NHMRC Investigator grant success for School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS) researchers
Congratulations to SCS researchers Associate Professor Julie Brimblecombe, Dr Wentao Li, Professor Suzanne Miller, Associate Professor Joshua Ooi, Associate Professor Benjamin Rogers and Professor Melissa Southey on their National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator grant success!
Project and award details
Associate Professor Julie Brimblecombe, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food
Implementation research: Delivering impact at the health-food retail interface for healthy food environments, with Indigenous communities - $2,256,790.00
How food is promoted, priced and made available in food retail impacts consumer behaviour and subsequently population health. In partnership with communities, Aboriginal health services, the retail sector and policy-makers, I will generate new knowledge on determinants of, and effective strategies to address, dietary inequity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples through a focus on the remote store environment, practice and policy, and establish a global remote store collaborative.
Dr Wentao Li, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Improving Labour Induction - $655,150.00
About 1 in 3 Australian women have an induction of labour - an artificial intervention to stimulate the onset of labour when indicated. We know who should have induction of labour and when, but not much about how (which method to use) and where (stay in hospital or at home) to induce labour. In this program, I will lead one international collaborative project, one pragmatic multi-centre clinical trial, and one multi-centre observational study to provide unequivocal answers to these questions.
Professor Suzanne Miller, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Targeted neuroprotective treatments for fetal and neonatal brain injury - $2,382,170.00
Neonatal brain injury is common in infants born preterm, with fetal growth restriction, or who suffer a severe lack of oxygen at birth. Having previously identified the neuropathology specific to these complications, I will now examine targeted neuroprotective treatments that address the specific mechanisms of brain injury. The results of my preclinical studies will inform clinical trials offering new therapies to reduce neonatal brain injury and prevent life-long neurodevelopment deficits.
Associate Professor Joshua Ooi, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases
Targeted regulatory T cells to treat autoimmune diseases - $2,256,790.00
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks a person's own body. These diseases affect more than a million Australians and hundreds of millions worldwide. There are no cures and current treatments cause significant side effects.
This novel research program will use genetic engineering to develop a potent cell-based therapy that specifically treats the cause of disease. This new therapy has the potential to cure autoimmune diseases and restore the lives of many patients.
Associate Professor Benjamin Rogers, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases
Optimising Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy - $440,075.00
Treatment of many complicated infections can now occur in the community rather than hospital. The approach of giving antibiotics in the home setting is preferred by patients and health services. However, practical challenges impact on which antibiotics are available for use in the home setting. Further, as this is a relatively new field, research on the best possible treatments and strategies to overcome practical challenges to antibiotic administration in the home setting are urgently needed.
Professor Melissa Southey, Department of Medicine
Delivering Precision Medicine to Population Desease Prevention - $3,249,688.00
My program will build upon my landmark studies that have demonstrated cancer risk factors that are modifications of DNA (epigenomic) rather than mutation of DNA (genomic) by building new, accurate prediction tools for cancer risk in the general population. This research program will advance cancer risk screening by including both epigenomic and genomic assessment and make it widely available in Australia to prevent cases of cancer and to develop new medicines for those who do develop cancer.
For a full list of recipients, see the Faculty news story.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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