The Federal Government has allocated nearly $14 million in grants from the Medical Research Future Fund National Critical Research Infrastructure program to support significant health research projects led by the University of Western Australia (UWA). This funding aims to enhance diabetes and insomnia management, establish Australia’s first fully integrated genome engineering facility, and improve mRNA therapies.
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Professor Tim Jones, from UWA’s Medical School, will spearhead the RAPID-D (Research Accelerator Platform for Innovation & Discovery), a national diabetes research platform. This initiative seeks to address gaps in diabetes care, where inadequate outcomes and preventable complications contribute over $3 billion annually to healthcare costs. Professor Jones explained that the platform will integrate previously isolated data, leveraging advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to develop personalized intervention pathways that can identify early warning signals and create targeted therapies.
Dr. Cele Richardson from UWA’s School of Psychological Science will direct a project focused on a digital insomnia management system, developed in collaboration with consumers and healthcare professionals. Dr. Richardson noted that cognitive behavioral therapy is the recommended treatment for insomnia, yet it is only accessed by about one percent of patients. The new digital platform will provide resources for insomnia education, screening, triaging, and decision-support tools, along with a digital cognitive behavioral therapy program tailored for primary care.
Additionally, Professor Ryan Lister of UWA’s School of Molecular Sciences and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research will lead the establishment of the WA Centre for Cell and Genome Engineering, marking Australia's first fully integrated genome engineering facility. Professor Lister stated that this center will utilize precision genome editing and next-generation stem cell reprogramming to advance variant validation and deepen the understanding of disease mechanisms, ultimately facilitating the development of patient-specific cell models.
Lastly, Professor Archa Fox from UWA’s School of Human Sciences and the Harry Perkins Institute will head the ROBUST project aimed at refining mRNA function through improved structure and stability. He highlighted that while mRNA treatments have transformative potential, there are ongoing challenges regarding cost-effectiveness and efficacy. The project will focus on developing innovative therapies for patients with sarcoma, brain, and liver cancers, while also enhancing tools and expertise for academic and biotechnology innovation.