2023 Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health seed funding recipients announced

The Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health is pleased to announce its first round of seed funding for 2023.

(L-R by row): Dr Sara Baratchi, Associate Professor William Chan, Associate Professor Morag Young and Associate Professor Kegan Moneghetti

The competitive scheme received projects from several research groups involving staff from the Baker Institute and other Departments throughout the University, collaborating in the Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health.

The projects awarded funding are:

• Multiomic investigation of mechanotransduction in calcific aortic valve disease.

Principal Investigator: Sara Baratchi (Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, RMITand the University of Melbourne). Investigators: Associate Professor Nicholas Williamson, Dr Ching-Seng Ang, Associate Professor Agus Salim, Professor Karlheinz Peter, Dr Jonathan Noonan, Nalin Dayawansa, Habiba Danish. Awarded $200,000.

• Calculating internal clock time from blood transcriptomic data – evaluation of a universal biomarker for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

Principal Investigators: Dr Morag Young, Dr Kegan Moneghetti (Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health and the University of Melbourne). Investigators: Sarah Gutman, Associate Professor David Prior, Jonathan Shaw, Professor Peter Meikle, Professor Tom Marwick. Awarded $100,000.

• Comprehensive evaluation of plasma markers of PI3K activity in healthy and diseased hearts to identify future treatment strategies.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor William Chan (the University of Melbourne, Monash University and Western Health). Investigators: Kawa Haji, Professor Julie McMullen. Awarded $100,000.

Grant recipients will give presentations on their projects and progress throughout 2023 and 2024 as part of our Seed Funding Seminar series. For more information on these seminars and the seed grant scheme, contact us at baker-dept@unimelb.edu.au.