NHMRC supports research training of outstanding postgraduate scholars

The Australian Government is investing in the future capacity of Australian health and medical research through NHMRC.

The Australian Government is investing in the future capacity of Australian health and medical research with more than $7 million to support the research training of 62 outstanding graduates.

Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said, “This is an important investment in the next generation of Australian medical research leaders.”

“The Australian Government is supporting outstanding health and medical graduates to be trained to conduct research that is internationally competitive, strengthening our national research capacity,” Butler said.

Successful applicants will be supported early in their research careers through National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Scholarships.

Among the 62 recipients of funding are:

• Dr Briony Shaw from Monash University who will investigate novel approaches to monitoring the transfusion of patients with blood cancers, including a pilot program to transfuse patients in their homes

• Dr Yanna Ko from Western Sydney University who will evaluate faecal microbiota transplantation as a method of restoring healthy gut bacteria when treating irritable bowel syndrome

• Dr Michael Moso from The University of Melbourne who aims to develop a therapeutic approach using nanoparticles and gene therapy to cure human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by reactivating latent virus

• Dr Antonia Kolovos from Flinders University who will use functional, genetic and other indicators to create a risk calculator to identify patients with a high risk of vision loss from glaucoma and propose new approaches to glaucoma monitoring

• Dr Karen Liddle from The University of Queensland who will use imaging and genetic testing to develop a model for precision diagnosis of children with hearing loss.

The full list of successful applicants can be found here.

NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso AO also said, “The NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship scheme supports graduates in medicine, dentistry, allied health and other fields early in their careers to undertake health and medical research.”

“Successful applicants are funded to attain a research-based postgraduate degree that will set them on the path to an independent research career,” Kelso concluded.