$31m to strengthen UQ health research

Research into global health issues including antibiotic resistance, inflammatory diseases and stroke has been boosted after The University of Queensland received more than $29.7 million in funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and $1.5 million from the Medical Research Future Fund.

The Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt MP today visited UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) to announce more than $440 million in NHMRC funding for Australian health researchers.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said 26 UQ projects were successful in securing the competitive research funding.

“Our researchers are working incredibly hard to tackle some of the toughest health problems affecting millions of people around the world,” Professor Høj said.

“This funding will support their research targeting various medical issues such as reproductive diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis and cancers.

“I’m particularly excited to see the spread of researchers who were successful, including Professor Naomi Wray and Professor Jennifer Stow – who are internationally recognised female scientists and leaders in their fields – each awarded more than $2 million in funding.

“Similarly, Professor Jürgen Götz also received more than $2 million to continue his fundamental research to complement his pioneering work in the development of an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

“The extremely high standard of research being conducted here at UQ is evident by the continued investment by the NHMRC in our scientists and their vital work.”

Minister Hunt toured a lab with two UQ researchers – Professor Naomi Wray and Dr Geoffrey Spurling – who both received NHMRC funding for their projects in this round.

IMB’s Professor Wray will develop and apply new genomics methods to discover the causes of common diseases, ultimately leading to improvements in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

"This research has the potential to reveal significant triggers of common diseases, particularly disorders of the brain, and to make risk prediction of common diseases available to all Australians," Professor Wray said.

Dr Geoffrey Spurling from UQ’s School of Clinical Medicine will lead a team working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to implement a health check for young people to manage social and emotional well-being.

"This research will help young Aboriginal people to live healthier lives through better detection and management of social and emotional well-being concerns," Dr Spurling said.

In this funding announcement, UQ received seven grants of more than $2 million each:

• Professor Geoffrey Faulkner (Faculty of Medicine) $2,811,818
• Professor Jurgen Gotz (QBI) $2,448,640
• Professor Naomi Wray (IMB) $2,401,595
• Professor Grant Montgomery (IMB) $2,198,640
• Professor Stephen Williams (QBI) $2,078,030
• Professor Jennifer Stow (IMB) $2,048,640
• Professor Ian Frazer (Medicine) $2,000,000.

UQ received five grants of more than $1 million each:

• Professor David Paterson (Medicine) $1,624,320
• Dr Adam Ewing, (Medicine) $1,554,485
• Professor David Johnson (Medicine) $1,305,276
• Professor Mark Walker (Science) $1,067,778
• Professor Roy Hall (Science) $1,017,285.

In this round of funding, UQ received 14 grants of up to $1 million each:

• Professor Glenn King (IMB), $658,135
• Dr Abu Ali Ibn Sina (AIBN – Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology) $639,750
• Dr Alain Wuethrich (AIBN) $639,750
• Dr Run Zhang (AIBN) $639,750
• Dr Chung Kai Chan (Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences) $639,750
• Dr Sarah Wallace (Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences) $639,750
• Dr Jian Zeng (IMB) $639,750
• Dr Sandra Richardson (Medicine) $639,750
• Dr Jean Giacomotto (QBI) $614,750
• Dr Laura Fenlon (QBI) $552,830
• Dr John Kemp (Medicine) $549,123
• Associate Professor Mark Smythe (IMB) and research team, $541,955
• Dr Henry Marshall (Medicine) $444,875
• Dr Geoffrey Spurling (Medicine) $366,925.

Media: UQ Communications, 07 3365 1120, communications@uq.edu.au.