Researchers at Telethon Kids and Harry Perkins institutes have been awarded more than $18 million in funding for health and medical research from both state and federal governments.
Researchers at Telethon Kids and Harry Perkins institutes have been awarded more than $18 million in funding for health and medical research from both state and federal governments.
The Telethon Kids Institute will receive $9 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council, which is investing more than $440 million in health and medical projects nationwide, with Western Australia receiving 17 research grants worth $25 million.
Four Telethon Kids researchers have received grants worth a combined $7.4 million while two researchers are awarded $1.6 million in funding partnership projects.
Funding will go towards research into rheumatic heart disease, respiratory infections and autism spectrum disorder, as well as reducing the burden of skin infections and preventing permanent disease in kids with chronic wet cough.
Research into the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of school students will also benefit from the funding.
Telethon Kids Institute director and university professor, Jonathan Carapetis, received a $1.8 million grant for his research into eliminating rheumatic heart disease.
“Securing these highly-competitive grants allows our researchers to continue to do the important work they do in tackling some of the big health issues affecting our children and young people,” he said.
“Telethon Kids has had an excellent result this year with 100 per cent of the partnership projects submitted by the institute being successful and 30 per cent of investigator grants also being funded.
“This is well above the national success rate of 13.2 per cent for investigator grants and 52.9 per cent for partnership projects, and is a huge testament to the quality and hard work of our Telethon Kids researchers and the supportive environment we offer for research.”
The announcement is part of the Morrison government’s $104 billion long-term national health plan.
The grants will provide five-year funding for high-performing health and medical researchers across all career stages, as well as support for their research groups.
Meanwhile, researchers at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research will also share in grants worth a combined $6.5 million of state government funding, while six medical research institutes will receive $2.8 million in infrastructure support.
Head of neurogenetic diseases at the institute, Nigel Laing, is leading the team of researchers thought to be on the brink of discovering possibly five new genetic diseases.
Health Minister Roger Cook said the McGowan government was proud to be spending more than $9 million for medical research support.
“Having work of this calibre based here in WA has very real advantages for WA patients, our health services and our economy,” he said.
“Local patients benefit from the advances arising from enhanced understanding of the diseases identified by Professor Laing and his team.”
