$16.5 million commitment to strengthen health translation

Administered under the Development Grants scheme, 15 lead investigators will undertake proof of concept research that will be expedited into commercial outcomes, resulting in improved health and medical knowledge.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a leading cause of chronic pain that currently has no effective treatments.

Professor Stuart Brierley from SAHMRI (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited) will lead a groundbreaking project aiming to advance oxytocin receptor drugs that numb pain sensing nerve fibres, providing efficacious pain relief in IBS.

mRNA vaccines are emerging as the forefront of vaccine development.

University of Queensland researcher, Associate Professor David Muller will develop mRNA vaccines for breast cancer and will perform in depth analysis of the immune response with a view of eventual commercialisation of mRNA patch vaccines.

Development Grants support the commercial development of a product, process, procedure, or service that, if applied, would result in improved health care, disease prevention or provide health cost savings.

Further information on all projects funded can be downloaded on NHMRC’s outcomes of funding rounds webpage.

Quotes attributable to NHMRC CEO, Professor Steve Wesselingh:

• “NHMRC’s Development Grants scheme supports a greater culture of research innovation and helps carve out pathways to commercialisation from health and medical research.
• “From discovery to real world application, these projects will drive commercial success through effective health and medical research translation to ultimately deliver better health outcomes, faster.
• “Congratulations to all successful lead investigators and their teams – I am truly excited for the collective potential these projects hold.”