Speeches
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Reception to thank donors and key supporters of the Neurosurgical Research Foundation
I welcome everyone to Government House to warmly thank the supporters of the NeuroSurgical Research Foundation.
For more than 60 years the foundation has been shaped by dedicated clinicians, researchers, and donors who share a commitment to progress, compassion and hope.
People like you; people who continue to support the ideas, innovations and equipment that turn scientific possibility into real change for patients and families.
Tonight, we celebrate the difference that generosity has already made, while also drawing attention to the continued support needed to drive the next wave of discoveries.
Medical research is by its very nature a long and painstaking undertaking.
The quest for better treatments, better survival rates and ultimately cures, relies on researchers being curious and having the resources, determination and encouragement to explore possibilities.
And it relies on the community demonstrating it cares and wants neurological health to be supported.
Medical research is not just about what happens in our universities or hospital labs, it is about how it is applied, how it changes lives, how it has an impact on diagnoses and treatments of patients by clinicians, and how it gives people hope.
South Australia has a strong national and international reputation for leading scientific research.
Dr Vrodos will outline the programs that the NeuroSurgical Research Foundation has supported and their impact on the lives of people with brain tumours, brain and spinal injuries, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.
I look forward shortly to presenting 17 new awards to generous donors who have been instrumental in enabling the Foundation to achieve its goals and help fund the ideas, innovations and equipment essential for scientific endeavour.
I thank the board for its stewardship of the Foundation, the volunteers who give so much of their time, and the supporters and researchers who care about contributing to this challenging but rewarding field of research.
You all know how much this research matters to our community and you are all generously investing in our future.
Thank you for being part of the quest to turn possibilities into progress.