Fifteen cutting edge medical research and technology projects will receive a total of $16.9 million from the Australian Government to accelerate their transition into clinical practice.
The projects all have tremendous potential to transform the lives of people here and around the world.
Nine of the projects will receive a total of $6.7 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program. All of these projects target aspects of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are leading causes of death and disability.
They include development of a new external controller for an artificial heart which could allow patients with heart failure to recover and lead normal lives without requiring a transplant, and a clinical trial of the use of genetically engineered islet cells to restore glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes.
Five projects will receive $7.2 million through the Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) Program under the MRFF Medical Research Commercialisation initiative. They are developing a diverse range of new medical technology, including a ‘next generation’ condom and a wearable device that restores vision to some blind and vision-disabled people.
The great promise of these projects is reflected in the private co-funding they have attracted, totalling $8.6 million for the TTRA projects and $12.9 million for the CTCM projects. Their connections with translation partner companies have been supported by MTPConnect, which delivers the grants programs for the Government.
Today the Government also highlights $3 million in recently awarded funding for researchers from Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN), the University of Sydney, NSW Health Pathology and the CSIRO to explore how genome sequencing could be used to rapidly target diseases or genetic conditions with available therapies.
This project, called NEWBORN GEN SEQ TRAIL (Newborn Genomic Sequencing in screening: Therapy Ready And Information for Life) will be led by Clinical Professor Bruce Bennetts, Department Head of Molecular Genetics at SCHN.
