2024 Research Excellence Awards

NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Awards - Basic Science (Leadership) 

Institution

University of Melbourne

Research title

Unravelling the diversity and function of tissue resident lymphocytes

Professor Laura Mackay is a Professor at the University of Melbourne and immunology theme lead at the Doherty Institute. The focus of her laboratory is on the T cell-intrinsic and microenvironmental cues that govern tissue immunity, with a view to harness tissue resident lymphocytes for new immunotherapeutic strategies against disease. She is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholar, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow, Viertel Senior Medical Research Fellow and NHMRC Leadership Investigator. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and recipient of awards including the Prime Minister’s Prize for the Frank Fenner Life Scientist of the Year, Jian Zhou Medal, Gottschalk Medal, AAMRI Rising Star and the Immediate Past President of The Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia Oceania.

Research overview

Generation of optimal immunotherapies requires the induction of effective T cell responses. Whilst some T cells patrol the blood, a unique subset called tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) permanently exist within tissues of the body. Recent advances have shown that TRM provide critical immune protection against infection and cancer as well as improved survival in patients with various cancers. Yet, our understanding of how TRM develop, and how these cells protect tissues against infection and cancer remains unclear. Professor MacKay’s research program aims to identify molecules that will enhance TRM differentiation and survival, and also to enhance TRM function and protection from disease. The expected outcomes are a greater insight into how TRM can be generated and controlled, and the discovery of novel target molecules that can be harnessed to improve TRM mediated immune protection.

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Awards - Clinical Medicine and Science (Leadership) 

Institution

Monash University

Research title

Improving the quality of survival after critical illness

Professor Carol Hodgson is a specialist intensive care physiotherapist and clinical trialist, focusing on long term outcomes after critical illness. She is Executive Director of Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre, Head of the Division of Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies in School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and Deputy Director of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre at Monash University. Professor Hodgson led the international TEAM trial (investigating early rehabilitation in ICU) which won the 2023 Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Trial of the Year Award. She has been awarded Life Membership to the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and received a Mid-Career Excellence award by the American Thoracic Society.

Research overview

Patients in intensive care (ICU) requiring mechanical ventilation account for 63,000 ICU admissions and 8,190 deaths each year in Australia. This research will transform outcomes for these patients by using registry data and electronic medical records to conduct high impact, low-cost clinical trials. The goal is to generate new knowledge to inform national guidelines and policies and train the next generation of researchers.

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Awards - Public Health (Leadership) 

Institution

The University of Adelaide | Women's and Children Health Network

Research title

Novel strategies for global control of meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea

Professor Marshall is a Professor of Vaccinology and NHMRC Leadership Fellow at the University of Adelaide and Clinical Research Director at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network in South Australia.

Professor Marshall’s research focuses on preventing of life-threatening infections in children and young people through improving immunisation effectiveness, safety and impact, with a primary focus on meningococcal disease. She has led clinical trials assessing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, including the landmark "B Part of It" study, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the meningococcal B vaccine in adolescents. Her work has influenced immunisation policies in Australia, the United Kingston, Europe, and the United States.

Research overview

Invasive meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea are serious infectious diseases particularly affecting young people and First Nations communities. This research program aims to develop an effective immunisation strategy to reduce the burden of these diseases globally. Building on evidence of cross protection of the meningococcal B vaccine against gonorrhoea, the program seeks to deliver a cost-effective vaccine strategy. The team will determine the duration of protection, need for booster vaccinations, and cost-effectiveness, while co designing a communication strategy with young people to optimise vaccine uptake.

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Awards - Health Services (Leadership) 

Institution

Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare | Bond University

Research title

Harnessing the power of prognostic evidence to transform evidence-based, patient-centred, sustainable healthcare

Professor Tammy Hoffmann is a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, specialising in clinical epidemiology and health services research. Her work focuses on enabling evidence-based healthcare so that patients receive effective and patient centred care. This includes enhancing the generation, synthesis, and reporting of rigorous evidence, improving evidence useability and implementation, and promoting shared decision making between clinicals and patients. Professor Hoffmann was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021 and elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2019.

Research overview

The overuse of low value care where benefits do not harm, is widespread in health systems. This research aims to address this issue by exploring how to incorporate prognostic evidence into tools and strategies that support informed decision making. By helping clinicians and patients make evidence-informed decisions, the research seeks to maximise patient outcomes and promote sustainable, patient centred healthcare.

