Fourteen new research projects have been awarded funding in Western Australia to drive cutting-edge treatments and patient care across cancer, dementia, heart disease, stroke and mental health.
A total of $750,000 has been allocated to the projects through the Innovative Research in Precision Medicine Program, co-funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group and the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund.
Among the projects are a study aimed at investigating the use of precision immunotherapy for children with brain tumours, the use of wearable technology to monitor heart health, and a precision nasal spray being tested in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
The co-funding partnership represents the third major collaboration between The Hospital Research Foundation Group and the WA Government’s FHRI Fund in the past 12 months and represents a significant and ongoing investment in the Western Australian research community to find cures and prevent disease.
Precision medicine considers individual variations in genes, environment and lifestyle, enabling treatments to be tailored to each patient rather than taking a broad ‘one size fits all’ approach.
The Hospital Research Foundation Group Deputy CEO, Briony Marshall, said that precision medicine was playing an increasingly important role in improving the accuracy of diagnosis and ensuring patients receive the treatments best suited to them.
“Precision medicine represents the next frontier in healthcare, allowing us to tailor care to individuals across a wide range of disease areas,” Ms Marshall said.
“We are proud to once again partner with the WA Government, Minister for Medical Research Stephen Dawson and the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund to deliver this important funding.
“The projects being funded are all incredibly diverse, with researchers spread across a number of WA universities and institutions including The University of Western Australia, Notre Dame, Curtin, Edith Cowan University and The Kids Institute.”
Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC, Western Australian Minister for Medical Research, said this funding was another example of how the FHRI fund supported research designed to have maximum impact in the WA community.
“The Cook Government is committed to ensuring our State is well resourced to be a leader in medical research and innovation, providing not just financial support but a real platform for WA researchers to evolve the WA health system and beyond,” Minister Dawson said.
Assessed through a competitive grant round, the $750,000 funding pool will support four researchers with Tier One grants of $125,000 over two years, and a further 10 projects to receive receiving Tier Two funding of $25,000 over one year.
The successful recipients include:
TIER 1:
Dr Alison McDonnell – The Kids Research Institute Australia
Precision immunotherapy for children with brain tumours
Dr Weitao Lin – The University of Western Australia
Rapid testing to identify the best treatments for ovarian cancer
Dr Hadi Afsharan – The University of Western Australia
A flexible radar-based wearable to monitor heart health
Dr Susbin Raj Wagle – Curtin University
A precision nasal spray as a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
TIER 2:
Dr Omar Elaskalani – The Kids Research Institute Australia
Tailored immunotherapy for paediatric cancers
Associate Professor Laurence Cheung – Curtin University
Improve immunotherapy for children with high-risk leukaemia
Dr Jonathon Chee – The University of Western Australia
Precision strategies for cancer care targeting metal balance
Associate Professor Elizabeth Thomas – Curtin University
Using precision data to predict and prevent serious side effects from cancer immunotherapy
Dr Kai Chen – The University of Western Australia
Targeted RNA therapy to prevent cancer-related bone damage
Dr Tenielle Porter – Edith Cowan University
Advancing Alzheimer’s treatment through precision risk profiling
Dr Berihun Dachew – Curtin University
Using precision methods to prevent mental health risks
Dr Jamie Belinge – The University of Western Australia
Using advanced PET imaging to better classify stroke sub-types
Dr Jayden lee Roberts – The University of Notre Dame
A new micro-sampling technique to improve cardiovascular care
Dr Virginie Lam – Curtin University
Precision medicine to tailor dementia treatment based on genetics
