UNSW researchers awarded over $9m in medical research grants

Four UNSW projects have received the funding, including delaying the onset of dementia, helping older adults recover from injuries and improving youth mental health treatments.

Medical researchers from UNSW Sydney have secured over $9 million in funding from the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

The MRFF grants are for four separate projects, looking at research into dementia, ageing and aged care, as well as mental health.

UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise Professor Bronwyn Fox congratulated the academics involved.

“We’re extremely proud of the researchers and their teams who have secured these significant MRFF grants. Dementia, ageing, and mental health are some of the most pressing health challenges faced by Australians today. The innovative research being undertaken by our academics will undoubtedly have a lasting impact, improving both care and outcomes for patients across the country.”

Dementia, ageing and aged care

Scientia Professor Kaarin Anstey, Senior Principal Research Scientist at NeuRA and UNSW Science, School of Psychology, has received $3 million for a project aimed at delaying or preventing dementia in older adults who are already experiencing cognitive symptoms.

Dementia is the second leading cause of death for Australians and is tipped to soon become the country’s leading cause of death.

Prof. Anstey will use the grant to launch CogCoach-Brain, a lifestyle risk reduction program for cognitively at-risk older Australians. Delivered online with health consults from exercise physiologists, dieticians and psychologists, the project includes a two-year follow-up period.

Participants will be sought through memory clinics, primary care and the community, with a toolkit to be developed to assist health practitioners in implementing the program.

“Importantly, the program will address a significant gap in services for older adults,” Prof. Anstey said.

“We’re delighted to see the funding for this program address the risk factors for dementia – which affects so many ageing Australians.”

Professor Kim Delbaere, Senior Principal Research Scientist at NeuRA and UNSW Medicine and Health, School of Population Health, has been awarded $2.9 million to develop and test StandingTall-Rehab, a digital exercise program aimed at helping older adults recover more effectively after injury or illness.

Prof. Delbaere will use this grant to evaluate the success, cost-effectiveness and implementation of StandingTall-Rehab in improving the lives of patients aged 50 and over.

If proven effective, StandingTall-Rehab will become a scalable, low-cost digital rehabilitation solution that will improve rehabilitation service access for all Australians.

“StandingTall-Rehab addresses a major gap in rehabilitation services. Many older adults do not get enough support to recover fully after a hospital stay, leading to long-term disabilities and reduced quality of life,” Prof. Delbaere said.

“This program enables patients to perform personalised exercises at home, using a tablet computer, which helps them regain their strength and independence without needing to travel to a clinic. Importantly, it was co-designed with consumers and healthcare partners to ensure it is user-friendly, accessible to diverse communities and truly beneficial to those we intend to support.”

Conjoint Professor Peter Gonski from the School of Population Health at UNSW Medicine & Health has received $2.3 million for a project that aims to digitally monitor older adults living at home during an acute illness so that they can avoid hospitalisation.

“It is well known that elderly people who use emergency department and hospital inpatient services often get better when treated at home,” said Prof. Gonski.

“Under the project, elderly patients referred to outreach services for home care will be monitored remotely. If needed, their treatment will be quickly adjusted.

“We are delighted to see the funding for this program address such an important emerging area in clinical care.”

The funding will be used to study older patients who are acutely deteriorating and can be managed in their home.

The research team will include clinicians across the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District hospitals, academics from the Local Health District and UNSW, and experts in the technological and monitoring space.

Mental health

Professor Bridianne O’Dea, Little Heroes Professor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Flinders University and Honorary Fellow at the Black Dog Institute and UNSW Medicine & Health, has received $975,000 for a project aimed at helping General Practitioners (GPs) better support their adolescent patients while they await access to specialist mental health treatment and services.

Prof. O’Dea and colleagues from the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Orygen and Northwestern University (US) will use the grant to test out interactive digital approaches including smartphone apps and automated SMS chat to help GPs better support adolescents and their families during the wait period. 

Delivered in partnership with lived experience mental health organisations, SANE Australia, Black Dog Institute and primary care health networks including Central and Eastern Sydney and South Eastern NSW Primary Health Networks and Grand Pacific Health, the project will work with GPs to design and deliver a low-cost, low-intensity solution that can then be tested nationally.

“We will be working closely with GPs and people with lived experience to create a digitally-enhanced network of scalable interventions that can help support the psychological wellbeing and safety of adolescents while they await specialist mental health treatment and services,” Prof. O’Dea said.

“Our focus on digital interventions means that we can create an accessible solution that doesn’t introduce new service roadblocks or compound existing wait times.

“This funding provides us with an exciting opportunity to unite a multidisciplinary team that is highly motivated to improve the wellbeing of young Australians seeking professional help for their mental health.”