The Adelaide Investigator Academy

The NHMRC Investigator Grant scheme recognises Australia’s most outstanding medical research leaders and emerging leaders. Recipients are supported by the Commonwealth government to undertake ambitious research programs for 5 years.

The Adelaide Investigator Academy hosts these distinguished University of Adelaide researchers who have made world-class impact over the course of their careers, and emerging leaders who are recognised among Australia’s brightest early and mid-career research talents.


Maria-Makrides

Professor Maria Makrides
Leadership 3, 2023-2027
N-3 (Omega-3) Precision Nutrition: Preventing prematurity and enhancing cognitive development of very preterm children.


Professor Fran Baum

Professor Fran Baum
Leadership 3, 2022-2026
Restoring the Fair Go: which policies and practices are likely to reverse growing health inequities in Australia post COVID-19.


Prof Tim Hughes

Professor Timothy Hughes
Leadership 3, 2022-2026
A curative approach for chronic myeloid leukaemia.


Professor James Paton

Professor James Paton
Leadership 3, 2020-2024
Understanding and preventing pneumococcal disease.


Prof Michael Horowitz

Professor Michael Horowitz
Leadership 3, 2020-2024
Gastric emptying, glucagon-like peptide-1 and glycaemic control in diabetes and critical illness.


Professor Prashanthan Sanders

Professor Prashanthan Sanders
Leadership 2, 2023-2027
Managing the First Pillar for Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke.


Prof Lisa Jamiseon

Professor Lisa Jamiseon
Leadership 2, 2022-2026
Advancing Indigenous Australian Oral health through clinical trials, cohort studies and surveillance.


Prof Sarah Robertson

Professor Sarah Robertson
Leadership 2, 2021-2025, NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award
Peri-conception determinants of reproductive and pregnancy health.


Prof Peter-John Wormald

Professor Peter-John Wormald
Leadership 2, 2021-2025
From bench to bedside: A new treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis.


Prof Jodie Dodd

Professor Jodie Dodd
Leadership 2, 2021-2025
Healthy diet and weight management in pregnancy: evidence to ease a hefty clinical burden.


Prof Chunxia Zhao

Professor Chunxia Zhao
Leadership 1, 2022-2026
Novel nanotechnology strategies towards a new paradigm of precision nanomedicine.


Dr Zohra Lassi

Doctor Zohra Lassi
Emerging Leadership 2, 2022-2026
Addressing evidence gaps to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health.


Prof Caroline Miller

Professor Caroline Miller
Emerging Leadership 2, 2021-2025
Driving advances in sugar-sweetened beverage policy and resolving the unknown substitution effects into artificially sweetened beverage, fruit juice and water consumption.


Professor Philippa Middleton

Professor Philippa Middleton
Emerging Leadership 2, 2020-2024
Implementing nutrition and lifestyle interventions for women, young children and families.


A/ Prof Mark Plummer

Associate Professor Mark Plummer
Emerging Leadership 1, 2023-2027
Sickly sweet: managing high blood glucose during and post critical illness.


Dr Emily Shepherd

Doctor Emily Shepherd
Emerging Leadership 1, 2022-2026
Preterm birth and neurodevelopment: improving long-term outcomes.


Dr Azmeraw Amare

Doctor Azmeraw Amare
Emerging Leadership 1, 2022-2026
Developing Genetic Testing Tools for Optimising Pharmacotherapy and Enabling a Precision Mental Health Care.


Dr Jiawen Li

Doctor Jiawen Li
Emerging Leadership 1, 2022-2026
Developing more accurate cardiovascular disease detection with a cellular-resolution imaging catheter.


Dr Roula Ghaoui

Doctor Roula Ghaoui
Emerging Leadership 1, 2021-2025
Diagnosing hereditary myopathies and dystrophies with RNA sequencing: translating research innovations into diagnostic practice.


A/Prof Zachary Munn

Associate Professor Zachary Munn
Emerging Leadership 1, 2021-2025
Improving the Synthesis of Medical Research: The Evidence Synthesis Taxonomy Initiative.


Dr Thomas Sullivan

Doctor Thomas Sullivan
Emerging Leadership 1, 2020-2024
Increasing the value of randomised trials: a combined program of methodological and applied health research.


Dr Yvonne Clark

Doctor Yvonne Clark
Emerging Leadership 1, 2020-2024
Improving wellbeing and preventing lateral violence in the Aboriginal community in SA: Investing in our young.