The Kids researchers have been awarded over $9 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding towards child health research including rheumatic heart disease, respiratory infections, and autism spectrum disorder.
Research into the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of school students, as well as reducing the burden of skin infections, and preventing permanent disease in kids with chronic wet cough will also benefit from the funding.
The Kids Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM, who was awarded an Investigator Grant for his research into eliminating rheumatic heart disease, congratulated his fellow recipients at the Institute for the funding received.
“Securing these highly-competitive grants allows our researchers to continue to do the important work they do in tackling some of the big health issues affecting our children and young people,” Professor Carapetis said.
“The Kids has had an excellent result this year with 100 per cent of the Partnership Projects submitted by the Institute being successful and 30 per cent of Investigator Grants also being funded.
“This is well above the national success rate of 13.2 per cent for Investigator Grants and 52.9 per cent for Partnership Projects, and is a huge testament to the quality and hard work of our The Kids researchers, and the supportive environment we offer for research.”
The following researchers have been awarded NHMRC funding:
Investigator Grants (through UWA), worth a combined total of almost $7.4 million:
- Dr Chris Blyth - $1,288,139.50 – Paediatric Acute Respiratory Infection Management & Prevention: Platforms for the Future
- Associate Professor Asha Bowen - $1,244,044.05 – Healthy skin and healthier lives for Indigenous Australian children
- Professor Jonathan Carapetis - $1,761,301.35 – Interventions to eliminate rheumatic heart disease
- Professor Andrew Whitehouse - $3,103,030 – Improving clinical outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder: A research program spanning basic, clinical and implementation science
Partnership Projects (through UWA), worth a combined total of more than $1.6 million:
- Dr Sally Brinkman - $236,436.60 – Taking a population health approach to supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing and mental health within the education system
- Dr Andre Schultz - $1,429,677 – Partnerships to prevent permanent disease in children with chronic wet cough