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Research Excellence: New antibody therapies against malaria and COVID-19

Professor Wai-Hong Tham was one of four distinguished female researchers to receive 2022 NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Awards. Her award was for the highest ranked female recipient (Leadership category) in the Basic Science research area of the Investigator Grants scheme. Professor Tham is Head of the division of Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence at WEHI and co-Chair of the WEHI Biologics Initiative. 

• InFocus
• 24 April 2023

Research Excellence: Identifying gaps and solutions needed for HIV elimination

Dr Tafi Marukutira is a medical doctor and public health researcher, specialising in infectious diseases epidemiology. Dr Marukutira received the 2022 NHMRC Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership), which recognises the highest ranked recipient in the Emerging Leadership Level 1 Investigator Grant category within the Basic Science or Public Health research areas, for his work on equitable access to HIV care and treatment.  

• InFocus
• 6 April 2023

Communities driving health care research

'It’s about coming with an open mind and heart, and willingness to deeply listen to community… to have any preconceptions challenged and re-learn ways of doing research' - Dr Veronica Matthews , co-lead investigator, STRengthening systems for InDigenous healthcare Equity (STRIDE)

• InFocus
• 14 March 2023

Improving carer wellbeing and empowering Indigenous communities

Associate Professor Dina LoGiudice is a geriatrician and clinical researcher with a special interest in dementia and ageing well. For close to two decades, she has been studying the impacts of ageing and dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 23 February 2023

Smiles saved with a major improvement in dental health of young Aboriginal children

For much of his professional life in the United Kingdom, Professor Anthony Blinkhorn has focussed on improving the oral health of children in poorer communities through collaborative approaches with government agencies. This work saw him appointed as Chair of Population Oral Health at the University of Sydney in 2007, funded by the NSW Health Centre for Oral Health Strategy.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 15 February 2023

Mind the gap – Filling in the missing evidence for massive blood transfusion policy

Professor Jamie Cooper AO is Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, and Senior Specialist in Intensive Care at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 7 February 2023

Developing immunity to cancer

Immunologist Dr Jason Waithman leads the Cancer Immunotherapy Group at the Telethon Kids Institute in Western Australia.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 3 February 2023

Healthier hearts in the tropical north

Professor Anna Ralph is a practicing medical specialist and leads the Global and Tropical Health division at Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 24 January 2023

Unravelling genomes to find an answer

Autoimmune diseases account for one of the largest burdens of chronic disease on our health system. According to Professor Chris Goodnow FAA FRS, there are more than 100 autoimmune diseases that collectively affect 10% of people.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 10 January 2023

Lessons from the best to improve Indigenous health services: a collaborative learning approach

Professor Sarah Larkins has focused on improving equity in health care services in rural, remote and Indigenous populations since a medical education placement in the Northern Territory highlighted the tremendous inequities in health care access in the region.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 5 January 2023

Metal complexes for the treatment of age-related diseases of the brain

Dr Jeffrey Liddell from the University of Melbourne is a mid-career neurobiologist, with an interest in neurodegenerative diseases and understanding their underlying causes.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 13 December 2022

Born too soon – A better life for preterm babies

A major achievement for Associate Professor Shannon Simpson was the recent establishment of PELICAN (Prematurity’s Effects on the Lungs In Children and Adults Network), which she co-chairs with Dr Jenny Hallberg from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 12 December 2022

Helping children get the best start to life

Professor Harriet Hiscock is a paediatrician researcher at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. Her work focuses on keeping children out of hospital, reducing low value care, and improving access to and quality of care – especially mental health care.

• Ten of the Best
• 13th Edition
• 12 December 2022

Working towards gender equity in Investigator Grants

NHMRC has introduced new special measures under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to address systemic disadvantage faced by female and non-binary applicants to its Investigator Grant scheme.

• Media release
• 12 October 2022

Forging a farsighted agenda with a novel global way of thinking about science

The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) was established in 1990 to promote international collaboration in basic research focused on the elucidation of the sophisticated and complex mechanisms of living organisms. Since then, 1180 research grants have been awarded to more than 7500 researchers representing 71 nationalities, including Australia. 

HFSP Secretary-General Professor Pavel Kabat introduces the program and three prominent researchers tell us how their HFSP grants advanced their research.

• InFocus
• 7 June 2022

Making a decision to do the hard research, that’s what discovery is about

Deciding to commit to a research life is brave – so is committing to do the hard research. Professor Cath Chamberlain says with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, in particular, 'we are going to need to take some more risks to do things differently'. 

• InFocus
• 31 May 2022

Internship brings entirely new set of skills

Sharna Motlap has always been interested in creating and implementing evidence-based programs specifically tailored to Indigenous communities. 

