- Government awards $2 million to support long
running cohort studies
- Seven significant study projects to share
funding
- Grants support a range of studies such as
cancer, cystic fibrosis and perinatal health
The Cook Government's Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund is
providing $2 million in grants for some of the State's most significant and
long-running cohort studies.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said the first round of funding
would be shared across seven Western Australian studies including: the Raine
Study; Cancer Blood Biomarkers Study; Busselton Health Study; PLAY Spaces and
Environments for Children's Physical Activity Study Cohort; Respiratory Centre
Cystic Fibrosis Biobank (BANK CF); ORIGINS Project and the Western Australia
Paediatric Cancer Cohort.
The WA Cohort Studies-Operational Support Program (WACS-OSP) has been established
to provide operational funding to support cohort studies. The funding
enables the studies to continue to contribute to the delivery of clinical
outcomes, changes to health policy and translational health outcomes.
University of
Western Australia's Associate Professor Rebecca Glauert has won funding for
Perth's Raine Study – one of the world's longest running studies into the
effect of perinatal health on childhood and adult health.
This unique study has
been helping researchers and policy makers better understand the causes of
human health and wellbeing for more than 30 years – influencing clinical
practice, policies and programs.
Edith Cowan
University's Associate Professor Elin Gray has received funding for a Cancer
Biomarkers Study.
The study is
looking at cancer biomarkers in the blood and other
body fluids of cancer patients before and after treatment – looking at cancer
stage, treatment response and survival.
Biomarker data is
compared to clinical and radiological data to identify diagnostic, prognostic,
and predictive markers helping shape better treatment and improved outcomes for
cancer patients.
Perth's Respiratory
Centre Cystic Fibrosis Biobank, headed by Telethon Kids Institute's Professor
Stephen Stick, has also secured funding to acquire respiratory-orientated
biological specimens and data to better understand and manage cystic fibrosis.
The biobank collects
information and samples from children diagnosed with CF – following patient
trajectories from diagnosis through to six years of age.
The WACS-OSP is administered through the
Department of Health's Office of Medical Research and Innovation. Further
information regarding all the recipients can be found on the FHRI
website.
Comments
attributed to Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"This is an important
step by the Cook Government to announce this funding program to support some of
WA's exceptional cohort studies.
"The Raine Study – the oldest
pre-birth longitudinal study in the world – is a great example of a local
cohort study making its mark in health research.
"The Raine Study is one
of the most successful and extensive studies of pregnancy, childhood and
adulthood ever undertaken and has made many important discoveries over the past
30 years.
"We are punching well above
our weight with this sort of research work being undertaken here in WA. The
Cook Government is committed to continue our support of cohort studies which
will deliver benefits for Western Australians."
