Targeted nutrition centre leads in $8M health funding win

Thursday, 12 October 2017

A new $2.5 million national Centre of Research Excellence will be established to improve nutrition and health outcomes for mothers and their children, as part of an injection of $8.3 million in new federal health research funding into the University of Adelaide.

Fifteen new grants have been announced for the University's researchers by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

With her $2.5 million in funding, Professor Maria Makrides will lead a team to establish the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Targeted Nutrition to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes.

"Nutrition is vitally important to support the rapid growth and development occurring from conception to a child’s second birthday – the first 1000 days. Failure to meet nutritional needs during this critical period can have profound consequences for lifelong health," says Professor Makrides, who is University of Adelaide Professor of Human Nutrition and the Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children Theme Leader at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

"Through our CRE in Targeted Nutrition to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, we will provide nutritional interventions which optimise a mother’s health outcomes and ensure her children achieve their full potential," she says.

Other funding awarded to the University of Adelaide will lead to new discoveries and outcomes in fields such as: stillbirth, cardiology, prostate cancer, leukaemia, stroke rehabilitation, brain injury, type 1 diabetes, responses to chemotherapy, transplantation, bacterial infections, Indigenous health, and diet, lifestyle and behaviour.

The funding includes:

$955,585 to Professor James Paton (Director, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences) for A serotype-independent, broad spectrum pneumococcal vaccine.

$577,188 to Professor Prash Sanders (Director, Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, Adelaide Medical School) for New approaches to the management of atrial fibrillation.

$431,000 to Dr Caroline Miller (School of Public Health; Director, Population Health Research Group, SAHMRI) for Reducing over consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Australia.

and 11 Early Career Fellowships.

Professor Tim Hughes, SAHMRI’s Cancer Theme Leader and Cancer Council SA’s Beat Cancer Project Research Chair at the University of Adelaide, was also awarded $849,540 for Improving leukaemia outcomes. This funding is administered through SAHMRI.

The University's Interim Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mike Brooks, says: "Innovation in health and medical research is not only critical to the future of our community but is also a shining light of the state. With this latest funding announcement, the University of Adelaide continues to lead the way on health and medical research, working in close partnership with our clinical and research collaborators, including those in the new Adelaide BioMed City precinct."

 

Contact Details

Mr David Ellis
Email: david.ellis@adelaide.edu.au
Website: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/newsroom/
Deputy Director, Media and Corporate Relations
External Relations
The University of Adelaide
Business: +61 8 8313 5414
Mobile: +61 (0)421 612 762