ORIGINS is excited to announce substantial funding from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation for 2025.
This funding will be instrumental in assisting ORIGINS to continue its valuable research into early life and early childhood across their locations in Edgewater, Perth Children’s Hospital, and Jandakot.
ORIGINS Project Co-Director and Professor of Paediatrics, Desiree Silva, and Co-Director, Jackie Davis, said the 2025 funding is fundamental in achieving ORIGINS ultimate goal of reducing the rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases through a ‘healthy start to life’.
“The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation funding will allow ORIGINS to grow alongside its study participants,” Project Co-Director and Professor of Paediatrics, Desiree Silva, said.
“This work is helping us to explore the new and different challenges facing today’s children. Through this project we have been able to initiate a series of intervention studies aimed at improving a broad range of health outcomes by favourably modifying the early environment.
“This includes our clinical trial aimed at improving maternal gut health in pregnancy and lactation to improve the early metabolic and immune health of unborn babies and examining whether the food a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding affects the chances of her baby developing food allergies.”
ORIGINS is the largest study of its kind on Australia, following 10,000 women, their babies, partners, and siblings, from early life into early childhood the collection of biological samples along with face-to-face appointments, and online questionnaires.
A collaboration between The Kids Research Institute Australia and Joondalup Health Campus, ORIGINS includes families from the Joondalup and Wanneroo communities.
Initially, the study was meant to follow its participants for the first five years of the baby’s life. Now, with the generous funding and support from The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, ORIGINS can expand its research into the primary school years, following the children and their families through ages six to eight.
When asked about ORIGINS expansion into the primary school years, Professor Silva said the natural extension of the project will allow its researchers to gain insight into what environmental factors impact a child’s language and literacy, mental health, and lifestyle behaviours.
“Across Australia there has been a significant increase in positive screening for ADHD, autism spectrum disorders and anxiety amongst six- to eight-year-olds,” Professor Silva said.
“ORIGINS data enables researchers to determine the causal pathways of why a child is affected by these conditions, and what environmental factors are increasing symptoms in these children. This will ensure all kids, and their families are able to perform to the best of their ability.”
Find out more about ORIGINS and their research projects here: https://originsproject.thekids.org.au/