The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have been awarded nearly $8.5 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to investigate the impact of screens on children’s health, the impact of disability on families, improve penicillin to prevent rheumatic heart disease and reduce lung disease in kids with cystic fibrosis.
The NHMRC grants were announced by the Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP.
The Kids respiratory researcher and Perth Children’s Hospital clinician, UWA Professor Steve Stick, was successful in securing a $5,000,000 Synergy Grant for new research to help prevent lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF).
Progressive lung disease – which is characterised by inflammation and infection of the lungs – is common for children with CF and commences soon after birth. Professor Stick and his team will use this grant to undertake a comprehensive assessment of these kids – tracking disease progression and identifying targets for intervention in order to prevent lung disease.
Other successful The Kids recipients through UWA include:
Associate Professor Sally Brinkman: $602,565
Ideas grant: ‘Modern families in the era of mobile technology: understanding how the hidden home environment impacts child development’
Very young children are being increasingly exposed to mobile technology, with families having little understanding of the potential impacts on their child’s physical, social, emotional, communication and cognitive development. This study will use innovative methods such as speech recognition technology to provide the first longitudinal evidence investigating the relationship between exposure to screens and mobile technology on different aspects of child development during the first five years.
Dr Emma Glasson: $1,023,783
Ideas grant: ‘Development disability in the family: Consequences for siblings’
Children with developmental disabilities require life-long support. Their siblings face significant challenges in their own lives but little is known about the size of the problem. This project aims to investigate the positive and negative consequences for siblings in order to propose new models of funding and support for them.
Dr Laurens Manning: $1,837,196
Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies grant: ‘Controlled human infection for penicillin against Streptococcus pyogenes’
There is an urgent need for better long-acting penicillin to prevent rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The Kids researchers aim to unravel the complex relationship between bug (streptococcus), drug (penicillin) and the patient to determine the lowest penicillin concentration that can prevent sore throats and rheumatic fever – which can lead to RHD. This knowledge will inform the next generation of less painful, less frequent and more effective penicillin implants.
The Kids Research Institute Australia Director, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, congratulated those who secured the highly competitive grants.
“It’s excellent to see these researchers recognised on a national level and these grants will enable them to continue the incredible work they do to improve the health and development of children,” Professor Carapetis said.
“Their success in this highly competitive process really highlights the quality of research being done here at The Kids Research Institute Australia.”
You can view the full list of recipients in the Health Minister’s media statement here.