UNSW researchers awarded $61 million in NHMRC Investigator Grants to advance autoimmune, oncology and genomics research
核心洞察
UNSW Sydney (搜索) researchers secured $61 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants across a broad portfolio of medical research projects.
Professor Christopher Goodnow received $3,035,320 to pursue curing autoimmune disease (搜索) by re-setting the mutated B cell repertoire.
Professor David Thomas and Professor Susan Ramus each received $3,035,320 for precision oncology germline risk management and personalised ovarian cancer (搜索) classification, respectively.
UNSW Sydney (搜索) researchers have been awarded $61 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants, funding a wide-ranging portfolio of projects spanning autoimmune disease (搜索), oncology, genomics, infectious disease and cardiovascular research. The grants, announced by UNSW, support individual investigators pursuing high-impact translational and discovery research across multiple affiliated institutes including the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The George Institute for Global Health, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the Kirby Institute.
Re-setting the B cell repertoire to cure autoimmune disease
Professor Christopher Goodnow, Executive Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, received $3,035,320 for his project "Curing autoimmune disease (搜索) by re-setting the mutated B cell repertoire." The project targets a fundamental mechanism underlying autoimmune conditions, aiming to address the disease at its immunological root rather than managing symptoms alone.
Precision oncology and personalised cancer classification
Two investigators received $3,035,320 each for oncology-focused programs. Professor David Thomas from UNSW Medicine & Health will lead "Precision oncology: germline risk management," while Professor Susan Ramus, also from UNSW Medicine & Health, will advance "the classification of ovarian cancer (搜索) patients to enable personalised treatment." These projects reflect a broader push toward tailoring cancer care based on individual genetic and molecular profiles.
Genomic medicine and early cancer detection
Conjoint Professor Daniel MacArthur from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research received $3,035,320 for "Genomic medicine resources representing Australia's unique diversity," underscoring the need for genomic datasets that reflect population diversity. In the early-detection space, Dr Abu Sina from UNSW Science received $1,636,800 for the "NanoGlycoRNA Scan," a program focused on novel GlycoRNA biomarker discovery and nanobiosensing for early cancer detection from liquid biopsy.
Targeted radionuclide therapy in prostate cancer
Conjoint Professor Louise Emmett from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research received $567,220 for her project "Optimising PSMA (搜索) targeted radionuclide therapy in metastatic prostate cancer (搜索)," addressing the optimisation of a targeted therapeutic approach for advanced disease.
Dementia prevention and cardiovascular research
Scientia Professor Kaarin Anstey, Director of the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, received $2,828,256 for "Preventing dementia (搜索) through individual and population level risk reduction." Conjoint Professor Sally Dunwoodie from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute received $3,035,320 for "Mechanistic understanding of congenital heart disease (搜索) and embryo loss," while Dr Zijing Zhou, also from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, received $697,615 for work on "a novel PIEZO subunit potentially involved in pain and blood pressure sensation."
Infectious disease and critical care
Scientia Professor Rebecca Guy from the Kirby Institute received $2,974,620 for "Point-of-care testing to accelerate the treatment of priority infectious diseases in remote Australian communities." Conjoint Professor John Myburgh from The George Institute for Global Health received $3,035,320 for "The impact of preventive antimicrobial strategies to improve outcomes in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients."
Translational technologies and emerging approaches
The grants also support emerging technological platforms. Scientia Professor Justin Gooding from UNSW Science received $2,312,014 for "3D Bioprinted breast cancer (搜索) organoids for cancer therapy and treatment monitoring." Dr Si Liu from UNSW Engineering received $697,615 for "Intelligent Reticular Chemistry for Tumour-Targeted Therapy and Real-Time Therapeutic Monitoring," and Dr Arindam Ghosh from UNSW Medicine & Health received $697,615 for "Decoding Immunotherapies at the Nanoscale."
The breadth of the $61 million investment reflects UNSW's emphasis on translating discovery science into clinical and public health impact, with funding distributed across senior investigators and early-career researchers alike.