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A legacy of hope against a deadly cancer

4 min read 23 October 2025

A generous gift from the estate of Evelyn Prokop will support Peter Mac researchers to progress their efforts against pancreatic cancer – one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

Evelyn’s decision to direct her gift in her Will towards this area of research was driven by the loss of her first-born son, who sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer. Thanks to Evelyn’s kind gift, Peter Mac researcher Associate Professor Kristin Brown and her lab recently received funding for research into pancreatic cancer and new therapies for treatment.

MGC 10x Genomics Chromium XResearch into improved treatments for pancreatic cancer is urgently needed.

Pancreatic cancer has a low survival rate. This is because pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed when it has become advanced due to symptoms only presenting at the later stages. On top of this, there are currently few effective treatment options available, which is why the generosity of donors like Evelyn is so critical.

Associate Professor Brown and her team are working to identify alternative therapies that target the metabolic dependencies of pancreatic cancer cells. One reason that pancreatic cancer is so hard to treat is because cancer cells rewire their metabolism to change how they use energy and nutrients. These changes help the cancer to grow quickly and make it harder to stop with current treatments.

Evelyn’s gift has provided an opportunity for the Brown lab to tackle this issue and discover improved ways to treat pancreatic cancer. This work holds promise to identify new, and less toxic, therapies that give patients with pancreatic cancer a better chance at long-term survival.

Kristin Brown Headshot 2021 Associate Professor Kristin Brown (pictured) and her team can advance pancreatic cancer research with support from Evelyn's bequest.

“The generous gift we received from Evelyn’s estate is truly transformative and will allow us the opportunity to perform groundbreaking studies and discover innovative therapies for pancreatic cancer,” says Associate Professor Brown.

“Gifts like Evelyn’s are essential - they fuel the research that could change the future for patients facing this aggressive disease. We thank Evelyn for her heartfelt commitment to advancing cancer research and improving the lives of pancreatic cancer patients and their families.” 

By honouring the memory of her son through a gift in her Will, Evelyn leaves a legacy of hope – hope that someday in the future, other people need not lose their loved ones to pancreatic cancer.

Gifts in Wills to Peter Mac come from people from all walks of life. They are often motivated by the treatment and care they’ve received at Peter Mac, or the memory of a loved one like Evelyn’s son.

If you are interested in learning more about Gifts in Wills to support cancer research, you can read more here: Learn more about Gifts in Wills at Peter Mac

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We are delighted to share with you the new Peter Mac Foundation’s strategy!  Every day, people affected by cancer face some of the toughest moments of their lives. Support from our incredible community helps make world-leading research, innovative treatments and compassionate care possible.  Our new strategy sets forward how your generosity will continue to make a real difference for patients and families, today and into the future. By working closely with Peter Mac, we’re ensuring your support drives the breakthroughs that matter most.  Together, we’re helping shape the future of cancer care and research – and creating hope where it’s needed most. Thank you for being part of this journey.  To read our new strategy, head to the link in bio.
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