Taralga, Netball NSW, GlamCorner, Hush Puppies, Universal Pictures, Universal Music.

Watch the highlights of the event.

Dr Justin Wong Awarded by the Australian Academy of Science

Mar 2019 | News, Print Media

The Australian Academy of Science have announced their latest awards for outstanding contributions to science with 20 of Australia’s leading scientists receiving a 2019 honorific award.

Dr Justin Wong, a past recipient of  a Cure The Future Fellowship has been recognised for his work in gene expression and its applications in cancer therapies having been awarded the 2019 Ruth Stephens Gani Medal.

Watch the Video About the Award

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Dr Wong, then a research officer, received the inaugural Cure The Future Fellowship which provided salary support for 18 months.

Support from Cure The Future has provided Dr.Wong the ability to embark on a project to discover novel mechanisms that regulates gene expression in normal and cancer cells. Over the past 9 years, since receiving the Cure The Future Fellowship, Dr Wong has made many journal contributions and research breakthroughs have resulted in over $5 million dollars in grant funding for more research to find ways to combat cancers.

Every junior researcher requires start up funding to achieve scientific excellence. I am forever grateful to Cure The Future for providing this in the first 2 years of my postdoctoral research. I am a living testimony that Cure The Future contributes towards building the career of a young researcher like myself.  Justin Wong

Since receiving the Cure The Future support, Dr. Wong has progressed on to become an independent laboratory head at the Centenary Institute focusing on understanding mechanisms that regulate gene expression and how mistakes in these processes cause cancers.

Congratulations from Cure The Future.

Do you want to help more researchers like Justin?

Your support could help cure the future of thousands of Australians.

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Who are Cure The Future?

Feb 2019 | News

Watch the video below which outlines who we are.  Here it is.  Enjoy.

Cure The Future is a philanthropic foundation that funds pioneering research to cure inherited diseases and cancers through the world leading research and clinical work of Professsor Rasko and his team. We fund equipment, services and the professional development of this inspirational team of scientists and researchers to enhance their ground breaking work, to have a greater impact now and for generations to come.

Your support could help cure the future of thousands of Australians.

 

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