Some of Queensland’s brightest medical minds will share almost $2.7 million in grants for research projects aimed at preventing illness, improving patient care, and saving lives.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath today announced the successful applicants of Round 3 of the Queensland Advancing Clinical Research Fellowships (CRF).
“Health research knows no bounds; the opportunities are endless,” she said.
“Few people are better placed to investigate health issues than our own workforce.
“Queensland boasts a wealth of talent and skill, many of whom are eager to develop solutions to problems or identify better ways of delivering health care.
“We established the Fellowships program so our clinicians can carry out research in their fields of expertise.
“Fourteen clinicians in fields ranging from nursing and emergency care to respiratory medicine and audiology will each receive grants ranging from $100,000 to $350,000.
“Their work aims to improve frontline healthcare delivery and lead to better patient outcomes, not just for Queensland, but the world in general.”
Fellowship recipients will partner with organisations including Queensland hospitals, universities and health advocacy bodies.
Dietitian Dr Nina Meloncelli said she was thrilled to be awarded about $250,000 to research a new type of dietary approach aimed at preventing gestational diabetes.
“It is possible that gestational diabetes may be avoidable for some women by changing what they eat in early pregnancy,” she said.
“The types of foods we eat can influence the microbes that live in our gut and there is new research that suggests this internal community, known as the gut microbiota, may be responsible for conditions like gestational diabetes.”
Nephrologist Professor Andrew Mallett’s research will apply genomics to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs
“Kidney disease is common and impacts how long, and how well, we are able to live our lives,” he said.
“One in 10 people with kidney disease have it because of changes in their genes.
“My project is seeking to understand how we can explain, characterise and diagnose those changes, whilst also seeking to find new ways of caring for people who might have these types of kidney disease.”
Minister D’Ath said she wished the Fellowship recipients well in their research projects.
“I look forward to their outcomes improving healthcare in Queensland in the years ahead,” she said.
Full list of recipients:
NAME | PROJECT TITLE | AMOUNT | ADMINISTERING ORGANISATION | PARTNER ORGANISATION |
Oystein Tronstad | The ICU of the Future – evaluating implementation of a new ICU bedspace environment and outcomes for organisations, staff and patients | $100,000 | The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation | Metro North HHS The University of Queensland Lendlease Building PTY Limited |
Eamonn Eeles | The Development of an Electronic Bundle of Care for Smarter Management of Delirium in the Frontline Healthcare Setting | $100,000 | The University of Queensland | Metro North HHS |
Usha Gurunathan | Hip Fracture Cohort Study Linking Obesity to Thromboembolism post-surgery (HipCLOTS) | $100,000 | The University of Queensland | Metro North HHS |
Katherine Isoardi | Effectiveness and Safety of Large Bolus of Intramuscular Naloxone for Opioid Poisoning in the Emergency Department: A Randomised Controlled Trial | $ 99,274 | The University of Queensland | Metro South HHS |
Tricia Kleidon | Applying technology to explore the physiology of peripheral intravenous catheter associated harm | $100,000 | Children’s Health Queensland HHS | The University of Queensland |
Alice Pender | Improving pathways of care for detection and management for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with hearing loss | $100,000 | The University of Queensland | Metro North HHS Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care |
Matthew Wong | Identifying preschool children with wheeze at risk of developing asthma using temporal oscillometry | $100,000 | The University of Queensland | Children’s Health Queensland HHS |
Nina Meloncelli | Changing the gut microbiota during pregnancy: a novel, co-designed dietary intervention to prevent gestational diabetes for high-risk women | $249,749 | The University of Queensland | Metro North HHS |
Emily Gordon | The GOAL Trial: Vascular Surgery Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for Older Elective Vascular Surgery Patients to Increase Attainment of Patient-Identified Goals | $249,683 | Metro South HHS | The University of Queensland |
Vikas Goyal | Improving the management of pulmonary exacerbations for pediatric bronchiectasis | $250,000 | Queensland University of Technology | Children’s Health Queensland HHS |
Emily Brooks | Comparison of two tapering regimens in the management of glucocorticoid withdrawal | $197,104 | Metro South HHS | The University of Queensland |
Andrew Mallett | Genomic Approaches to Kidney Health and Disease | $350,000 | The University of Queensland | James Cook University Townsville HHS Australian Genomics Health Alliance (administered by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute) |
Isuru Ranasinghe | Urinary sodium guided titration of diuretic therapy for expedited care of acute heart failure: A multicenter randomized controlled trial | $350,000 | The University of Queensland | Metro North HHS |
Yeoungjee Cho | Improving outcomes in peritoneal dialysis through patient-centred clinical trials | $350,000 | Metro South HHS | The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney |
CATEGORY TOTAL | $2,695,810 |