• InFocus
• 12 May 2022

'I leave not only a more confident worker but also a more confident person.'

Emily McDonald’s journey to becoming an intern at NHMRC has not been exactly straightforward.

• News
• 12 May 2022

HEAL national research network addressing the health effects of environmental change

The Healthy Environments and Lives National Research Network (HEAL) was announced at the end of 2021 with a grant of $10 million over five years, as an NHMRC Special Initiative to provide national and international leadership in environmental change and health research. HEAL formally starts in May 2022; a lot of groundwork has been done to create the foundations for a large and diverse collaboration to deliver its ambitious work plan over the next five years and beyond.

• InFocus
• 7 April 2022

Gender disparities in NHMRC’s Investigator Grant Scheme

CEO Communique – February 2022

• Communique
• 3 February 2022

To improve child health, focus on conception

Professor Sarah Robertson from The University of Adelaide is recipient of an NHMRC Investigator Award and was awarded the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award (Leadership in Basic Science) at the 2020 NHMRC Research Excellence Awards.

• InFocus
• 9 December 2021

How Anne McKenzie went from ‘just a mum from Morley’ to consumer engagement champion

Pioneering health consumer advocate Anne McKenzie AM has been awarded NHMRC’s Consumer Engagement Award in recognition of an almost 30-year career during which she has helped thousands of Australian clinicians and researchers understand the value of listening to consumers.

• InFocus
• 26 November 2021

Developing innovative vaccines to tackle influenza B virus

Dr Marios Koutsakos is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne. He works on the development of a universal influenza B vaccine and on understanding the fundamental biology of immune responses to vaccination. Dr Koutsakos received the 2020 NHMRC Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award. 

• InFocus
• 22 November 2021

Developing innovative interventions to eliminate parasitic worm infestations

Professor Don McManus is senior scientist at QIMR Berghofer and an internationally acclaimed parasitologist. This year, he was awarded the 2020 NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Leadership).

• InFocus
• 8 November 2021

Game-changer for cancer research and therapeutic development

2021 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology

• InFocus
• 11 October 2021

Crossing disciplines to answer complex research questions

University of Adelaide's Professor Ian Olver received the 2021 NHMRC Ethics Award in recognition of his significant contribution to Australian health and medical research ethics over the last decade. As chair of NHMRC’s Australian Health Ethics Committee, and as a valued member of NHMRC Council from 2012 to 2018, his balanced and considered leadership style and willingness to engage sensitively on tough issues supported a wider understanding of the ethical impact of emerging health and medical research innovations and technologies.

• InFocus
• 6 September 2021

Working beyond our own borders for a better world

Associate Professor Joshua Vogel is a Principal Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, where he co-heads the Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health Group. His research focuses on addressing maternal and perinatal health issues affecting women and families in limited-resource settings. Associate Professor Vogel was the winner of the 2020 Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award, and the Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.  

• InFocus
• 18 August 2021

Australian research delivers rapid Hep B test for earlier treatment

Hepatitis B is an infectious disease that causes the liver to become inflamed and contributes to increasing rates of liver cancer in Australia and globally.

• InFocus
• 26 July 2021

Getting to the cause of type 2 diabetes

The daily burden of living with diabetes can be significant. It’s estimated that people with diabetes face up to 180 diabetes-related decisions every day. That’s more than 65,000 extra decisions a year. These decisions can range from managing daily blood sugar levels, food intake and exercise to the management of serious diabetes complications.

• InFocus
• 8 July 2021

Driven to improve mental health and intergenerational trauma through research

Having experienced 2 Indigenous internships with NHMRC, Vernon Armstrong has now started his journey in mental health research.

• InFocus
• 2 July 2021

Diamond-enriched silk dressings the answer to next-generation smart wound treatment

A diamond-enriched smart dressing made of silk that enables doctors to read the chemistry of an infected or healing wound could be the answer to more effective therapies, particularly for burns.

• InFocus
• 17 June 2021

Addressing Australia’s national transfusion research priorities

Professor Erica Wood is head of the Transfusion Unit at Monash University. Her research describes how blood is used in Australia, and how its use can be improved and made safer and more cost-effective. Through registry data and clinical trials, and studies of novel blood products, Professor Wood and her team aim to improve access and transfusion outcomes for patients.

• InFocus
• 15 June 2021

Indigenous female researcher inspires next generation

As one of NHMRC’s first Indigenous Interns, Nada Powell is about to embark on her next journey which is likely to now include research.

