The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have been awarded more than $10 million in research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Director of The Kids Research Institute Australia Professor Jonathan Carapetis congratulated those who secured funding.
"This is fantastic news for our researchers and will enable them to continue to make a real and tangible difference to the lives of children through their research," Professor Carapetis said.
"This national funding will go directly to projects tackling childhood illnesses including skin diseases, asthma and cystic fibrosis, as well as projects investigating broader issues of inequality and unexplained death in childhood," Professor Carapetis said.
"Our researchers continue to punch above their weight. 25% of the project grant applications we submitted this year were successful - believe it or not, this is one of the best results in the country, given that the national success rate was only 15%. This is testament to the quality and hard work of our The Kids scientists, and the supportive environment we offer for research."
A full list of successful The Kids Research Institute Australia NHMRC grants is below.
Project Grants:
- Dr Carrington Shepherd, Professor Fiona Stanley and Dr Brad Farrant - Pathways to avoidable and unexplained deaths in the early life course.
- Dr Kimberley Wang - Fetal growth restriction, low birth weight and the development of asthma.
- Dr Sally Brinkman - The Contribution of Home Language Exposure to Intergenerational Transmission of Inequality.
- Dr Alexander Larcombe - The health effects of electronic-cigarettes
- Dr Anthony Bosco, Professor Pat Holt, Dr Anthony Kicic, Dr Deb Strickland & Dr Alexander Larcombe - Using systems biology to understand asthma exacerbations and develop better treatments.
- Dr Asha Bowen & Professor Jonathan Carapetis - Skin Disease Control in remote Aboriginal children: translating evidence into practice with a cluster randomised, stepped wedge trial.
- Professor Stephen Stick, Professor Graham Hall & Tim Rosenow - Biomarkers to define the treatment end-point for pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis.
Scholarships:
- Dr Bianca Middleton: Strategies to reduce the burden of gastroenteritis in Aboriginal children.
- Dr Anita Campbell: Invasive Staphylococcus Aureus disease in children; epidemiology, treatment and outcomes.
Fellowships:
- Dr James Fitzpatrick - NHMRC Career Development Fellowship & NHMRC Early Career Fellowship: Implementing, evaluating and translating pragmatic strategies to Prevent Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE), and Treat Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
- Professor Donna Cross - NHMRC Research Fellowship: Innovative school-based interventions to improve mental health and the social and emotional development of Australian children.
- Professor Helen Leonard - NHMRC Research Fellowship: Child disability: understanding determinants and improving outcomes.
- Professor Stephen Stick - NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship.
Tropical Disease Collaborative Research Program:
- Professor Jonathan Carapetis (Chief Investigator B): NHMRC - Northern Australia Tropical Disease Collaborative Research Programme: Improving Health Outcomes in the Tropical North: A Multidisciplinary Collaboration (HOT NORTH) (Lead Investigator, Professor Bart Currie, Menzies School of Health Research)
Congratulations also to The Kids researchers who received NHMRC funding through collaborations with other organisations around the country, including Professor Paul Watt and Dr Nick Gottardo.
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Media contact:
Jasmine Raisbeck, Senior Communications Officer, The Kids Research Institute Australia
08 9489 7635 or 0437 575 875 or jasmine.raisbeck@telethonkids.org.au
About The Kids Research Institute Australia:
The Kids Research Institute Australia is one of the largest, and most successful medical research institutes in Australia, comprising a dedicated and diverse team of more than 500 staff and students.
We've created a bold blueprint that brings together community, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders, who share our vision to improve the health and wellbeing of children through excellence in research.
The Institute is headed by leading paediatrician and infectious diseases expert Professor Jonathan Carapetis, with Founding Director Professor Fiona Stanley now Patron.
The Kids is independent and not-for-profit. The majority of funding comes from our success in winning national and international competitive research grants. We also receive significant philanthropic support from corporate Australia and the community.