Dr Emma Solly
University of Adelaide's Dr Emma Solly and Dr Sivabaskari Pasupathy will share in the latest round of funding from The Hospital Research Foundation Group's Advancing Care and Treatment of Chronic Conditions in Priority Populations competitive grant round.
The HRFG awarded four grants in total, with Dr Solly and Dr Pasupathy receiving almost $500,000 between the two of them.
Dr Solly, from the University's Adelaide Medical School, is investigating diabetes-associated complications for people in rural areas while Dr Pasupathy, also of the AMS, will research heart disease in women.
"Up to 25 per cent of people with diabetes will develop a diabetes-related foot ulcer, which eventually requires amputation in 20 per cent of cases," says Dr Solly, who is also affiliated with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
"In addition, people living in rural Australia are up to 11 times more likely to be hospitalised for diabetes-related amputations than people in metropolitan areas.
"This project will assess the effectiveness of a new, more targeted, microRNA therapy believed to be able to restore diabetes-impaired blood vessel growth and wound healing, to prevent amputation."
Dr Sivabaskari Pasupathy.
Dr Pasupathy, who is based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a supplement to improve blood vessel function.
"Angina and Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries (ANOCA) is a debilitating heart condition primarily affecting women, causing severe chest pain despite there being no obvious blockage in the arteries," she said.
"We will trial the effectiveness of a supplement called NAC (N-acetylcysteine) in improving blood vessel function for women with ANOCA, therefore alleviating chest pain symptoms and improving quality of life."
University of Adelaide's Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), congratulated Dr Solly and Dr Pasupathy for receiving the grants.
"We're delighted with the outcome of The Hospital Research Foundation Group's latest funding round," Professor Middelberg said.
"Dr Solly and Dr Pasupathy's projects demonstrate the important research our University community is undertaking which may lead to improved outcomes and treatment for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease."
