$1 million for Krabbe disease research
Dr Farah Lamiable-Oulaidi and her team from Victoria University of Wellington’s Ferrier Research Institute have been awarded $1 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour Fund to research a treatment for Krabbe disease.
Dr Lamiable-Oulaidi’s project was one of five Victoria University of Wellington-led research projects to receive funding in the Smart Ideas category, while another three University projects received funding in the bigger Research Programme category, collectively totalling $24 million.
Krabbe disease is an inherited genetic disease that kills nerve cells resulting in irreversible central nervous system damage. Currently there is no treatment for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder that causes death within the first two years of life.
Dr Lamiable-Oulaidi has an ongoing interest in the area of inherited metabolic disorders that result from the absence or deficiency of key enzymes. This interest drew her from France to take up a two-year postdoc in 2015 at the Ferrier Research Institute, where she is now a permanent staff member.