Funding the future: innovative research projects to tackle pressing health challenges

Melbourne Biomedical Precinct
University of Melbourne researchers have received a total of $48.3 million from the MRFF.

Nineteen innovative research projects led by the University of Melbourne and partner organisations have been funded to address critical challenges across mental health, neurology, cancer treatment, cardiovascular health and aged care.

The projects have received a total of $48.3 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Mark Cassidy said future global health was a strategic focus for the University’s research and the projects responded to community needs.

“Several funded studies focus on improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations, including understanding the early biological programming that underpins child mental health and research into the prevention of child emotional abuse,” Professor Cassidy said.

"One study will evaluate the effectiveness of a digital support program for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) family carers and individuals living with dementia.

“These projects will have enduring impact and demonstrate our commitment to improving the health of vulnerable Australians and addressing the challenges associated with an ageing population.”

Research into using approved drugs in new ways also received funding. For example, using statins to treat people who have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) after radiation treatment for cancer, or giving high doses of sodium ascorbate, a form of Vitamin C, to reduce brain and kidney injury from heart surgery.

Advancing diagnostic techniques is also a key focus, such as transforming how inherited eye diseases are diagnosed using long-read sequencing technologies. Another study will investigate whether point-of-care ultrasounds will reduce the length of hospital stays for patients experiencing shortness of breath, or ‘dyspnoea’.

These research initiatives have the potential to transform how healthcare is delivered, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce the burden on the healthcare system.

The following projects were funded:

  1. Associate Professor Noleen Bennett, Department of Nursing
    ‘Safe at home’: a novel infection and antimicrobial use surveillance program for vulnerable Australians using support at home aged care services.
  2. Dr Alexis (Ceecee) Britten-Jones, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences Transforming the diagnosis of inherited eye diseases using long-read sequencing technologies.
  3. Professor Bruce Campbell, The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology Cilostazol for stroke prevention.
  4. Professor Peter Choong, Department of Surgery
    Australian Spine Registry (ASPIRE) - Collecting, Analysing, Evaluating and Protecting Australians after spine surgery.
  5. Dr Xin (Daisy) Dai, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
    OVERNIGHT: A nOVEl approach to Reducing exacerbatioNs for older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) usinG Hepa filTers.
  6. Dr Jacqui Frowen, The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology
    Novel Treatment of Radiation Associated Dysphagia with Statins (TRADstat).
  7. Associate Professor Katherine Gibney, Department of Infectious Diseases STReptococcal Adaptive Platform Trial (STRAP).
  8. Dr Marnie Graco, Department of Physiotherapy
    Facilitating Access to Sleep apnoea Screening and Treatment in Spinal Cord Injury (FASST-SCI).
  9. Dr Alexandre Guerin, Centre for Youth Mental Health
    A Randomized Cross-over Trial of Lisdexamfetamine for Conduct Disorder in Children.
  10. Dr Philippa Karoly, Department of Biomedical Engineering
    Unravelling the genetic mechanisms of multiday seizure cycles to drive novel treatments for intractable epilepsy
  11. Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva, Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health
    MEGA-dose sodium ascorbate to reduce brain and kidney injury arising from HEART surgery (MEGA-HEART).
  12. Dr Belinda Lawford, Department of Physiotherapy
    KneeCare: An online self-directed weight loss and exercise program for older people with knee osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity.
  13. Associate Professor Amy Morgan, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
    A new frontier in mental health prevention: Targeting child emotional abuse.
  14. Associate Professor Tuan Anh Nguyen, National Ageing Research Institute
    iSupport Digital intervention for CALD family carers and people living with dementia.
  15. Professor Victoria Palmer, Department of General Practice and Primary Care
    Casting the Net for What Matters: The ALIVE National Consortium for Equitable WellBeing and Mental Health Systems Transformation.
  16. Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health
    The biological programming of child mental health in early life: understanding mechanistic interventions and their timing.
  17. Professor Colin Royse, Department of Surgery
    Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS): Reducing Hospital Length of Stay in Patients with Dyspnoea.
  18. Professor Lena Sanci, Department of General Practice and Primary Care TRANSFORM: Transitions and Reform for Seamless Multidisciplinary Care.
  19. Professor Gavin Williams, Department of Physiotherapy
    Targeting muscle power generation: Is it the key to improving walking speed after stroke?