National Health and Medical Research grants announced

The Commonwealth Government’s $36 million Australia Fellowships, through the National Health and Medical Research Council, have been awarded to researchers in cancer, infectious diseases and mental health.

Each recipient is highly regarded in their field. Each Fellowship is valued at $4 million ($800,000 per year for five years). The recipients are:

The fight against cancer:

· Professor Doug Hilton from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Professor David Vaux from La Trobe University. Professor John Hopper from the University of Melbourne. Professor Andreas Strasser from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

Easing the global burden of infectious diseases:

· Professor James C Paton from the University of Adelaide. Professor Alan Cowman from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Professor Tony McMichael, from the Australian National University.

Mind and body – moving forward on mental health:

. Professor Sam Berkovic from the University of Melbourne. Professor Ian Hickie from the Brain & Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney.