General News
25 March, 2023
Healthier lives coming from vital medical research grants
MORE than $200,000 in research grants, including $50,000 to explore how a plant unique to the Wet Tropics may help with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and $50,000 to study hip replacement patients, have been awarded by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
Cairns Hospital orthopaedic physiotherapist Ben Glenwright will use his $50,000 grant to conduct studies about which hip replacement patients need intensive face-to-face rehab or if they have equally positive outcomes through self-paced rehab.
“There is growing evidence nationally and internationally that not everyone needs that intensive rehab so I want to see what the situation is here in FNQ and then conduct workshops with patients and clinicians about what those users think a rehab program should look like,” he said.
“Ultimately it may be that we can better use resources for improved outcomes on other patients,” he said.
Dr Phurpa Wangchuk, of James Cook University’s Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, will use a $50,000 grant to further his research into the rare Uromyrtus plant species found in the Mount Lewis area which hopefully will to lead to a drug being created to treat IBD.
The grants total $218,000 by the foundation this year – its second largest annual research funding round. Foundation CEO chief executive Gina Hogan said the charity had now contributed almost $2 million to research in the region since 2007.
“Together with the hospital, we’re on a quest to achieve university status and you can’t have that without undertaking a lot of research.
“Our grants range from $50,000 to $25,000, $10,000 and $5000 and they are highly competitive and sought after.
“As well as JCU researchers, we are proud that our grants are now soughtafter by hospital staff wanting to grow their knowledge and research capability,” she said.
James Cook University AITHM PhD candidate Emily O’Hara will receive $25,000 for the latest technology to extract venom from potentially lethal box jellyfish.
The aim is to increase sample yield and preserve heatsensitive venom components. AITHM Professor Norelle Daly will use her $24,000 grant to determine if compounds isolated from tropical plants can be used to develop a novel wound healing treatment.
JCU healthy ageing researcher Dr Kathryn Meldrum will use her $10,000 Paul and Dina Kamsler Grant to survey CHHHS clinicians about the depression screening tools they use to help a larger project, to develop an appropriate screening tool for Aboriginal people living in Far North Queensland.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Cancer services Nurse Educator Sara Hurren will receive $10,195 towards research about skin irritant contact dermatitis.
Other grant recipients are:
• Linton Harriss: Nursing and midwifery graduate cohort study – strengthening the workforce in North Queensland; and medical research capacity and culture in Northern Queensland
• Saparna Pai: Strategies to potentiate Q cell function for tuberculosis immunotherapy
• Lucy Beswick: Determine the clinical necessity of using smart perfusion for all endovascular lower limb reperfusions
• Kirstie Broadfield: Changing the rules of engagement for emergency examination assessments
• Matthew Corbitt: Impact of virtual reality surgical training on operative proficiency for surgical trainees
• Craig McDonald: Review of high frequency pathology and point of care testing in ICU
• Pornphimon Meesakul: Evaluation of cytotoxitiy, antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of FNQ Bush food
• Karma Yeshi: Exploring the mosquito repellent and larvicidal activities of essential oils against aedes aegypti
• Natalie Conley: Attitudes and experiences of nurses who treat persons who have selfharmed
• Kirstie Broadfield: Changing the rules of engagement for emergency examination assessment.
