Four Kirby Institute researchers have collectively been awarded more than $8 million in NHMRC Investigator Grants. The scheme supports medical researchers at various stages of their careers and their projects across universities and institutions across Australia.
The funds will support Kirby Institute researchers to lead projects aimed at testing, treatment, prevention and surveillance of infectious diseases in Australia and across our region.
“This is an outstanding result for these researchers in a highly competitive funding scheme,” says Kirby Institute Director, Scientia Professor Anthony Kelleher. “It is a testament to their forward-thinking research agenda, their academic excellence, and builds upon highly productive and impactful career outputs of each of these individuals. I congratulate them all and look forward to seeing their work come to fruition and their careers continue to flourish”
Scientia Professor Greg Dore was awarded $3,035,320 for a project aimed at developing new treatments for people who use drugs.
The research will develop new interventions to simplify and enhance the delivery of treatment for Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs. This includes a randomised trial comparing a four-week treatment regimen using three classes of drugs with the current standard eight- to 12-week regimens using two drug classes.
The project will also evaluate the potential of the GLP-1 receptor semaglutide as a treatment for methamphetamine use disorder, following encouraging data in other areas of drug and alcohol dependence. More broadly, the research will establish comprehensive approaches to monitoring the health burden experienced by this population.
Scientia Professor Rebecca Guy was awarded $2,974,620 to implement point-of-care testing to accelerate the treatment of priority infectious diseases in remote Australian communities.
The research will support the scale-up of point-of-care testing for bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Streptococcus A (the cause of rheumatic heart disease), and human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of cervical and other cancers, while also supporting its sustainability within the health system.
Following years of extensive consultation and partnerships with Aboriginal health services, this work addresses key barriers, including limited access to testing and workforce capacity constraints. The proposed research is a national collaboration involving state and territory peak Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations, Aboriginal health services, other key stakeholders, and researchers.
Associate Professor Louise Causer was awarded $1,636,800 for a project that is aimed at achieving equitable access to diagnosis and cure for STIs for young First Nations people living in remote Australia.
The implementation research will support the optimisation and integration of comprehensive, community-led testing for STIs, focusing on key challenges identified in consultation with First Nations primary health services and other stakeholders, to achieve equitable access to rapid testing delivered at the point-of-care.
The multidisciplinary research will integrate novel testing technologies to improve acceptability, uptake and clinical outcomes through routine STI testing, and build the capacity of the workforce to ensure increased and sustained access. Dr Causer’s research will support more timely treatment for STIs, leading to improved sexual and reproductive health in remote First Nations communities.
Dr Luh Putu Lila Wulandari was awarded $637,770 for research that will generate new evidence to inform the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis in Indonesia – a leading cause of adverse birth outcomes.
Dr Wulandari’s research will address key gaps in antenatal screening and treatment that persist in low- and middle-income countries including Indonesia, despite the existence of highly effective treatments to prevent mother-to-child transmission of syphilis. Her research will identify the clinical gaps for pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis and their babies, and the contribution of these gaps and other factors to syphilis-related adverse pregnancy outcomes in Indonesia, and will strengthen the treatment and care pathway for pregnant women with syphilis in the private sector.
Conducted in collaboration with Indonesian partners, the research will inform national policy and service delivery, provide a scalable model aligned with to World Health Organization elimination strategy, and contribute to improved approaches to maternal and child health globally.