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Leadership)

Institution

University of Queensland

Research title

Venoms to drugs: translating venom peptides into human therapeutics

Professor Glenn King is a Group Leader within the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland. Glenn is a world leader in the field of venom-based drug and insecticide discovery. His early work on venoms led him to found Vestaron Corporation, an agricultural biotechnology company that successfully developed bee-safe, eco-friendly bioinsecticides. Professor King’s current research focuses on the development of therapeutics to treat cardiovascular and nervous system disorders. He recently co-founded Infensa Bioscience, a biotech company that is developing drugs for treating stroke and myocardial infarction, and he currently serves as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer. In 2023 he received the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation for his translational work, and he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2024.

Research overview

Many disorders of the nervous system, including intractable chronic pain and epilepsy, result from the aberrant activity of ion channels that ferry sodium and potassium ions across neuronal cell membranes. There are very few drugs available for treating some of these disorders and they often have debilitating side effects.  Professor Glenn King is using animal venoms to develop potent and selective modulators of these ion channels as the next generation of safe and effective pain killers and anti-epileptic drugs.

Read more about the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership)

Institution

Monash University | Ambulance Victoria

Research title

Advancing the evidence base in cardiac arrest and resuscitation

Dr Ziad Nehme is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Ambulance Victoria and a Senior Research Fellow at Monash University. He is a clinician scientist specialising in prehospital emergency care and resuscitation research. Dr Nehme’s work focuses on the early response to out of hospital cardiac arrest patients, by improving emergency services activation, accelerating community-based treatments, and strengthening the evidence base in resuscitation. His research has earnt him numerous awards, including the Heart Foundation’s Presidents Award for leadership in cardiovascular research and the Governor General’s Ambulance Service Medal.

Research overview

Out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a critical medical emergency, with survival decreasing by 10% for every minute without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This research program will bring technology, integration and sophistication to the health service response to OHCA, by integrating advanced technology and improving early treatment. The program focuses on better identifying OHCA during emergency calls, reducing delays in bystander CPR, testing community-based interventions to increase defibrillation rates before ambulance arrival, and strengthening the evidence base for resuscitation interventions.

Read more about the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership)

Institution

Monash University

Research title

Cell death at the host pathogen interface

Dr Sarah Garnish is a Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology at Monash University. Since receiving her PhD in 2022, she has advanced the molecular understanding of key signalling checkpoints in programmed cell death pathways. Her current research focuses on how bacteria evade immune detection, by inhibiting cell death signalling. In 2024, Dr Garnish was recognised with the Basic Science Researcher Award at the Victorian Government’s Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research.

Research overview

Bacterial infections pose a significant health burden globally. Many pathogens evade immune clearance, leading to chronic infections with long term health impacts. Dr Garnish’s research investigates how Coxiella burnetii, the cause of Q fever, disrupts host cell signalling and inhibits programmed cell death. This project uses advanced molecular techniques, including proximity labelling technology, to understand the interaction between bacterial and host proteins during infection.

Read more about the Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership)

Institution

South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited

Research title

Investing in the early years to improve social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal parents and young people

Associate Professor Yvonne Clark is a Kokatha/Wirangu woman from South Australia, a researcher and a PhD clinically endorsed psychologist. She co-leads the Aboriginal Communities and Families Research Alliance platform within the SAHMRI women and kids’ theme and is the Chief Investigator on multiple NHMRC grants. Associate Professor Clark’s research seeks to improve social and emotional wellbeing and provide support pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during pregnancy, along with support to the fathers, parents and young people.

Research overview

The research for the Investigator Grant will focus on strengthening social and emotional wellbeing and empowering Aboriginal adolescents, post pregnant mothers and their support people, including dads. Adolescence and post pregnancy are 2 life phases which may be stressful, particularly if there is underlying trauma. Empowering Aboriginal adolescents and new parents in designing ways to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing reduces stress from lateral violence and trauma. Thus, fostering connections to social and emotional wellbeing domains will assist in nurturing their identities and improve culturally safe family focused services and interventions.

Read more about the Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award.

NHMRC Fiona Stanley Synergy Grant Award

Institution

Walter and Eliza Institute of Medical Research (WEHI)

Research title

Identifying and overcoming mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer

Professor Marie-Liesse Asselin-Labat PharmD, PhD, is a Division Head at WEHI. Her team studies the interactions between immune and tumour cells in lung cancer, and how external factors can trigger the disease and treatment response. Her research has uncovered significant differences in the immunity between smokers and never-smokers, highlighting the need for personalised treatments based on smoking history.

Professor Asselin-Labat has received the L’Oréal For Women in Science Fellowship and the Australian Academy of Science Nancy Millis Medal.

Research overview

This research program investigates how cancer evades the immune system and aims to enhance immunotherapies and cancer vaccines to improve treatment outcomes. The team studies how tumours control T cells, which are crucial for fighting cancer. They will investigate ways to activate tumour killing T cells while inactivating regulatory T cells that suppress the immune response. The program will also examine immune and tumour responses to cancer vaccines and aims to develop more effective mRNA vaccines. The findings could lead to new therapies and strategies to boost immune responses and improve cancer treatments.