• InFocus
• 27 May 2021

Unlocking the secrets of the brain

Professor John Bekkers from the John Curtin School of Medical Research and his team are currently working on the neurons and circuits in the brain that underlie the sense of smell. His team focus on the olfactory cortex, a brain region that is responsible for our ability to recognise and remember odours. 

• Video
• 24 May 2021

Partnership with Aboriginal communities for a meaningful contribution

Professor Kate Conigrave from The University of Sydney is an Addiction Medicine Specialist and Public Health Physician based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Her work combines treating individuals with alcohol, drug and tobacco problems, promoting the health of communities and research and teaching. She is currently the chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Alcohol Working Group, which is charged with reviewing the guidelines to reduce the health risks from drinking alcohol.

• Video
• 17 May 2021

Breathing easy – Improving access to respiratory disease rehabilitation

The average adult takes up to 20 breaths every minute, something most people give little thought. However, breathing can be a daily struggle for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma.

• InFocus
• Ten of the Best
• 4 May 2021

Australia’s investment in eradicating malaria

Over the last 10 years NHMRC has invested more than $191 million in research on malaria1

• News
• 23 April 2021

Ensuring evidence is translated into practice

Professor Rachelle Buchbinder is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Senior Principal Research Fellow. She is the Director and Professor in the Monash University Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine since 2007. Professor Rachelle Buchbinder's clinical practice is in conjunction with research involving multidisciplinary projects relating to arthritis and musculoskeletal condition.

• Video
• 15 April 2021

Working to stop Parkinson's disease

Associate Professor Antony Cooper from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research is a cell and molecular biologist / geneticist with strong interests in elucidating how cellular dysfunction results in human diseases, with a specific interest in neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s Disease. His research on neurodegenerative diseases focuses on understanding the basis of Parkinson’s Disease. Watch his story in the video below.

• Video
• 9 April 2021

Transforming how to treat blood cancers

Professor Mark Dawson is a clinician-scientist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, meaning he both treats blood cancer patients and leads cutting-edge cancer research in the lab. After working as a doctor for some time, Professor Dawson wanted to know why some patients responded better to treatment than others.

• Video
• 25 March 2021

CEO communique on application centric peer review

CEO Communique, February 2021

• Communique
• 25 February 2021

Adding new cells to the mature central nervous system – Investigating their normal function and potential for repair

For people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the myelin that covers nerve fibres in the central nervous system (brain, optic nerves and spinal cord) is damaged, leading to impairment of cognitive, motor and sometimes sensory functions.

• InFocus
• 16 February 2021

COVID-3D: A small leap to scale up to COVID-19

Early in 2020, the University of Melbourne’s Bio21 team was working on protein modelling to better understand antimicrobial resistance for improved drug development. In March they turned their attention to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which had already undergone many mutations. In September, the team’s work was published in Nature Genetics.

• InFocus
• 3 February 2021

Improving the health and wellbeing of children by making it easy to be active throughout the day

Professor Jo Salmon from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University received the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award at last year’s NHMRC Research Excellence Awards. Her research focuses on how to effectively implement physical activity interventions at scale across the population, particularly in children. Physical inactivity is a leading modifiable risk factor for childhood obesity and other physical and mental health conditions.

• InFocus
• 28 January 2021

Case study: Neurodegenerative disease and metals

The formation of abnormal proteins in the brain has long been suspected to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Yet many individuals with abnormal protein formations do not go on to develop such diseases.

• InFocus
• 13 November 2020

Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies

APPRISE is the Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies. It was established in 2016 with an investment of $5 million funded by NHMRC and an additional $2 million in 2020 to undertake a range of studies to inform the public health and clinical responses to the COVID-19 outbreak.

• InFocus
• 27 October 2020

Linking high quality international research for improvements in Indigenous health

Professor Sandra Eades from Curtin University has dedicated her career to research in Aboriginal health improvements. Professor Eades works with National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to advise and develop strategic guidelines focused on closing the gap.

• Video
• 15 October 2020

NHMRC Dementia Research News

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) remains committed to supporting dementia research in Australia following the end of the Australian Government's Boosting Dementia Research Initiative (BDRI).

• News
• 18 September 2020

Improving kidney health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Associate Professor Jaqui Hughes from the Menzies School of Health Research received the 2019 NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award at NHMRC’s Research Excellence Awards ceremony in March 2020. Kidney disease is a significant health priority among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The cohort study being led by A/Professor Hughes will describe the long-term changes in kidney function over 10 years. This will provide critical data to inform regional and national policy on identification and care of people with kidney disease.

• InFocus
• 18 September 2020

Using big data to improve people's health

Professor Louisa Jorm is the Foundation Director of the Centre for Big Data Research in Health at UNSW Sydney.

• Video
• 3 August 2020