2022 Research Excellence Awards

NHMRC Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award  

NHMRC Marshall and Warren Innovation Award  

Institution

Monash University

Research title

Microelectrode recordings from the vagus nerve in awake humans

Professor Vaughan Macefield is Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Neuroscience at Monash University. Professor Macefield specializes in recording from single nerve fibres via microelectrodes inserted into the peripheral nerves of awake human participants. He is best known for developing the methodology for recording the firing properties of single, type-identified, sympathetic neurones supplying muscle and skin and for developing the methodology for recording muscle sympathetic nerve activity at the same time as performing functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Most recently, Professor Macefield made the first microelectrode recordings from the human vagus nerve, via ultrasound-guided microneurography. 

Research overview 

The vagus nerve is an important nerve that controls the heart, lungs and gut. It exits the brain and travels with the carotid arteries and jugular veins in the neck. As such it has defied direct investigation in humans, but here we have developed a means of inserting metal microelectrodes into this nerve and recording signals going to and from the brain. This approach promises to provide much needed information on how the organ control provided by the vagus nerve is affected in disease states. 

Read more about the Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award the Marshall and Warren Innovation Award. 

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

Institution

WEHI

Research title

Antibody-based therapies against infectious diseases

Professor Wai-Hong Tham is Head of the Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division at WEHI and the co-Chair of the WEHI Biologics Initiative. Professor Tham’s work has contributed to the molecular and structural understanding of novel host-pathogen interactions to drive the rational design of new antibody therapies against malaria and COVID-19. For her contribution to understanding malaria parasite invasion, Professor Tham has received numerous awards including the 2020 International Award Biochemistry Society, 2019 and 2011 Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research (team prize), the 2017 David Syme Research Prize and the 2018 Burnet Prize. 

Research overview 

Infectious diseases have resulted in devastating mortality in human populations throughout history. Antibody-based therapies have revolutionised modern medicine and will be important for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by some of the world’s deadliest pathogens. Our program builds on a deep understanding of the molecular interactions between human and pathogen and leverages advanced antibody platforms to develop novel antibody therapies against malaria and COVID-19. 

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

Role of testosterone in preventing major morbidity in women

Professor Susan Davis leads the Monash University Women’s Health Research Program. Professor Davis’s research focus is understanding the role of sex hormones in women in the brain, cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal health. Professor Davis’s research has been recognised by numerous awards, including three in 2022: the Medal of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for her outstanding contribution and leadership in endocrinology and women’s health, the Ross Hohnen Award of the Australian Heart Foundation and the Barbara Gross Award of the Australasian Menopause Society.  

Research overview

This program of research involves a series of innovative, complementary clinical trials to determine if the hormone testosterone (often considered a male hormone) can serve as a new therapy to protect against leading causes of ill health in postmenopausal women, namely muscle wasting, bone loss and heart failure, as well as sexual dysfunction. Concurrently it will explore the role of testosterone, and other sex steroids, in the evolution of cognitive decline and dementia and structural brain ageing in older women, using a large cohort study. These are all conditions for which preventive interventions are limited or are lacking. 

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award.

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

Institution

University of New South Wales

Research title

Improving knowledge and interventions to reduce and prevent substance use related harms

Professor Louisa Degenhardt is Deputy Director at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW. Professor Degenhardt was awarded her PhD in 2003, examining the comorbidity of drug use and mental disorders in the Australian population. She has honorary Professorial appointments at the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. Professor Degenhardt conducts diverse epidemiological studies including analysis of large-scale community and clinical population surveys, data linkage studies focusing on people with a history of drug dependence or chronic pain, and cohort studies of young people. 

Research overview

This research will focus on the epidemiology of illicit drug use and improve estimates of substance use and mental disorders and health burden. It will study prospective associations between disorders and harms, with a global perspective on the epidemiology and harms of illicit drugs, and coverage of interventions to reduce harm. The research will examine interventions to address drug use, including treatment of opioid dependence and other interventions to reduce harm among people who use illicit drugs. 

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award. 

