Menzies researchers receive more than $12m from NHMRC to research malaria, TB in Top End

Top End researchers have received more than $12m in grants to research infectious diseases and improve First Nations healthcare. Read how they

Seven Top End researchers from Menzies School of Health Research have received more than $12 million in funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council to improve First Nations healthcare and research infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis.

The funding is part of $676 million in new investment in health and medical research from the NHMRC, across four major grant schemes: Ideas Grants, Investigator Grants, Development Grants, International Collaborative Grants.

Investigator Grant recipient Professor Anna Ralph will build on her previous research, focusing on the prevention, diagnosis and management of infectious diseases delivered with culturally safe care.

“The goal is to impact patient experience and impact the outcome of care by strengthening the health workforce through having a better knowledge of the unique Northern Territory conditions we have,” she said.

“What I mean by that is supporting healthcare providers to know what it means to communicate effectively and make sure that healthcare is delivered in First Nations languages using Aboriginal interpreters when needed and supporting health systems to be places that people can trust and feel empowered and able to engage with.”

Menzies Professor Anna Ralph’s research aims to improve the experience of First Nations people accessing healthcare in the NT through the prevention, diagnosis and management of infectious diseases delivered with culturally safe care. Picture: @MenziesResearch/X

Professor Anne Chang and Associate Professor Marita Hefler, who were awarded investigator and ideas grants, aim to improve lung health in children and reduce smoking through tobacco control in First Nations communities across the NT.

Associate Professor Sarah Auburn, Dr Benedikt Ley, Dr Angela Devine and Dr Steven Kho also received combined funding of over $5 million to undertake research into malaria control and elimination.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the grants supported “groundbreaking, world-class research that addresses some of the nation’s greatest health challenges.”

“Australia punches well above its weight in so many areas, but particularly in health and medical research, and these seven projects from the Territory are further proof of that,” he said.

“These investments in health and medical research will foster discovery and innovation, help commercialise proof-of-concepts, and deepen international research ties.”

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the grant program would support researchers in the NT tackle some of the nation’s greatest health issues.

Menzies School of Health Research PhD student Dr Emma Smith has been awarded a prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council scholarship to tackle tuberculosis in the Top End.

With a NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship of $14,000 over 3 years, Dr Smith’s PhD research, ‘Remote Aboriginal Communities Ending Tuberculosis’ (REACT) will begin early next year.

Dr Smith said the project aimed to “put communities and those who have experienced TB at the heart of our work, empowering people to help shape the way the disease is managed.”

“While overall incidence of tuberculosis in Australia is low, TB still remains a preventable

cause of disability and death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,

highlighting that more work needs to be done to close the gap,” she said.

“Through supporting health services to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of TB

in remote communities, we will strive to reduce the impacts of this preventable infectious

disease.”

Dr Smith, along with the research team, will collaborate with Mala’la Aboriginal Health Service, Sunrise Aboriginal Health Service, the Northern Territory Centre of Disease Control and participating remote communities, to reduce the impact of TB.

As part of the project, Dr Smith will also work closely with individuals, families

and communities that have been affected by TB to increase prevention, improve screening and diagnostic testing and increase primary health services’ capacity for patient-centred care of TB.

Originally published as Menzies researchers receive more than $12m from NHMRC to research malaria, TB in Top End