Vital SAHMRI research projects funded by the NHMRC

Researchers at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), in collaboration with partner organisations, the University of Adelaide, Flinders University and the University of South Australia, have been awarded funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to support their innovative research. 

SAHMRI’s Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh, said that he is very pleased with today’s announcement. 

“Three of SAHMRI’s Theme Leaders and two up-and-coming research stars have today been acknowledged by the NHMRC with significant grant awards, and this is a terrific outcome for our institute and South Australia,” Professor Wesselingh said.

“The research projects being funded by the NHMRC truly have the potential to have translational outcomes that will improve the quality of life for so many people.

“I am also so pleased to see that SAHMRI’s collaborative model is proving successful. By working together, we can be more competitive and the strength of our research is increased, which is a great benefit to our state.”

We are thrilled that the following projects have been awarded funding from the NHMRC:

Improving leukaemia outcomes

Professor Tim Hughes, SAHMRI’s Cancer Theme Leader and Cancer Council SA’s Beat Cancer Project Research Chair at the University of Adelaide, was awarded a Research Fellowship, for research into translating his team’s key discoveries in the area of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) into clinically applicable biomarkers and well-targeted treatment strategies to markedly improve outcomes for CML patients globally.

Understanding and overcoming cardiovascular and diabetes inequalities in Indigenous Australians

Professor Alex Brown, SAHMRI’s Aboriginal Health Theme Leader and Research Chair in Aboriginal Health at the University of South Australia, was awarded a Research Fellowship to clarify the factors driving disparities in cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk, disease and mortality, and develop interventions that improve the management and prevention of chronic disease among Indigenous Australians. This project has been administered by the University of South Australia.

Targeted nutrition to improve maternal and child health outcomes

Professor Maria Makrides, SAHMRI’s Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children Theme Leader, has been awarded a Centre of Research Excellence, to respond to the nutritional dichotomy that is facing Australia’s perinatal population, namely nutritional deficiencies that are more common in lower income groups and over-consumption of nutritional supplements that is more prevalent in higher income groups. This project has been administered by the University of Adelaide.

Optimising outcomes in CML through rational drug selection using predictive assay results and maximising treatment free remissions

Dr David Yeung, Post-doctoral Fellow within SAHMRI’s Cancer Theme and clinician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, has been awarded an Early Career Fellowship to investigate a number of research questions critical to further improving outcomes for CML patients. 

Reducing over consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Australia

Dr Caroline Miller, Director of SAHMRI’s Population Health Research Group, has been awarded a Career Development Fellowship, to conduct research into the area of the excess consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which is associated with excess energy intake, weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors and tooth decay. This project has been administered by the University of Adelaide.