A significant milestone in the ongoing impact created through the Par 5 Business community was celebrated at Reconnect 2026, with an additional $50,000 presented to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in support of the Eliza Wilmot Scholarship.
The funding will support the next phase of research aimed at improving outcomes for people diagnosed with upper GI cancers, including stomach, liver, pancreatic, oesophageal and biliary cancers.
Established in honour of Eliza Wilmot, who tragically lost her life to gastric cancer in 2025 at the age of 37, the Eliza Wilmot Scholarship was created to support research focused on improving outcomes for people affected by these devastating cancers.
During Reconnect 2026, members heard directly from Associate Professor Lisa Mielke and Dr Pavitha Parathan from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, who shared an update on their stomach cancer research project and outlined the next steps in progressing their work towards a future clinical trial.
Their presentation provided valuable insight into the potential impact of the research and highlighted the progress being made through the support of the scholarship.
The additional $50,000 contribution has been made possible through the collective efforts of the Par 5 Business community. Through the connections, opportunities and business activity generated across the network, members are helping support important upper GI cancer research while creating value for one another through trusted business relationships.
Par 5 Business thanks its members, partners and supporters for their ongoing contribution to advancing this important work. We look forward to sharing future updates as the Eliza Wilmot Scholarship progresses and this promising research continues to move forward.