Research given $2.7 million funding boost

Two UWA research projects looking to improve health and patient outcomes have received a combined $2.7 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

They include a study that will examine Familial Hypercholesterolaemia, a condition where a gene alteration causes a high blood level of cholesterol to pass from one generation to the next, and a research project that will look into ways of improving health and development outcomes in infants.

The NHMRC grants aim to support world-leading health and medical research projects to improve the lives of Australians and deliver better care as we look towards recovery from COVID-19.

Dr Jing Pang from UWA's Medical School has received $645,205 to lead the study into Familial Hypercholesterolaemia and will be developing a tool to aid early diagnosis of the condition.

Those with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia are at very high risk of early coronary artery disease causing an estimated $4 billion burden on the Australian economy between 2017 and 2018.

Professor Jane Pillow from UWA's School of Human Sciences was awarded $2.06 million to examine ways of reducing global mortality and severity of disease in newborn infants.

Disruptions to normal growth and development can adversely affect lifelong health and longevity and affect multiple body organ systems in infants born prematurely.

Professor Pillow’s team will look into low-cost treatments that minimise the need for technology and technical skill.