Latest news and stories
Could an antiseptic mouthwash reduce sexually transmitted infections and improve the sex life of Australians?
The 2020 Commonwealth Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research has been awarded to Associate Professor Eric Chow of Monash University. The award has been presented each year since 2000 and recognises the top-ranked recipient of a NHMRC Investigator Grant in the Emerging Leadership Level 2 category from the previous year’s application round.
Focus on cardiovascular disease prevention
Dr Clara Chow is Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre and Academic Co-Director of CPC Westmead. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant Leadership awardee and with this leads a research program focused on innovation for health service provision and clinical management of cardiovascular disease prevention. Professor Clara Chow shares her research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Motivated to repair insulating system of the brain
Dr David Gonsalvez heads up a laboratory focused on how glia, the non-neuronal cells in the brain and spinal cord, develop, contribute to neuronal plasticity and respond following injury. David’s lab also focuses on identifying therapeutic targets that may promote the repair of the nervous system in autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Talented women can keep pursuing their research
“What I really like about the NHMRC system is that it is a fantastic scheme for women in science.” Professor Sudha Rao discusses her research into how T cells (or immune cells) regulate themselves when looking at breast cancer.
Using a fly to understand cancer genetics and biology
In 2016 Associate Professor Leonie Quinn relocated to The John Curtin School of Medical Research (ANU, Canberra) to establish the Quinn Group - Cancer Models in the ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics. Associate Professor Quinn is trying to understand how brain cancer develops by using a genetic model through a fly. She hopes to use this information to develop new treatments.
Game changer through a new vaccine for Rotavirus
Professor Julie Bines from Murdoch Children's Research Institute is doing some inspiring work, developing the RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine. "Funding for this research from the very early days has become very critical and NHMRC has provided much of that critical funding through the course of this project". Listen to Professor Bines' story below.
Almost $400 million in world-leading health and medical research projects to improve the lives of all Australians.
The Investigator Grant scheme is NHMRC’s flagship scheme, developed as part of a major reform of NHMRC’s grant program. This is the second round of Investigator Grants to be awarded. A total of 237 leading researchers across all career stages will receive five-year Investigator Grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Which treatments will save lives in ICU?
Over 275 intensive care units in 15 countries are trialling more than 33 pneumonia treatments to save the lives of critically ill COVID-19 patients. The trial, REMAP-CAP, is an adaptive clinical trial built to deliver fast results in a pandemic and is now one of three key national trials identified by the UK government.
Changes to Peer Review Processes for the Ideas Grant scheme in 2020
On 19 March and 27 March 2020, the CEO provided updates on NHMRC’s plans for the 2020 grant round in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Australian health and medical research community.
Professor Ross Hannan: Detective in cancer research
Professor Hannan from the John Curtin School of Medical Research is an internationally recognised laboratory scientist, whose work on ribosome biogenesis has led to new treatment paradigms in cancer, centred on drugs that activate nucleolar stress. Professor Ross Hannan is a great detective of cancer research—finding and developing new cancer treatments for patients. Watch his story in the video below.
Difference in research through prevention with Professor Emily Banks
Professor Emily Banks is focused on those unanswered questions around prevention to really make a difference.
Update – Changes to NHMRC 2020 Funding Schemes
Further to my message to the health and medical research sector on 19 March, NHMRC has been working hard and consulting with Research Committee and a number of peak stakeholder groups to develop a way forward in these very uncertain and challenging times.
Research Excellence Awards 2019
The annual National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Research Excellence Awards.
Leveraging gluten challenge in coeliac disease to improve its diagnosis
Coeliac disease is a common autoimmune-like illness caused by gluten. The condition affects over 350,000 Australians, causing substantial morbidity, impaired quality of life and increased health care costs.
Research aims to make glaucoma treatment easier and more effective
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, with an estimated 80 million people predicted to be affected by 2020.
Delivering safe and effective medication management technology
Medication errors are widely recognised as a major cause of preventable harm and death worldwide, annually costing some $42B globally and $1.28B in Australia.
Research to overcome treatment resistance in cancer patients
Study aims to understand why resistance occurs to Venetoclax when treating blood cancers
Improving stroke care in regional and rural Australia
In Australia, there is an excess burden of stroke in regional and rural areas and patients do not have the same access to specialised care as in metropolitan areas.
Connecting kids: Harnessing interpersonal connectedness to reduce suicide risk in youth
Youth suicide is a growing problem in Australia that has far-reaching effects on family, friends and the community.
Healthcare key to bridging determinants of health
“Capacity development is something I’m really passionate about and there is definitely a need for it” - Dr Odette Pearson.
Making the maternal health system better for all women
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander maternal health, and rural and remote services are two key areas of research for Professor Caroline Homer.
