A welcome boost for research

The Stroke Foundation applauded the Federal Government’s $640 million boost to health and medical research in Australia announced last week.

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Sharon McGowan said she was thrilled the latest recipients of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant round included a number of researchers previously funded by the Stroke Foundation’s own Research and Innovation program.

“The Stroke Foundation and our supporters are proud to have supported these clinicians and researchers on their career journey, to have provided them with the seed funding and support that may lead to the next innovation in stroke prevention, treatment and care,’’ Ms McGowan said.

“There is still so much we don’t know about the mysteries in the brain. Breakthroughs in stroke are needed now more than ever.

“Stroke can be prevented, it can be treated and it can be beaten – research is the key.”

In recognising the Federal Government for its investment, Ms McGowan also said more needed to be done.

“Over the past two decades, the massive advances we’ve witnessed in the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke have led to a significant reduction in lives lost to this terrible disease,’’ she said.

“Stroke may no longer be the death sentence it once was for many, but for the 470,000 stroke survivors living with the effects of stoke in our community, its impacts are far-reaching and life-changing.”

Ms McGowan said there was significant opportunity to invest in stroke research, to give Australia’s leading scientific minds the time, support and funds to deliver the next transformational advance in stroke.  

“Effective research takes time, perseverance and a great deal of funding. However when those rewards come, they benefit generation after generation,” Ms McGowan said.

The NHMRC provided $96,807,391 funding to cardiovascular disease (including stroke) in the 2017 grant round.

Grant recipients included: 
• Dr Andrew Bivard Translating science into treatment for ischemic stroke, $431,000
• Dr Elizabeth Lynch Investigating implementation of 2017 Stroke Clinical Guidelines in inpatient stroke rehabilitation,$322,952
• Dr Nadine Andrew Evaluation of enhanced models of primary care in the management of stroke and other chronic diseases $556,183
• A/Prof Gail Robinson Early diagnosis and intervention for dementia $720,554
• A/Prof Christopher Etherton-Beer Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction for General Practice patients with dementia: the Australian TAPERdem study $586,840

The Stroke Foundation Research and Innovation Fund provides philanthropic grants to support Australian researchers in order to expand our collective knowledge and understanding about stroke, and has awarded nearly $3 million in research grants to more than 190 researchers since 2008. The Research Grant Program, which is overseen by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Stroke Foundation Board is focused primarily on research than can translate into improving real world practice.

For more information on Stroke Foundation research
For more on the NHMRC grants.