Tuesday 11 March 2014 3:25pmUniversity of Otago researchers have gained just over $1.9m in funding from the Lottery Grants Board to support studies aimed at improving the health status of New Zealanders.
The grants support the purchase of scientific equipment, PhD scholarships, and the pursuit of research projects aimed to quickly translate into meaningful health outcomes and community benefit.
Researchers from across the University's three main campuses in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington have received 24 translational research grants, seven equipment grants and two PhD scholarships. A full list appears below.
Nationally, around $3.89m comprising 64 grants was distributed in the Lottery Health Research 2013/14 funding round.
Otago's translational projects involve a wide variety of health-related topics and range from investigating how the bacteria that cause listeria spread in the body to studying severe housing deprivation.
Also among the projects are investigations aimed at improving long-term outcomes for glaucoma patients, developing better breast cancer treatments, pursuing new approaches to cure a common form of childhood leukaemia, and improving nutritional status and health in older New Zealanders.
About Lottery Health Research
For more information, contact:
Simon Ancell
Communications Adviser
University of Otago
Email simon.ancell@otago.ac.nz
Otago recipients of Lottery Health Research Grants:
Lottery Health - Research Equipment
Equipment grant for Radio-telemetry data acquisition system
Dr Max Berry (Paediatrics, Wellington)
$40,000
Masimo RAD-8 oximeters and software
Professor Dawn Elder (Paediatrics, Wellington)
$6,642
Gammacell 3000 Elan (Best Theratronics)
Dr Nick Fleming (Pathology, Dunedin)
$100,000
Shared equipment for protein purification
Dr Peter Mace (Biochemistry)
$62,000
Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (QTrap 5500)
Associate Professor Natalie Medlicott (Pharmacy)
$100,000
High performance liquid chromatography pump and analyser with electrochemical detection capability
Professor Margreet Vissers (Pathology, Christchurch)
$42,000
ViiA7 Real-Time PCR System with Laptop, Taqman Array Block and 96 well block
Dr Joanna Williams (Anatomy)
$60,000
Lottery Health - Translational Research Projects
Severe housing deprivation 2013
Dr Kate Amore (Public Health, Wellington)
$45,095
The role of peri-operative gabapentin in the management of pain following tonsillectomy
Mr Patrick Dawes (Surgical Sciences)
$50,000
Developing better treatments for women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer
Dr Anita Dunbier (Biochemistry)
$58,254
Does Melanoma in NZ Require a More Discriminatory Diagnostic Test?
Professor Mike Eccles (Pathology, Dunedin)
$86,595
Can hydrogen sulphide treatment protect heart structure and function after a heart attack?
Dr Leigh Ellmers (Medicine, Christchurch)
$56,156
A Tablet Computer App for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Associate Professor Ruth Empson (Physiology)
$21,000
Determining the effects of peptides related to obesity on endometrial cancer cells
Professor John Evans (Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Christchurch)
$9,500
Transform a tooth with a "transformer tooth": A novel oral health approach for New Zealand children
Dr Lyndie Foster Page (Oral Rehabilitation, Dental School)
$80,000
Telephone follow-up to reduce adverse outcomes in frail older people
Dr Claire Heppenstall (Medicine, Christchurch)
$52,000
Improving nutritional status, health and wellbeing in older New Zealand adults
Dr Lisa Houghton (Human Nutrition)
$119,801
Role of the human early secretory pathway in spreading of the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes
Dr Keith Ireton (Microbiology & Immunology)
$56,000
Prognostic value of immune parameters in colorectal cancer
Dr Roslyn Kemp (Microbiology & Immunology)
$45,128
Towards better use of antibiotics in cystic fibrosis: understanding bacterial antibiotic resistance in infection
Professor Iain Lamont (Biochemistry)
$92,144
Determining clinical markers for pre-eclampsia that can be used to improve the pre and post-natal health of mothers and infants in New Zealand
Dr Erin Macaulay (Pathology, Dunedin)
$53,000
Built environment and Active Transport to School (BEATS) Study: Student Survey
Dr Sandy Mandic (School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences)
$30,000
Imaging the Obese Brain: the use of EEG imaging in obese and lean individuals
Associate Professor Patrick Manning (Medicine, Dunedin)
$23,822
Connections between lipid risk factors for heart disease
Associate Professor Sally McCormick (Biochemistry)
$28,000
Investigation of efficacy of pharmacological anti-inflammatory regimes to improve long-term outcomes of glaucoma drainage operations
Professor Anthony Molteno (Medicine, Dunedin)
$94,983
New approaches to cures for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
Professor Ian Morison (Pathology, Dunedin)
$95,000
'Real-world' haemorrhagic rates for warfarin and dabigatran using population level data
Dr Nishtala Prasad (Pharmacy)
$50,662
Designing novel biological capsules to improve delivery and efficacy of anti-epileptic drugs in drug-resistant epilepsy
Dr Shakila Rizwan (Pharmacy)
$30,000
Umbilical Cord Serum Cytokines and the Development of Atopic Dermatitis in Infancy Associate Professor Robert Siebers (Medicine, Wellington)
$15,315
Effect of fructose malabsorption on serum urate in patients with gout
Professor Lisa Stamp (Medicine, Christchurch)
$31,121
Thiamine to improve stem cell function in patients undergoing bypass surgery: a randomised control trial
Professor Michael Williams (Medicine, Dunedin)
$37,000
Lottery Health - PhD Scholarships awarded in November 2013:
De-prescribing: Safely reducing unnecessary medicines in frail older people in residential care
Ms Nagham Ailabouni (Pharmacy)
$115,950
Huarahi Hauora - Identifying a pathway forward to wellness for Maori
Mr Ricky Bell (Physiotherapy)
$120,000
A list of Otago experts available for media comment is available elsewhere on this website.
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