2016 NHMRC funding success for SAHMRI researchers

Congratulations to all of the SAHMRI researchers and researchers from our partner organisations, the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and Flinders University, who received funding during 2016 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

SAHMRI’s Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh, said that collaboration is the key to SAHMRI’s success.

“By working together, we are able to strengthen our capacity for health and medical research in South Australia and support research collaborations to deliver improved health outcomes and community impact, which is a clear benefit to our state.”

A highlight for the SAHMRI community was the number of researchers working collaboratively in the SAHMRI facility that received NHMRC funding. 

Broad array of projects funded by NHMRC at SAHMRI

Sugar-sweetened beverages linked to chronic disease

Dr Caroline Miller, Director of the SAHMRI Population Health Research Group, received a Project Grant on ‘warning labels for sugar sweetened beverages’ and also a Targeted Research Grant on ‘reducing sugar sweetened beverages consumption among young adults’. It is hoped that the outcome of these projects will contribute to a shift of the burden of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer – and also obesity, through the reduction of the consumption of sugary drinks.

Modifying heart plaque 

Dr Peter Psaltis, SAHMRI Deputy Heart Health Theme Leader and Co-Director of the Vascular Research Centre, received a Project Grant on ‘a study of plaque-modifying actions of cohchicine in stable and unstable atherosclerosis: from mouse models to clinical imaging’.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health 

Associate Professor James Ward, Head Infectious Diseases Research Aboriginal Health from SAHMRI’s Infection and Immunity Theme was awarded an Early Career Fellowship for research into ‘interventions to improve outcomes for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in sexually transmissable infections, blood borne viruses and for people using methamphetamines’.

Professor Alex Brown, Aboriginal Health Theme Leader at SAHMRI was awarded a Project Grant (administered through the University of Adelaide) to ‘examine the impact of Language Reclamation on Social and Emotional Well Being among the Barngarla’.

Rare diseases in children

Dr Kim Hemsley, from the Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit within the Nutrition and Metabolism Theme received a Project Grant for research into ‘Is the eye a window to the brain in Sanfilippo syndrome?’. 

Aboriginal mothers and baby nutrition

Associate Professor Philippa Middleton from the Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children theme was awarded a Targeted Research Grant (administered through the University of Adelaide) into ‘improving nutrition and health outcomes for women and babies in the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program’.