A University of Adelaide research project that will use a novel 3D-printed imaging catheter to improve detection of cardiovascular disease is among 16 projects funded in the 2022 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Development Grant round.
Led by Dr Jiawen Li, the project will receive a $905,058 grant to test and commercialise the device, filling an unmet need in cardiology to reliably detect high-risk plaques before they are life-threatening.
A total of $15 million will be shared between the selected teams this year, with the aim of supporting their research at the proof-of-concept stage so that it can be translated into commercial outcomes.
NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso AO said this funding allows researchers to generate the critical proof-of-concept data for new medical technologies and processes needed to attract commercial investment in their development.
Technologies developed in the projects funded today will help Australians at all stages of their life, from diagnosing an infant with hearing loss to improve their long-term speech development to preventing falls among older people. Professor Kelso
The 2022 Development Grants will also fund:
- Prof Christopher McDevitt and team from University of Melbourne to develop a new approach to combatting multidrug resistance by rendering superbugs sensitive to existing antibiotics
- Professor Colette McKay and her team from the Bionics Institute in Victoria to develop a novel hearing assessment system for earlier detection of hearing loss in infants so they can be provided with the optimal hearing solution for their language development
- Professor Jonathan Baell and collaborators at Monash University to optimise several new drug candidates for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease, heart attack and schizophrenia
- Prof Kim Delbaere from University of New South Wales and team, working with industry providers and consumers, to commercialise and implement a tailored digital exercise program for older people to do at home by themselves and reduce falls.
| Chief Investigator | Title | Administering Institution | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof Jonathan Baell | Development of bivalent degraders targeting Aurora kinase A for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease | Monash University | $891,093.09 |
| Prof Jonathan Baell | Development of a New Class of Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 (FPR1) Biased Agonists for the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction | Monash University | $944,924.64 |
| Prof Christopher McDevitt | Breaking drug resistance in community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) | University of Melbourne | $1,098,502.00 |
| Prof Kim Delbaere | StandingTall: Digital Fall Prevention Solution | University of New South Wales | $1,296,922.80 |
| Prof Leann Tilley | Mechanistically and chemically novel reaction-hijacking pro-inhibitors for malaria | University of Melbourne | $514,089.00 |
| Prof David Fairlie | Developing a new type of drug for inflammatory lung disease | University of Queensland | $981,805.00 |
| Prof Lynne Bilston | Development of a novel optical stimulation therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea | University of New South Wales | $1,137,447.00 |
| Dr Jiawen Li | Hybrid 3D-printed imaging catheter for more accurate cardiovascular disease detection | University of Adelaide | $905,058.50 |
| Assoc Prof Rebecca Lim | Development of nanomedicine for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis | Monash University | $890,458.00 |
| Prof Colette McKay | EarGenie: A diagnostic system to transform the management of infants with hearing loss | Bionics Institute of Australia | $1,176,999.50 |
| Prof Jonathan Baell | Development of novel GPR52 agonists for the treatment of schizophrenia | Monash University | $779,955.00 |
| Prof Daniel Christ | Development of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody | Garvan Institute of Medical Research | $867,242.00 |
| Prof Merlin Thomas | Splice switching oligonucleotides for the treatment of chronic kidney disease | Monash University | $998,513.10 |
| Prof Ivo Mueller | Development of a Plasmodium vivax multi-analyte lateral flow assay to accelerate malaria elimination | Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research | $945,940.50 |
| Assoc Prof Jason Lee | The development of DMX8.1 as a novel treatment for immunotherapy-refractory cancers | Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research | $915,215.00 |
| Prof Benjamin Thierry | Preclinical Validation of a Targeted Theranostic Agent for MRI Guided Radiotherapy and Radiosensitisation of Aggressive Brain Tumours | University of South Australia | $837,678.00 |