The University of Sydney has won more than $65 million in new National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants announced today by the Federal Government.

Professor Jill Trewhella, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) welcomed the result: “Today’s NHMRC funding result reaffirms the university’s leadership in health and medical research.

“Our researchers won more than 12 per cent of the national share in funding, and the breadth and depth of our research is evident in the results, as is the strength of our large collaborative programs in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, cancer, brain and mind research, and infectious diseases.

“The results also demonstrate the value of our thriving research partnerships with medical research institutes, hospitals and health care providers broadly, and centres of research excellence.

“Also, our very strong performance in early career fellowships says that our future in health and medical research is in good hands.“

The University of Sydney received 83 health and medical-related grants, representing 15 per cent of funding awarded to universities nationally.

Among the 61 NHMRC Project Grants awarded to the University of Sydney are:

• $2.48 million to Professor Anthony Keech (NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre) to improve eye care for people with diabetic retinopathy.
• $501,000 to Associate Professor Kate Curtis (Sydney Nursing School) to improve health outcomes in children suffering major trauma
• $3.23 million to Dr Gregory Fox prevent multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Vietnam
• $309,000 to Dr Luiz Bertassoni (Faculty of Dentistry) for tissue engineering and ‘bio-printing’ transplantable tissues and organs for people affected by major dental diseases and injuries
• $2.29 million to Professor Anushka Patel (The George Institute for Global Health) to improve better coordination between pharmacists and GPs aimed at improving preventive medication in high-risk patients
• $715,000 to Associate Professor Michael Valenzuela (Brain and Mind Research Institute) to reduce the onset of cognitive decline in people at high risk of dementia using computer-based training
• $2.63 million to Professor David James (Ullman Chair of Metabolic Systems Biology) for two Project Grants (defining factors that contribute to individual diversity in the dietary health; and metabolic wiring in adipocytes – the unique role in maintaining long-term health)
• $1.44 million to Professor Bernard Balleine (Brain and Mind Research Centre) for three Project Grants: dementia related deficits in striatal cholinergic function and decision-making; disorders of action control and learning-related plasticity in the basal ganglia; and dysfunctions in decision-making and the cognitive control of action
• $579,000 to Professor Iain McGregor (School of Psychology) to study novel therapeutics for the remediation of social deficits in psychiatric illness
• $788,000 to Professor Roger Reddel (Children’s Medical Research Institute) to study the biology and treatment of an important subset of cancers
• $325,000 to Dr Elizabeth Dunford (the George Institute for Global Health) for improving the food supply to reduce the burden of nutrition related chronic disease)

Fourteen University of Sydney researchers shared in $4.51 million for Early Career Fellowship funding and four researchers shared in $1.64 million for Career Development Fellowship funding.