SAHMRI researchers win big with grants for breakthrough projects

Maria Makrides made a world breakthrough showing how fish oil can reduce the risk of preterm birth. This grant will support the SAHMRI researcher to continue her lifesaving work.

Adelaide’s Professor Maria Makrides whose landmark research showed how to save babies’ lives with fish oil has landed a $3.5m grant to continue her world-class work.

She is one of several SA Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) researchers to land major National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grants to further their projects.

Prof Makrides, SAHMRI’s deputy director and also its Women and Kids Theme Leader, proved increased intake of omega-3 long-chain fatty acids for pregnant women with low levels reduced their risk of premature births by more than 70 per cent.

This year a campaign started urging pregnant women to get tested in their first trimester to and to take omega-3 supplements if needed to help prevent preterm births.

Prof Makrides’ $3.5m grant administered by the University of Adelaide will fund further research on using precision nutrition to prevent premature birth and enhance cognitive development of very preterm children.

Prof Makrides said preterm birth is the major cause of death for children aged under five and preterm children are more likely to have cognitive impairment, intellectual disability and academic underachievement with lifelong consequences.

“My work has shown that 17 per cent of pregnant women are depleted in omega-3 fatty acids and that correcting this depletion will reduce their risk of early birth by more than 70 per cent,” Prof Makrides said.

SAHMRI Women's and Kids Theme Leader, University of Adelaide Professor of Human Nutrition Maria Makrides. Picture: Keryn Stevens

In a stroke of serendipity, the breakthrough followed a failed hypothesis — Prof Makrides originally was testing to see if omega-3 supplements for pregnant women improved the brain development of children.

It didn’t. But in an intriguing twist, the “fish oil effect” extended gestation by an average of two days. Omega-3 is found in fish and other seafood, eggs, plant oils and nuts and seeds.

Senior Research Fellow, Dr Janet Sluggett, has secured $1.2m, administered by UniSA, for her work using big data to maximise the impact of pharmacists on medicines safety in aged care.

The project is in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety that recommended urgent action be taken to improve medicines use in aged care services.

“This project will tell us more about the effects of medicines when they are used by people receiving aged care services, so health professionals can make improvements,” Dr Sluggett said.

Clinical pharmacist Dr Janet Sluggett.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Feargal Ryan, has received $655,000, administered by SAHMRI, to develop microbiome-based interventions aimed at improving the effectiveness of vaccines.

Vaccine effectiveness is highly variable between individuals and even populations, and one reason appears to be disruptions among the vast populations of microorganisms living in the gut.

“This program will identify novel interventions that enhance vaccine responses, refine our understanding of host-microbiome interactions and empower host-microbiome research through developing new bioinformatic tools,” he said.

Originally published as SAHMRI researchers win big with grants for breakthrough projects