2019 Clinical Research Grant recipients
Return to Life, Return to Work
Australia’s working age stroke survivors are set to benefit from research into innovative recovery and rehabilitation clinical interventions.
Stroke Foundation announced the recipients of the $1 million ‘Return to life, return to work’ clinical research grants in March 2019.
Funded by the Federal Government through the Medical Research Future Fund, the research package includes Australia’s first multicentred clinical trial of Perispinal Etanercept in chronic stroke.
Stroke Foundation Research Advisory Committee Chair Professor Amanda Thrift said the grants were an investment into the future of Australia’s younger stroke survivors.
Grant recipients
Professor Vincent Thijs, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Perispinal Etanercept to improve Stroke Outcomes (PESTO)
The PESTO trial is a prospective multicentre trial to determine whether the drug etanercept, which is commonly used to treat other illnesses, is effective in helping relieve some symptoms of stroke.
The PESTO trial is no longer taking participants.
As part of the trial, participants underwent baseline assessments and received an injection of etanercept or a placebo, with follow-up assessments.
A scientific paper about the study is due to be published in 2024.
Professor Natasha Lannin, Monash University, Alfred Health
Does an embedded vocational rehabilitation intervention improve employment outcomes above and beyond standard stroke rehabilitation?
The grant will fund a pilot project to test the feasibility and potential benefit of building on current clinical rehabilitation by adding an embedded 12 week targeted vocational rehabilitation.
Acknowledgement
Funding for this research has been provided by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). The MRFF has been established by the Australian Government to provide grants of financial assistance to support health and medical research and innovation, with the objective of improving the health and wellbeing of Australians. MRFF funding has been provided to Stroke Foundation under the MRFF Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research (EPCDR) Initiative announced as part the MRFF’s disbursement package in October 2018. Further information on the MRFF and disbursements are available at www.health.gov.au/mrff.