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

Institution

Burnet Institute

Research title

Reducing maternal and newborn deaths: Transforming midwifery in the Asia-Pacific region through research and innovation

Professor Caroline Homer is a midwife and maternal and newborn health researcher. Her research addresses maternal and newborn health issues, especially the role of midwives in improving outcomes in limited-resource settings, with a focus for more than 20 years on the Asia-Pacific region. Professor Homer is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. She works closely with the United Nations Population Fund and the World Health Organization (WHO). Professor Homer is the Chair of the WHO’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts (STAGE) for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health, and Nutrition advising the WHO Director-General. 

Research overview 

Globally each year, there are 300,000 maternal deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth, 2 million stillbirths and 2.4 million infant deaths. Most of these are preventable. This work will generate and translate new knowledge that strengthens the impact and capacity of midwives and midwifery services to improve maternal and newborn health in the Asia-Pacific region. This will ensure that maternal and newborn health services can withstand future shocks like pandemics and natural disasters. This research directly responds to global calls for action and informs future investments in maternal and newborn health in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Read more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award. 

NHMRC Gustav Nossal Postgraduate Scholarship Award  

Institution

Monash University

Research title

Predicting progression of intestinal metaplasia to gastric cancer

Dr Doug Tjandra is an advanced trainee in gastroenterology at The Royal Melbourne Hospital with an interest in preventing gastrointestinal cancers and immunotherapy-related complications of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Dr Tjandra has returned to the laboratory bench to complete postdoctoral studies at Monash University, in addition to clinical work, to pursue further research identifying and characterising risk factors for bowel and gastric cancer. 

Research overview 

Gastric cancer is a rare cancer in the developed world but remains a cause of significant morbidity with survival rates which lag behind parts of the world where it is more prevalent, likely due to diagnosis at later stage. Gastric intestinal metaplasia is a premalignant state which progresses to gastric cancer in a small proportion of people, and the challenge is determining which people are at highest risk of progressing to gastric cancer and require closer surveillance and early intervention. This project aims to determine the clinical, pathological, molecular, genetic and immunological features which best predict progression of intestinal metaplasia to dysplasia and cancer. 

Read more about the Gustav Nossal Postgraduate Scholarship Award. 

NHMRC Fiona Stanley Synergy Grant Award  

Institution

The University of Adelaide

Research title

Using complex models of human trophoblast to study placental biology and disease

Professor Jose Polo is the Director of the Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics, Program Leader at the South Australian ImmunoGENomics Cancer Institute, the University of Adelaide, and a group leader in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University. His work in epigenetics spans diverse fields, including cellular reprogramming, embryogenesis, neurobiology, immunology and cancer. Professor Polo has been recognised with multiple awards including the Metcalf Award from the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia and the Presidential Medal of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology. 

Research overview 

This research will bring together a multidisciplinary team of scientists to elucidate how the placenta is formed during the first weeks of development, which occurs even before a woman is aware she is pregnant. The research will combine the latest advances in models of early development, genetics and molecular biology to determine how the early placenta produced by the embryo burrows into the uterus and keeps developing during the entire pregnancy. Together, it is hoped the research program will benefit the 15% of reproductive-age couples who face infertility and the 30% of pregnancies each year in Australia affected by a major placenta-associated pregnancy complication. 

Read more about the Fiona Stanley Synergy Grant Award. 

NHMRC Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership) 

Institution

Burnet Institute

Research title

Ensuring equitable access to care for migrants living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons learnt from an evaluation of Botswana’s migrant inclusive program

Dr Tafireyi Marukutira is a medical doctor and public health researcher, specialising in infectious diseases epidemiology. He is a Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute and Monash University in the HIV Prevention and Tuberculosis Working Groups. His research addresses HIV care and treatment cascades for migrants and non-migrants in line with UNAIDS Fast-Track targets for HIV epidemic control in both low-middle income and high-income countries. His work on HIV and migration focuses on identifying gaps and solutions needed for HIV elimination. Dr Marukutira has an interest in infectious diseases that affect people living in low-middle income settings. 

Research overview 

This research will use Botswana as a regional case study and will evaluate program and country-level implementation of migrant inclusive HIV care and treatment policies. The evaluation will also include surveillance strengthening activities to build efficient and sustainable systems for Botswana to monitor UNAIDS HIV elimination indicators and ensure equitable access to HIV care for all people living with HIV (PLHIV). A mixed methods study design is proposed utilising a prospective surveillance cohort, Optima modelling, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. 

Read more about the Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award. 

