Research fellowships to fund Queensland medical breakthroughs

Queensland researchers on the verge of medical breakthroughs in 3D biomedical technology and the detection of malaria will receive support from the State Government this month.

Innovation Minister Kate  Jones said the $7.2 million Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships would support 30 researchers, working in collaboration with a Queensland company on projects that will have an impact on the world.

“Through our Industry Research Fellowships we’re making sure that we’re keeping the state’s best and brightest researchers in Queensland and also attracting talented researchers from interstate and overseas.

“Three of the 30 research fellows are working on projects with the Herston Biofabrication Institute, with three exciting projects set to change the way we do things in medicine, taking medical technology into the future.

“These projects will save peoples lives and might not be possible without funding from the State Government.”

Health Minister Steven Miles said initiatives such as this one were driving innovation across Queensland’s healthcare system.

“We have some of the best researchers and clinicians in the world right here in Queensland.

“The important work being carried out within our research facilities and hospitals today has the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of patients in Queensland, and globally, tomorrow,” Mr Miles said.

Dr Sean Powell, Dr Asha Mathew and Dr Mark Allenby all received early-career fellowship funding of $180,000 to work on collaborative projects with the Herston Biofabrication Institute.

Institute director Professor Mia Woodruff said the organisation’s work (a partnership with Metro North Hospital and Health Service and scheduled to open in 2019) will transform health care and grow Queensland’s scientific expertise.

“The future of health care involves the transformation of traditional medical practices by enabling advanced personalised treatments driven by 3D biomedical technologies,” Professor Woodruff said.

“The institute will enable close collaboration with clinicians and leading industry partners to develop 3D platform technologies (scanning, modelling, printing) to treat tissue loss and/or damage in three important areas of health care – orthopaedics, vascular and skin burns, and trauma.”

QUT Fellowship recipient Dr Sean Powell said severe burns affected the lives of thousands of Australians each year.

“In 2013-2014, more than 1500 Australian children and more than 3000 Australian adults were hospitalised with severe burns, leading to significant difficulties that can last their entire lives,” he said.

“Among the most visible effects of burns is hypertrophic scarring. Current treatments are invasive, labour intensive and very traumatic for young children who often need sedation.

“This project will develop 3D scanning, modelling and 3D printing approaches for burn injury management leading to better, less invasive treatments and improved clinical outcomes.”

Dr Maggy Sikulu-Lord from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health has received mid-stage fellowship funding of $300,000 to work with the Australian Defence Force to develop a mobile and non-invasive device for rapid diagnosis of malaria.

Dr Sikulu-Lord’s fellowship will provide the scientific data that will facilitate the development of a real-time and portable device to detect malaria in a person within a few seconds.

“Malaria remains the deadliest disease in the world — over 200 million malaria cases are reported every year,” Dr Sikulu-Lord said.

“In Australia, hundreds of malaria imported cases are reported each year with Queensland reporting the highest number of cases. 

“The current gold standard system for detecting malaria involves viewing a blood sample under a microscope: it’s time consuming and inaccurate technique, particularly in areas with low malaria. This fellowship builds on work my team is already doing in South America in identifying mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus.

“It will be useful for Australian Defence Force personnel working in malaria endemic countries and the device will also be available for use at Queensland airports and ports and to guide the elimination of malaria worldwide.”

The Industry Research Fellowships are part of the $650 million whole-of-government Advance Queensland initiative to foster innovation and build a more diversified Queensland economy, creating jobs now and for the future.

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