- State Government pledges nearly $5.5 million to attract world-class researchers to WA
- Two researchers appointed to advance youth mental health and ageing research
- Program to create jobs and advance WA as a global leader in health and medical research
The Cook Government today unveiled two key health and medical research appointments to bolster Western Australia as a globally recognised leader in the youth mental health and epigenetic ageing research spaces.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson announced a funding package of $5.4 million over five years to support the Distinguished Fellows Program, which is aimed at attracting outstanding and innovative world-class research leaders to WA. The funding has been provided through the Cook Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund.
Associate Professor Kathryn Modecki and Associate Professor Alexey Terskikh will share in the funding which will bring vital research to WA – creating local jobs and advancing the State as a leader in health and medical research. This funding will be matched by the fellows’ host and partner organisations, bringing the total value of the fellowships to nearly $11 million.
Telethon Kids Institute will host Professor Modecki, who aims to advance youth mental health by addressing the mechanisms through which early experiences and social inequalities shape children’s future mental health.
The research program will leverage WA’s unique cohort studies and smartphone technology to understand how children’s unique developmental histories influence their daily mental health experiences. This will help develop prevention and treatment options for WA’s young people, parents, carers, and the community.
Professor Modecki is currently the inaugural Research Excellence Lead at Griffith University’s Centre for Mental Health in Queensland, and will move to WA to begin her appointment. She is also a keynote speaker for the Society for Mental Health Research Conference held in Perth this week from 29 November to 1 December 2023.
Associate Professor Alexey Terskikh from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California will lead a research study to better understand the cellular mechanisms driving ageing, metabolic diseases and rejuvenation.
This research, which will be undertaken at the Harry Perkins Centre, seeks to uncover targets that could promote health span and predict the risk of diseases such as cancer.
Further information about the grant recipients can be found on the website.
As stated by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
“It’s fantastic to be able to bring such brilliant health and medical research talent to WA, helping to drive outcomes and cement our expertise in child health research, and precision health.
“The fellows will build capacity, help to create local jobs, and encourage further investment into their fields of study.
“The Cook Government continues to build on our program to attract the best and brightest to WA, and the inaugural Distinguished Fellows Program is another important step in strengthening our State’s reputation as a world leader in the health and medical research sector.”