2021 NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award  

Institution

University of Sydney

Research title

The FLIRT-TB study: A fluoroquinolone-based regimen to treat the commonest form of drug-resistant tuberculosis

Professor Greg Fox is a respiratory doctor and clinical trialist at the University of Sydney and Director of the Sydney Vietnam Institute. Professor Fox’s research has contributed to new strategies for the detection, prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, a leading infectious cause of death globally. Professor Fox’s work is particularly focused on reducing the burden of disease experienced by vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings. Professor Fox has contributed to the development of multiple global tuberculosis control guidelines and this work has been recognised through awards including the 2023 Ho Chi Minh Scientific Prize and the 2020 RACP International Medal. 

Research overview 

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease responsible for 1.4 million deaths each year worldwide. Isoniazid-resistant TB is the most common form of drug-resistant TB and threatens to set back global TB elimination efforts. The FLIRT Trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a new antibiotic treatment for isoniazid-resistant TB. It will enrol patients from Australia, Vietnam and Canada and measure how the new regimen compares to the current standard of care. This trial will evaluate outcomes of importance to patients including tolerability, quality of life and costs. The findings of this study will fill an important gap in national and global TB control guidelines and contribute to the fight against drug-resistant TB. 

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

NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Leadership)  

Institution

University of Sydney

Research title

A metagenomics platform to prevent future pandemics

Professor Eddie Holmes is Professor of Virology at the University of Sydney. His research focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of virus ecology and evolution, as well as how viruses jump species boundaries to emerge and cause disease in new hosts. In 2020 Professor Holmes was recipient of the NSW Premier’s Prize for Science and Engineering. In 2021 Professor Holmes received the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for his work on emerging diseases, including COVID-19. Professor Holmes is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the UK Royal Society. 

Research overview 

COVID-19 has shown how vulnerable the world is to pandemic viruses. It is therefore critical that a new generation of surveillance techniques are developed that can rapidly detect emerging viruses and determine which viruses are most likely to have pandemic potential. This project will provide the technological foundation for a global ‘pandemic radar’ to detect emerging human viruses. It will lead to the development of new computational tools that can rapidly and accurately identify viruses with pandemic potential from large-scale metagenomic data, and determine which viruses pose the biggest threat to humans and how often they sporadically infect Australians. 

Read more about the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award. 

NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership)  

Institution

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

Research title

Structure-function relationships in drug transport and inhibition of membrane proteins

Dr Alastair Stewart is a Laboratory Head at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. Dr Stewart’s research program uses large electron microscopes to generate detailed molecular information on a range of biomedically important molecules. Dr Stewart completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge, before moving to Australia to undertake a PhD in structural studies. Dr Stewart’s research provides an atomic-level structural framework to understand how biological macromolecules function, providing a basis for novel therapies. 

Research overview 

This project will study how drugs interact with bacterial proteins and human drug transporters. It will facilitate antimicrobial drug development and enhance current drug potency and effectiveness. High-resolution models of proteins bound to important biomedical molecules will be generated. Combined with complementary methods, this will be used to enable a detailed molecular understanding of drug binding and transport. This research program builds on current methods recently developed in protein structure and function analysis, and expands cutting-edge technologies into drug interactions, design and screening. 

Read more about the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award. 

NHMRC Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership) 

Institution

Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Research title

Supporting healing and recovery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Dr Graham Gee is an Aboriginal-Chinese man, also with Celtic heritage, originally from Darwin. His Aboriginal-Chinese grandfather was born near Belyuen on Larrakia Country. Dr Gee is a clinical psychologist and worked at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service for 11 years before taking up a research position at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. His early career research focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health, social and emotional wellbeing, resilience and complex trauma. In 2022, Dr Gee commenced working in partnership with several Victorian Aboriginal services dedicated to healing child sexual abuse. 

Research overview 

This research program involves collaboration with six Victorian Aboriginal partner services dedicated to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of child sexual abuse. Using Indigenous research methodologies, grounded theory, and processes of partner service co-design, a multi-phase approach will aim to: understand the experiences and processes of healing from child sexual abuse from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives; support effective responses to the healing and recovery needs of survivors; strengthen the wellbeing and capacity of the workforce dedicated to supporting survivors; and investigate and develop early intervention practices. 

Read more about the Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award.