National Health and Research Council Grants of interest to older Australians

A miniature, remote-controlled microcatheter to be used in operations on stroke victims, a mask that allows samples to be collected from people with lung infections and a wound dressing that promotes faster healing and reduced scarring are among 23 new National Health and Medical Research Council development grants.

The grants, worth $4.1 million, will provide funding for researchers to translate the results of their research into products that benefit consumers in Australia and overseas.

They fund research commercialisation at the early proof-of-concept stage and support development work in fields related to human health including diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceutical products, bioinformatics, biomaterials and biotechnology.

These projects highlight the benefits that can flow from investing in health and medical research. They take the next step in taking research out of laboratories and putting it into practical use.

Among the grant recipients are:

* Dr Euan Tovey, University of Sydney, $175,500, to develop a special mask to provide a new and more comfortable way to collect samples to diagnose lung infections.
* Assoc Prof James Friend, Monash University, Victoria, $183,313, to develop NanoNautilus, a remote-controlled microcatheter that will greatly reduce the risks involved in medical treatments for stroke victims
* Prof Fiona Wood, University of WA, $184,500, to investigate whether a novel type of wound dressing can promote faster healing and reduce scarring
* Prof Ian Ramshaw, Australian National Uuniverity, $156,250, to develop a flu vaccine that can recognise and kill flu-infected cells from all flu strains
* Dr David Abbott, Brain Research Institute, Victoria, $175,615, to further develop a tool that provides simultaneous EEG and MRI imaging, combining the specific benefits of both
* Prof John Wallace, University of Adelaide, $195,500, to develop a compound into an antibiotic for golden staph
* Assoc Prof Terence O’Brien, University of Melbourne, $198,600, to further develop a new concept for treating epilepsy
* Dr John Atwell, La Trobe University, Victoria, $134,750, to develop a tool to monitor people with a presumed heart attack. It will be able to quickly estimate damage to the heart, which will mean quicker diagnosis and triage of patients presenting with chest pain.

Details of the grant recipients can be found at www.nhmrc.gov.au