Read more about the Fiona Stanley Synergy Grant Award.

NHMRC Gustav Nossal Postgraduate Scholarship Award

Institution

Monash University | Alfred Health | Royal Melbourne Hospital

Research title

Utilising and connecting cardiac registries to improve monitoring and clinical outcomes in cardiogenic shock

Dr Riley Batchelor is a cardiologist and an interventional cardiology fellow at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Alfred Hospital. He is also a PhD candidate at Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Dr Batchelor’s research focuses on managing cardiac emergencies, like acute coronary syndrome and cardiogenic shock, as well as advanced heart failure. He has served on multiple not for profit boards and is dedicated to improving distribution of medical services in Australia, New Zealand, and abroad.

Research overview

Cardiogenic shock is a critical condition in cardiovascular medicine, marked by poor cardiac output, leading to vital organ damage due to oxygen deprivation. Despite advances in treatment, mortality rates remain unacceptably high. This project aims to improve understanding, develop tailored treatment pathways, and examine novel device therapies to enhance clinical outcomes. By formalising partnerships with large prospective registries in Australasia, the project will identify gaps in knowledge and delivery, and trial both existing and new drug and device therapies for cardiogenic shock.

Read more about the NHMRC Gustav Nossal Postgraduate Scholarship Award.

NHMRC Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award

Institution

University of Melbourne | Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Research title

Organ competition - how do tumours grow at the expense of other tissues in cancer cachexia?

Associate Professor Louise Cheng is a group leader at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne. She leads the Cancer Cachexia Clinical and Research Integration program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Her research focuses on how tumours grow at the expense of other tissues in cancer cachexia, a metabolic wasting syndrome affecting 30% of cancer patients. Using the fruit fly drosophila and patient samples, her lab studies show organ growth responds to developmental cues and environmental changes.

Research overview

Cachexia is a metabolic syndrome of weight loss, affecting 80% of people with advanced cancer. As tumours develop and their metabolic demand increases, they draw resources away from muscles and fat, upsetting the body’s normal metabolic balance. Using a drosophila model of cancer cachexia, coupled with patient samples, Associate Professor Cheng’s research aims to understand how organs communicate and how the competition for resources between tumours and other tissues can drive cancer cachexia.

Read more about the Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award.

NHMRC Marshall and Warren Innovation Award

Institution

University of Melbourne

Research title

Turbocharging treatments for type-2 diabetes

Associate Professor Garron Dodd leads the Metabolic Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Melbourne and is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Gallant Bio. His research delves into the brain’s influence on metabolism, aiming to develop innovative therapies for obesity and type-2 diabetes. He is recognised globally as a leading authority in metabolic neuroscience, having received awards such as the Dean’s Innovation Award from the University of Melbourne and the Young Investigator Award from the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society.

Research overview

Type-2 diabetes is a growing global health crisis with limited long-term treatment options. Current therapies like Ozempic and Wegovy often lose effectiveness over time due to drug resistance. Associate Professor Dodd’s research seeks to understand why this resistance occurs and to develop new treatments that enhance the effectiveness of these drugs. His team identified that the neurons in the brain, through which Ozempic operates, become encased in a gluelike substance known as the extracellular matrix. In type-2 diabetes, this matrix becomes much more prominent, hindering the drugs' intended action. The goal is to develop innovative drugs that target the brain's extracellular matrix to restore sensitivity to diabetes medications, potentially revolutionising diabetes and obesity management.

Read more about the Marshall and Warren Innovation Award.

NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award

Institution

Australian National University

Research title

Counting what counts: using a national cohort study to develop, validate and apply an Indigenous quality of wellbeing utility index and quantifying key determinants of health

Professor Raymond Lovett is one of Australia’s most influential and respected Indigenous (Ngiyampaa/Wongaibon) epidemiologists. Professor Lovett leads the largest longitudinal cohort study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults to date, the Mayi Kuwayu Study, which is directly informing the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan. He is Associate Director Culture and Wellbeing Research at Yardhura Walani, the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the Australian National University. Professor Lovett has extensive experience in policy and practice implementation and a reputation for building Indigenous majority teams and leading large scale research programs that translate to tangible and enduring benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Research overview

Health and wellbeing are influenced by many factors, yet globally, western developed quality of life measurements focus almost exclusively on physical health. For Indigenous peoples, social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of community, and health of country impact quality of life. This project will create a world first Indigenous wellbeing index to inform policy, services and programs that meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ wellbeing needs - a model that could be adapted globally.

Note: Grant rounds for this scheme run on financial rather than calendar years.

Read more about the David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award.