Flinders awarded $6.2 million to tackle poor health and disease

Two projects which tackle the leading causes of blindness and vision loss are among 13 projects sharing a total of $6,215,636, awarded to Flinders University researchers in the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding.

Associate Professor Jamie Craig (pictured) will lead a team investigating how to predict the risk of glaucoma, based on their recent discovery of two genes known to cause the debilitating eye condition.

Professor Keryn Williams will continue her pioneering work in improving outcomes in the treatment of a range of eye diseases through an understanding of the protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor David Day said today’s funding announcement reflected the varied and specialised nature of health and medical research at Flinders University.

“In congratulating the funding recipients, I would like to acknowledge their innovative and determined approaches to tackling serious health issues in society,” Professor Day said.

“Some of those problems are currently upon us; others will continue to present challenges into the future; all, however, cause discomfort or suffering,” he said.

“Flinders researchers are dedicated to changing the status quo – to alleviate pain and misery, and to improve our wellbeing and capacity to enjoy life.”

The Flinders University recipients of NHMRC grants for 2013 are:

NHMRC Project Grants

  • Professor Thomas Gordon: Molecular signatures of public clonotypes in human systemic autoimmunity ($521,972.10)
  • Dr Lisa Beatty: iCanCope: A randomised controlled trial evaluating an internet self-help program for cancer-related distress ($380,989.83)
  • Professor John Miners: Predicting drug-drug interactions due to tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Inhibition of drug metabolising enzymes and transporters ($517,097.10)
  • Dr Jillian Carr: Roles and regulation of sphingosine kinase 1 during dengue virus infection ($466,044.64)
  • Professor Keryn Williams: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor-B as a biologic for treating eye disease ($448,651.32)
  • Dr Vladimir Zagorodnyuk: Role of sensory neurons in obstruction-induced bladder overactivity ($329,211.68)
  • Associate Professor Melissa Brown: Acinetobacter baumannii virulence from a regulatory perspective: the role of two component signal transduction systems ($588,242.85)
  • Associate Professor Jamie Craig: Towards translation of glaucoma blindness genes into clinical practice: Predicting Risk Of Glaucoma: RElevant SNPs with Strong Association (PROGRESSA) Study ($956,020.26)
  • Professor Simon Brookes: How intestinal motility activates sensory pathways ($537,065.10)
  • Professor R. Douglas McEvoy: Treating Insomnia co-morbid with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: a randomized controlled clinical effectiveness trial ($580,386.59)
  • Professor William Blessing: Hypothalamic oxexin-synthesizing neurons regulate the ultradian Basic Rest-Activity Cycle (BRAC) ($568,794.53)

Successful Mental Health Targeted Call for Research Grants for Funding in 2012

  • Dr Simon Wilksch, Professor Tracey Wade, Professor Craig Taylor: Eating disorder prevention in young-adult women at risk: A randomised controlled trial of two online programs ($254,904)

Equipment Grant $66,254.72

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