Research for Life grants for Victoria researchers
Six Victoria University medical researchers have received grants in the second funding round of the year from Research for Life, formerly known as the Wellington Medical Research Foundation.
Research for Life funds innovative quality research undertaken by researchers in the early stages of their careers who, through their work, will advance the quality of healthcare in the Wellington region and beyond.
Research Grants received are awarded to undertake innovative medical research. The successful applicants from Victoria for Research Grants include:
- PhD student Carl Beyers received a $10,000 grant to assess the impact of MIS416 therapy in altering the immune system of people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). There is an urgent need for therapies which are effective at treating progressive MS. MIS416 has been shown to be safe to use in progressive MS, and a large stage two clinical trial offering MIS416 as treatment is progressing. This grant is in aid of work to define how MIS416 alters inflammation at a cellular level. Access to samples from the trial, a valuable resource, offers an excellent opportunity to further medical research into MS treatments.
- Dr Lisa Connor research fellow at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and lecturer in Victoria’s School of Biological Sciences, received a $9,342 grant to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation of allergic immune responses. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of allergic diseases in the world, affecting up to 20 percent of the population. The immunological mechanisms involved when an individual becomes allergic to an allergen are not well understood. Dendritic cells are master regulators of the adaptive immune system and provide the signals required to drive specific immune responses. The goal of this project is to investigate the specificity of potential candidate molecules on dendritic cells as biomarkers for development of the allergic immune response.
- Dr Darren Day, a senior lecturer in Victoria’s School of Biological Sciences, received a $20,250 grant to undertake research into developing a new type of anti-microbial drug for treating bacterial infections that are resistant to current antibiotics. Dr Day’s research uses DNA molecules coated with tiny particles of silver to specifically bind to bacteria and sensitize them to conventional antibiotic therapy.
- PhD student Kathryn Hally received a $25,833 grant to investigate platelet activation in acute coronary syndromes (ACS), the leading global cause of death. Anti-platelet medication is the standard-of-care for ACS patients but a proportion of patients will continue to experience recurrent cardiovascular events despite treatment. Ms Hally’s research focuses on how platelets may be alternatively activated in responses to infection and how this may relate to patient outcome.
- Professor John Miller from Victoria’s School of Biological Sciences received an $18,000 grant to undertake research into the development of new anti-cancer chemotherapeutics. Current drugs for solid tumours have unwanted side effects, and cancer cells can acquire resistance to these drugs. New drugs that are better tolerated and can improve patient outcomes are needed to either replace or be used in combination with those now in use.
Research for Life Travel Grants assist local researchers meet the cost of presenting their research findings at international conferences. A Travel Grant was awarded to:
- Jennifer Soundy, a third year PhD student at Victoria University, received a $2,000 travel grant to present her research findings at the International Society of Aptamers conference in Oxford in April next year. Ms Soundy is undertaking a study on the development of novel antimicrobials for fighting antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
Research for Life president Professor John Nacey says, “Research for Life congratulates the successful applicants of this round of funding. The research they are undertaking is innovative, well-conceived and vital to achieving continuing improvements in health outcomes in the community.”