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NHMRC funds major research projects for commercial development

Development of a new vaccine for HIV, new drugs for bacterial infections and malaria, and a new system for the remote diagnosis of eye diseases are some of the latest exciting research projects to receive NHMRC funding, announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson.

KP10/03
19th February, 2003

Development of a new vaccine for HIV, new drugs for bacterial infections and malaria, and a new system for the remote diagnosis of eye diseases are some of the latest exciting research projects to receive NHMRC funding, announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson.

Twenty-two research teams in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory will receive more than $4 million, from an NHMRC funding scheme, which aims to foster research commercialisation.

"The dynamic nature and risks associated with health and medical research commercialisation often makes finding finance for research difficult in the early 'proof-of-concept' stage.

"By targeting the innovation gap during the early stage of commercialisation, Development Grants enable further development and maximise the return of public investment in research," Senator Patterson said.

The NHMRC now calls for Development Grant applications twice a year. In the second round for 2002, 130 applications were received - an almost 300 per cent increase on previous years. Twenty-two of the top ranked applications received a total funding of $4.175 million over three years, representing a success rate of approximately 17 per cent.

"This funding will enable researchers at the Australian National University to further develop new technology which targets infectious diseases that have no current vaccine, such as HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and melanoma.

"Access to the latest expert advice has long been a problem for remote doctors and nurses. The University of Western Australia will develop an Internet-based system that will provide instant online access to this advice-saving many remote patients from unnecessary visits to specialist centres.

"This project alone is of great significance to remote and rural communities in Australia and around the world.

"At the University of Queensland, researchers will work on developing a product to address the existing problems of antimicrobial drug (kills micro organisms or suppresses their growth) resistance.

"It's estimated that antimicrobial drug resistance currently costs Australia up to $40 million annually," said Senator Patterson.

The funding for health and medical research in Australia was doubled by the Commonwealth in the 1999-2000 Federal Budget, as a result of the Wills Review. Details of the grants are attached.

Dr Louis Schofield

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, VIC
A novel way to vaccinate against malaria
$165,000

Dr David Grayden
Dr Owen Kenny
Professor Richard Dowell
Professor Graeme Clark
Bionic Ear Institute, VIC
Development and evaluation of a new cochlear implant sound processing strategy that mimics the behaviour of the inner ear & auditory nerve
$98,000

A/Professor Eric Morand
Dr Magdy Iskander
Monash University, VIC
The development of novel anti-inflammatory compounds
$85,000

Dr Malcolm Wilkinson
Dr Philip Berger
Dr C. Andrew Ramsden
Monash University, VIC
Tissue mobility as a means assessing lung condition
$165,000

Dr Michael Lackmann
A/Professor Andrew Scott
Professor Andrew Boyd
Dr Herbert Treutlein
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, VIC
Developing inhibitors of membrane interactions targeting metastatic tumours
$200,000

A/Professor Christina Cheers
Professor Geoffrey A Pietersz
Dr Barbara S Coulson
Professor Mark P Hogarth
Austin Research Institute, VIC
Mannan - linked vaccines against mucosal infections
$150,000

A/Professor Leigh Ward
Dr Bruce Cornish
Dr Ian Bunce
Ms Hildegard Reul-Hirche
University of Queensland, QLD
Development and verification of a method for quantifying bilateral oedema
$180,000

A/Professor Peter Wilce
A/Professor Paul Kroon
Dr Julie R Jonsson
Dr Elizabeth Powell
University of Queensland, QLD
Development of serum-based methods for the assessment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
$200,000

Professor Paul Alewood
University of Queensland, QLD
Development of new drugs for bacterial infections
$120,000

Dr Michael Kotiw
Prof Stuart Hazell
Prof Michael Good
Dr Hans Netter
University of Southern Queensland, QLD
The use of VLP's expressing Helicobactor pylori epitopes to illicit a protective immune response against the gastric pathogen
$170,000

A/Professor Stephen Taylor
Professor David Fairlie
University of Queensland, QLD
Towards a clinical trial of anti-inflammatory drugs discovered by blocking enzymes
$160,000

A/Professor Andreas Suhrbier
Dr Alexander Khromykh
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, QLD
New system for gene therapy and protein production
$310,000

Dr Celia Hicks
Dr Xia Lou
A/Professor Traian Chirila
Professor Ian Constable
University of Western Australia, WA
A new method of eye treatment
$118,000

Dr Nadezda Urosevic
University of Western Australia, WA
Flavivirus-specific antivirus compound
$140,000

A/Professor Yogesan Kangagasingam
Professor Ian Constable
University of Western Australia, WA
Digital eye care
$196,000

Professor David Wood
A/Professor Ming Zheng
A/Professor Timothy Ackland
University of Western Australia, WA
Study of autologous cartilage cells transplantation
$307,400

Dr Timothy Scott
Professor Gordon Wallace
Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW
Rehabilitation Glove
$175,000

Dr Carolyn Mountford
Dr Peter Malycha
Professor Peter Russell
University of Sydney, NSW
Translation of "Pathology by MRS" into the clinic
$160,000

Dr Stephen Hunyor
Dr Peter O'Kelly
Professor Hung Nguyen
Dr Yifei Huang
Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW
Miniature implanted device to improve heart failure management
$335,000

Professor Trevor Hearn
A/Professor Nick Fazzalari
Dr William Skinner
Dr Sunil Kumar
Flinders University of South Australia, SA
Comparison of biomechanical, material and surface factors on bone response to pins used in fracture repair
$470,000

Professor Antonio Ferrante
Dr Charles HII
Dr Phulwinder Grover
A/Professor Jennifer Couper
University of Adelaide, SA
Novel polyunsaturated fatty acids that inhibit disease in diabetes
$150,000

Professor Ian Ramshaw
Dr Stephen Kent
Dr Scott Thomson
Australian National University, ACT
A new vaccine for HIV
$120,700

Media inquiries, contact Sarah Higginbottom, Media Adviser, Senator Patterson's office, 02 6277 7220.

Further information, Jeanne Klener, NHMRC Media, (02) 6289 5796