Swinburne secures $1.8 million in NHMRC funding
In Summary
- Swinburne secures $1.8 million in National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grants
- Twenty per cent of Swinburne applications successful, above national average of 17.3 per cent
- Three of the four Swinburne investigators are female researchers
Swinburne has successfully secured $1.8 million in the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grants.
Twenty per cent of Swinburne applications for funding were successful, putting Swinburne above the national average of 17.3 per cent.
“It is pleasing to see successes in the areas of psychology and neuroscience, a growing area of strength for Swinburne and a reflection of our growing partnerships within the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct,” says Professor Aleksandar Subic, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development).
“It is also pleasing to note that three of the four Swinburne investigators are female researchers, a wonderful representation of our commitment to Science in Australia Gender Equality (SAGE).”
Successful projects
The following Swinburne researchers were successful in receiving funding:
- Dr Andrea Phillipou ($662,400) for a project to establish a biomarker for anorexia nervosa;
- Dr Wei Lin Toh ($577, 500) for a project to investigate characteristics of multimodal hallucinations across psychiatric and neurological populations;
- Associate Professor Jason Howitt ($573,600) working with Dr Sarah Gordon of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Healthto better understand the extracellular transmission of αlpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease.
In addition, Swinburne Associate Professor Elisabeth Lambert is a co-investigator on a successful grant led by Professor Geoff Head of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. This project is investigating modulation of brain GABA receptor function by ganaxolone as a novel treatment for neurogenic hypertension.
Previous funding outcomes
The announcement follows previous funding success, with Swinburne securing $3.6 million in funding from the 2018 Australian Research Council in November.
Two Swinburne researchers were also previously awarded NHRMC funding in 2018:
- Associate Professor Sunil Bhar ($985,750.60) to lead an aged care mental health support trial;
- Swinburne’s Professor Susan Rossell ($649,175) to conduct research into improving cognition in mental illness.