Congrats Praveena on your NHMRC Investigator Grant funding
BDI researchers awarded more than $10 million in NHMRC Investigator Grant funding
Six Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) researchers have collectively been awarded more than $10 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants, announced today by Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care The Hon Mark Butler MP.
The Investigator Grant scheme is the NHMRC’s largest funding scheme and is a major investment in Australia’s health and medical research workforce. It provides Australia’s highest-performing researchers, across the spectrum of health research and at all career stages, with consolidated funding for their salary, if required, and a significant research support package for five years.
This funding will support researchers at the Monash BDI to continue their outstanding discovery research, ranging from investigating ways to restore vision following damage to the visual cortex; innovating bacteriophage therapies to combat antimicrobial resistance; treating inflammatory bowel disease with natural killer T cells; through to investigating long-acting therapies for hypertension and more.
Professor John Carroll, Director of Monash BDI, expressed his congratulations and said that these awards are intensely competitive.
“It’s fantastic to see our research leaders supported by the NHMRC. This funding plays a key role in enabling our scientists to make vital discoveries that drive advancements in human health and lead to the development of new treatments,” Professor Carroll said.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to all of our Investigator Grant recipients and commend the tremendous effort invested by all of our applicants,” he added.
The six Monash BDI projects are among 31 projects awarded more than $57 million in funding to Monash Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences (MNHS) researchers in the latest NHMRC Investigator Grants. Read more on the MNHS recipients here.
The six Monash BDI researchers to receive funding were:
Professor Kate Denton, Cardiovascular Disease Program, Department of Physiology, Long-acting therapies to treat hypertension and organ injury, $3,014,025 (Leadership 3)
Hypertension affects one in three adults globally and is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While treatments exist, many patients struggle with medication adherence, leading to uncontrolled blood pressure and higher CVD risk. This research aims to develop long-lasting therapies to reduce pill burden and improve hypertension treatment. Key programs include reprogramming kidney function early in life to prevent hypertension, analysing nerve regrowth after renal denervation to assess lasting blood pressure effects, and removing senescent cells to reduce CVD risk after hypertensive pregnancy. These strategies could transform treatment for hypertension and organ injury, and reduce the associated healthcare burden.
Professor Marcello Rosa, Neuroscience Program, Department of Physiology, Pathways to vision following lesions of the primary visual cortex, $3,014,025 (Leadership 3)
Research on cortical blindness in primates has challenged the long-held belief that little can be done to restore vision after damage to the primary visual cortex. Over 20 years, Professor Rosa has demonstrated that some visual function remains in surviving cortical areas, identified neural pathways that support this, and developed an implantable device for other types of blindness. In the next five years, Professor Rosa will investigate microstimulation as a strategy for partial vision restoration, study how visual rehabilitation works at the neuronal level, and explore how visual pathways reorganise in early versus mature life to identify potential therapeutic targets for the preservation of visual function.
Professor James Whisstock, Infection Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, In situ studies of the immune synapse, $2,000,000 (Leadership 3)
Immune cells form synapses to kill virally infected and cancerous cells, where receptor organisation impacts immune function. However, predicting these functions requires high-resolution, spatial information about immune synapse structure. This research uses cryogenic electron tomography and proteomics to identify key proteins and their spatial arrangement in the synapse. Additionally, it aims to improve biologics (for example, antibodies) to better access the synapse and modulate immune responses. This information will, in turn, be of use in the development of novel biologics or small molecules that enhance or inhibit immune cell function.This will guide the development of better and more specific immune cell therapies (for example, CAR-T cells).
Dr Andrew Freeman, Immunity Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Unlocking the therapeutic potential of anti-inflammatory mesenchymal stromal cells through a refined mode of action, $688,405 (Emerging Leadership 1)
Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show potential for treating inflammatory diseases due to their immunomodulatory effects. However, most clinical trials have not succeeded, partly due to a misunderstanding of MSC mechanisms. Recent research suggests that MSC-induced anti-inflammatory effects occur through efferocytosis, where immune cells uptake apoptotic MSCs and reprogram immune cells. Preliminary data shows that bioactive factors released via a specific transmembrane channel during MSC apoptosis additionally contribute to inflammation suppression. This project aims to identify these mediators and the macrophage pathways involved through screening technologies, offering new insights into MSC mode of action that will guide future MSC-based therapies or cell-free alternatives for treating inflammatory conditions.
Dr Sue Chin Nang, Infection Program, Department of Microbiology, Innovating bacteriophage diagnostics and therapy to combat antimicrobial resistance: A cell-free synthetic biology approach, $688,405 (Emerging Leadership 1)
Antimicrobial resistance poses a major global health threat, with antimicrobial-resistant pathogens projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that target bacteria, show promise as alternatives to antibiotics, but current methods for identifying and producing therapeutic phages are slow and labor-intensive. This research aims to revolutionise phage therapy by developing a cell-free phage therapy platform to accelerate clinical application. By combining synthetic biology with advanced PCR techniques, the project will enable rapid screening of therapeutic phages and optimise phage production, providing an essential solution to combat antimicrobial resistance and safeguard modern medicine.
Dr Praveena Thirunavukkarasu, Immunity Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural Killer T cells to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease, $688,405 (Emerging Leadership 1)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, affects more than 6.8 million people globally. Despite extensive research, new treatments have been slow due to a limited understanding of mechanisms controlling gut inflammation. One potential mechanism involves T cell-mediated lipid immunity via the CD1d molecule, which presents lipids to Natural Killer T (NKT) cells. Dysregulated NKT responses contribute to IBD progression. Notably, our human gut microbiota produces numerous bioactive lipids with immense immunomodulatory potential. This research aims to explore how gut microbiota-derived lipids interact with CD1d and NKT cells to modulate immune responses. Ultimately, this research program will lead to the development of innovative lipid-based, small molecule-based and antibody-based therapeutic agents to treat IBD by alleviating inflammation.
For the full list of national recipients, visit the NHMRC website (NHMRC 2025 Grant Application Round) and read the NHMRC media release.