Detective work in cancer research
Professor Ross Hannan is a great detective of cancer research—finding and developing new cancer treatments for patients at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Keeping women in health and medical research
Today is International Women’s Day. NHMRC’s Women in Health Science Committee member, Professor Caroline Homer, discusses the importance of having more women involved in leadership, research, and education.
Emerging female leader in cancer research
To celebrate International Women’s Day, NHMRC would like to acknowledge leading female researchers who are working to make a real difference to the health of all Australians.
Goal to obliterate kidney disease
Compared to other Australians, Indigenous Australians are more likely to require dialysis support for severe end stage kidney failure, including at a younger age, and disproportionately affecting women.
Supporting women who supports us
In 2011-2012, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were nearly ten times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children. Many placements are with grandparents.1
Kidney disease - reporting the right outcomes
An estimated 1 in 10 Australian adults (10%) - about 1.7 million people in 2011 - 12 - had biomedical signs of chronic kidney disease1
Research provides further understanding into mosquito-borne viruses
Novel research could lead to drug and vaccine treatment of human diseases caused by mosquito-borne viruses.
What is actually contained in our foods?
Dietary change is a significant lifestyle factor in managing the epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Uncovering the details of effective dietary change requires accurate user friendly dietary assessment and advice tools.
How can we better prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes?
Most people around the world with high blood pressure still go undiagnosed and untreated.
Findings uncover exciting new intervention opportunities aimed at reducing the risk of dementia
By simply moving your body, your brain has the ability to change and re-organise its connections and potentially produce protective properties against many incurable diseases and conditions, including dementia.
How the internet can help prevent dementia
Maintain Your Brain is a randomised controlled trial of multiple online interventions designed to target modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Music provides strong connections for people with dementia
Doctor Tamplim is using therapeutic singing groups to support people living with dementia. Music is the glue that brings people together and it’s cementing and supporting existing relationships.
New program helping older Australians navigate a car-free life
The CarFreeMe program and resources aims to involve families and carers in the intervention process of driving cessation of people with dementia.
It’s a clinicians duty
Respiratory failure due to chronic infection is an important health issue for people with cystic fibrosis.
How our genes work in different cells
‘There are three billion base pairs of DNA in each cell. If you were to pull it out end to end, it would equal two metres of DNA, which has to fit inside the 3D nucleus of every cell in our body.’
Supporting women to breastfeed
Breastfeeding infants exclusively to around six months, and continuing up to 12 months and beyond as solids foods are introduced, provides clear benefits for both the infant and the mother. Supporting women to continue to breastfeed is key to improving rates of breastfeeding.
Bridging the divide in research
Dr Misty Jenkins can be found in the lab, looking down a microscope at immune T cells. As a young Indigenous woman she was inspired by her role models to pursue a career in research.
Health care to health research to inspire
As a nurse and midwife, Heather didn’t know much about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in Australia until she transitioned from working in health services to working in research 15 years ago.
Strengthening skills in the Torres Strait
Dr Felecia Watkin Lui is a Torres Strait Islander researcher working to strengthen skills in and understanding of knowledge translation. This will ensure that research is more accessible, relevant and has greater benefit to communities.
Hints to reduce rates of diabetes
With increasing rates of diabetes in Australia, Professor Chris Nolan is trying to understand why the cells that secrete insulin malfunction and how they are affected by environmental stresses. Hints so far are these cells are hyper responsive to the stresses of poor lifestyle.
Bringing cultural security into focus
Always trying to find innovative ways of doing things, Professor Juli Coffin was able to test her model around cultural security for an effective and sustainable healthcare through an NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) grant.
Thanks to Australian families who participate in research
Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby has dedicated her life to understanding how the environment can influence the risk of developing a range of disorders at the population level.
Understanding the immune system leads to award
Dr Daniel Pellicci’s ultimate goal is to prevent human diseases. Using his research into how immune T cells recognise certain molecules, Dr Pellicci will provide new insight into how to harness therapeutic properties and produce desired immune responses. He has just been recognised for this work through the 2018 Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.
Leader in research
Working with communities is how Dr Mick Adams became a leader in his research to improve the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
Excellence in improving cancer outcomes
“Over the last 18 years cancer mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has increased by 21 per cent. This figure is especially stark when the rest of the population has actually seen a 13 per cent fall in cancer mortality rates”
Parkinson's disease – putting the pieces together
Parkinson's disease is the second-most common degenerative brain disease, primarily caused by the death of certain brain cells. The majority of degeneration happens in a small region of the brain responsible for reward pathways and motor control.1
Paving a clearer path for the future
Dr Kalinda Griffiths’ children are her inspiration and what motivated her to go back to university. She was first exposed to research after being dragged into a traineeship in the Menzies School of Health Research labs.
Captivated to uncover the secrets of malaria
Since 2008 NHMRC has spent over $183 million on research into malaria 1
Closing the gap for STIs
Disproportionate rates of STI diagnosis (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, infectious syphilis and hepatitis B) occur among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly in remote and very remote communities.