An investment of $60 million will support researchers to pursue collaborative research that aims to improve health outcomes by translating health and medical research into policy and/or practice funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) scheme.
Twenty new centres will share in this total funding amount to undertake collaborative research and develop research capacity in basic science, clinical medicine and science, health services and public health.
Outcomes of the 2024 CRE grant round include $3 million to support capacity building in dementia-specific research with a basic science research focus.
Professor Juergen Goetz from the University of Queensland will lead a team of investigators under the Centre of Research Excellence in Mechanisms In NeuroDegeneration - Alzheimer's Disease (MIND-AD CRE).
MIND-AD is the first dedicated CRE to lead basic science research into improving our understanding of the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease and developing an effective treatment for the currently incurable disease.
It is estimated that more than 420,000 Australians are living with dementia, and it is Australia's second leading cause of death[1].
The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that gradually erodes cognitive abilities which leads to impaired thinking, changes in behaviour and memory loss.
Professor Goetz intends to generate new knowledge of the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease and improve drug delivery methods to identify novel therapeutic avenues.
The MIND-AD CRE expects to advance Australia's intellectual leadership by bringing together interdisciplinary preclinical and clinical researchers, developing novel drug delivery tools, and uncovering the interplay between molecular and cellular defects that lead to cognitive impairments.
Other projects receiving funding provided through the 2024 CRE scheme include:
- Professor Kay Crossley from La Trobe University is aiming to reduce the risk of knee injuries, likelihood of developing knee arthritis, and knee pain and improve outcomes in women and girls through the new HERknee CRE.
- Associate Professor Laura Tarzia's, from the University of Melbourne, goal is to transform health services to support adult victims and survivors of sexual violence to restore wellbeing and enhance healing under the RESTORE CRE.
- Professor John Kaldor from the University of New South Wales will lead the ENGAGE (Ending the Neglect through Greater Access and Greater Effectiveness) CRE, aiming to accelerate progress towards the public health elimination of neglected tropical diseases.
Details of all grants announced are available to download on NHMRC's website.
Quotes attributable to NHMRC CEO, Professor Steve Wesselingh:
- "The CRE scheme supports a dynamic range of research that addresses national needs and the emerging health challenges of our time.
- "Funding will provide support for research teams to pursue collaborative research, and develop capacity across the spectrum of basic science, clinical, health services and public health research.
- "Supporting basic science research that takes an innovative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of dementia will ensure that we retain, and continue to build, Australia's dementia research capacity."
[1] Dementia Australia (2023). Dementia Prevalence Data 2024-2054, commissioned research undertaken by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Dementia facts and figures | Dementia Australia
