Medical Research Future Fund 2024 Grant Success
Pictured Associate Professor Roxanne Hastie, Professor Stephen Tong, Professor Martha Hickey & Professor Lisa Hui.
The Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health are so proud to celebrate the success of 4 of our researchers who have been awarded MRFF grants in the 2024 round. Congratulations to CIA’s Associate Professor Roxanne Hastie, Professor Stephen Tong, Professor Martha Hickey and Professor Lisa Hui and their teams! Please see below information about each of the grants that the teams were awarded.
2024 Research Data Infrastructure Grant
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health researcher Associate Professor Roxanne Hastie has been awarded a MRFF 2024 Research Data Infrastructure Grant for The Australian Perinatal Data Linkage Platform.
CIA: Associate Professor Roxanne Hastie
Team: Associate Professor Roxanne Hastie, Doctor Anthea Clare Lindquist, Professor Stephen Tong, Professor Partick Luke Olivier, Professor Lyle Cordell Gurrin, Doctor Alexandra Louise Waddell, Mrs Lisa Nucifora, Professor Susan Walker, Professor Brett James Manley, Professor Della Anne Forste.
Project Summary: We are transforming decision-making during pregnancy. We will create Australia’s first national perinatal data infrastructure; linking national birth data with maternal prescribing records and health outcomes for mothers & children. Our initiative aims to provide critical evidence on the safety of prescribed medications during pregnancy, revealing their effects. Central to this effort is the SAFE Pregnancy platform—a user-friendly online tool co-designed with consumers. It will provide easy access to new evidence, supporting informed decision-making between pregnant women and their care teams. This infrastructure will continuously integrate new data and enhance the platform, promoting safer pregnancies and healthier families. This project was awarded $2,499,192.00.
Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research - 2024 Infertility, Pregnancy Loss and Menopause
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health researchers Professor Stephen Tong & Professor Martha Hickey both were successful in obtaining MRFF 2024 Infertility, Pregnancy Loss and Menopause grant funding.
Project: TIM TAMS: Placental Health Test to Prevent Stillbirths and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
Team: Professor Stephen Tong, Doctor Lucy Bartho, Professor Adrienne Gordon, Doctor Roxanne Hastie, Professor Lisa Hui, Professor Tu'uhevaha Kaitu'u-Lino, Ms Sienna Kolatowicz, Doctor Teresa MacDonald, Doctor Simone Mulder, Mrs Elsa Murray-White, Professor Craig Pennell, Mrs Alexandra Tighe, Professor Susan Walker, Associate Professor Jared Watts
Project Summary: Blood tests are commonly ordered to check on the health of the liver, kidney, thyroid and so many organs. No such health test exists for the placenta. In an Aussie-wide effort stretching from the city to remote Broome (including first Nation Australians), we will validate the first placental health blood test. A test that's simple, accurate and accessible. A high risk result will save babies from stillbirth. A low risk result will offer reassurance that the placenta is healthy and baby is safe. This project was awarded $1,999,981.00.
Project: Understanding mechanisms and optimising health after early menopause
Team: Professor Martha Hickey, Doctor Mridula Bandyopadhyay, Doctor Hsin-Fang Chung, Doctor Tessa Copp, Doctor Martina de Witte, Professor Jenny Doust, Professor Kirsten McCaffery, Professor Gita Mishra, Doctor Sally-Anne Mortlock, Associate Professor Michelle Peate, Doctor Sarah Price, Associate Professor Ines Rio
Project Summary: Around 10% of women experience early menopause (before age 45 years). This may follow surgery or cancer treatment, but is often spontaneous and in many cases the cause is not known. This will be the first study to determine the genetic and environmental risk factors for early menopause, deliver an evidence-based tool for diagnosis and management and new health information and support resources for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women who are at elevated risk of early menopause. This project was awarded $997,063.80.
Genomics Health Futures Mission - 2024 Genomics Health Futures
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health researcher Professor Lisa Hui was successful in obtaining a MRFF 2024 Genomics Health Futures grant for the project Improving Access and Community Trust in Perinatal Genomics for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations: The ImpACT-PG.
CIA: Professor Lisa Hui
Project: Improving Access and Community Trust in Perinatal Genomics for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations: The ImpACT-PG project
Team: Professor Lisa Hui, Professor David Amor, Ms Delaram Ansari, Associate Professor Alison Archibald, Associate Professor Rosemarie Boland, Associate Professor Jacqueline Boyle, Ms Anaita Kanga-Parabia, Associate Professor Sharon Lewis, Doctor Melvin Marzan, Professor Catherine Mills, Professor Cate Nagle, Mrs Karamdeep Pangli, Doctor Elisha Riggs, Associate Professor Ines Rio, Ms Pieta Shakes
Project Summary: The growing availability of genomic testing provides prospective parents with valuable insights into their future child's health. However, the benefits of such testing are unevenly distributed, as people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds face many barriers to accessing genomic healthcare. The goal of this project is to build community trust and improve access to perinatal genomics for CALD communities through consumer-centred research. This project was awarded $968,229.21
We congratulate all the CIA’s and their teams for this hugely significant grant success within the Dept OGN.