Fifteen scientists from The University of Western Australia have been awarded more than $23 million in the latest round of funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to undertake new research.
“Our team aims to push new technologies further in mapping cancer cells and the micro-environments that can influence their behaviour… An Investigator Grant gives us the freedom to do that, rather than being restricted to the scope of a specific research project.”
–Professor Alistair Forrest, UWA Centre for Medical Research, Associate Director of the Harry Perkins Institute
One of Australia’s most significant research grants, only given to the nation’s highest performing scientists, has been awarded to Professor Alistair Forrest from UWA’s Centre for Medical Research and Associate Director of the Harry Perkins Institute.
Professor Forrest said the almost $3 million NHMRC Investigator Grant would fund five years of studies to explore new directions in tackling some of the most challenging cancers using innovative approaches.
“Our team aims to push new technologies further in mapping cancer cells and the micro-environments that can influence their behaviour. We aim to gain new insights into why some difficult-to-treat cancers such as ovarian cancer resist treatment,” he said.
“An Investigator Grant gives us the freedom to do that, rather than being restricted to the scope of a specific research project.”
Three other NHMRC Investigator Grants have been to UWA researchers.
The Deputy Director of UWA’s ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and Louis Landau Chair in Child Health Research at Telethon Kids Institute, Professor Aleksandra Filipovska, was awarded $2.69 million for a research program aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of mitochondrial diseases (MD).
Dr Jessica Buck from Telethon Kids Institute (TKI) has been given an Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant to develop more effective and less toxic treatments for embryonal brain tumours.
Telethon Kids Institute researcher Dr Rachael Zemek was granted more than $662,000 for her research to improve responses to cancer immunotherapy.
Ten NHMRC Ideas Grants have also been awarded to UWA scientists to support innovative research projects addressing a specific question.
UWA Medical School senior lecturer and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research Director, Professor Peter Leedman AO, is working to develop a new treatment for oral cancer, a disease with a poor prognosis. His laboratory is now supported by a more than $1 million grant.
Dr Aron Chakera from the UWA Medical School has been granted almost $500,000 to demonstrate the potential for a novel test to detect fungal infections and determine the best antibiotic to prescribe in just three to five hours.
UWA epigeneticist Dr Olivier Clement’s research at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research has been supported by a $1.1 million grant, allowing him to study the molecular mechanisms that control memory formation, storage and recollection in the hope of reducing cognitive decline in aging.
Associate Professor Pilar Blancafort from the UWA Centre for Medical Research and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research has been awarded $2.8 million to investigate the way in which cancer cells spread and become resistant to treatments.
UWA School of Biomedical Sciences Associate Professor Nathan Pavlos was awarded more than $922,000 to research the role of sorting nexin 10 (SNX10) in osteoclasts and bone disease.
More than $880,000 has been granted to Dr Janessa Pickering, also from UWA’s School of Biomedical Sciences and Telethon Kids Institute, to work on deciphering natural immunity to Strep A to prevent rheumatic heart disease.
Fellow UWA School of Biomedical Sciences researcher, Associate Professor Alec Redwood, is investigating prognostic markers and therapeutic targets as part of his disease research, awarded a grant of almost $950,000.
Dr Chuck Herring from the UWA Centre for Medical Research and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research has been awarded $900,000 to investigate human brain development and neurodevelopmental disease origins through comprehensive (epi)genomic analysis.
UWA Medical School and Telethon Kids Institute researcher Professor Helen Milroy received a $2.9 million grant for research to better understand and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ concepts and experiences in mental health.
Dr Gina Trapp, also from the UWA Medical School and Telethon Kids Institute, was granted $2.8 million to pioneer a national ‘Food Atlas’ to map, measure and monitor food access across Australia.
Professor Jane Pillow from the UWA School of Human Sciences and Telethon Kids Institute was awarded a Development Grant of almost $1.5 million to develop DelivAssure – a novel foetal lactate sensor to improve detection of intrapartum foetal hypoxia.
The Federal Government has pledged to invest more than $379 million to support 216 emerging and established leaders in health and medical research to tackle the nation’s greatest health challenges.
Health Minister Mark Butler’s media release can be read here.
