The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS) is proud to announce that three of our esteemed researchers have been awarded over $6.6 million in funding in the latest National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants, announced by Federal Minister for Health and Ageing The Hon Mark Butler MP. These highly competitive grants will support groundbreaking research in lupus, women’s health and hypertension.
Professor Eric Morand
Professor Eric Morand, Dean of the Sub-Faculty of Clinical and Molecular Medicine and Director of Rheumatology at Monash Health, has been awarded a leadership 3 grant for his research improving outcomes for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Professor Morand’s work aims to revolutionise SLE treatment by developing new clinical trial endpoints, identifying molecular foundations of disease phenotypes, conducting trials on antigen-specific regulatory T cell therapy, and developing small molecule therapeutics to replace glucocorticoids.
“By supporting my work across clinical measurement, genomics, drug discovery and first-in-human trials, this award will support my team to make a difference across all the domains of interest in this disease,” said Professor Morand. “My group’s work led to the first ever PBS listing of a drug for lupus in 2024, and we look forward to being part of many more such successes in the years ahead.”
Professor Ben Mol
Professor Ben Mol, head of the Evidenced-based Women’s Health Care Research Group in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, has been awarded a leadership 3 grant to fund his research on improving the trustworthiness of clinical trials in women’s health.
Professor Mol’s work focuses on developing and implementing new evidence-synthesis methods to ensure that clinical guidelines are based on reliable data. His research will cover three major topics: induction of labour, prediction and prevention of preterm birth, and additional therapies for couples undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation.
“In the coming 5 years, I will develop and apply methods to prevent untrustworthy data from being incorporated in evidence synthesis in women’s health and beyond,” Professor Mol explained.
Associate Professor Jun Yang
Associate Professor Jun Yang, Researcher in the Department of Medicine, Head of the Endocrine Hypertension Group at Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Consultant Endocrinologist at Monash Health, has received an emerging leadership grant for her project to support her research on primary aldosteronism (PA), a hidden cause of hypertension.
A/Prof Yang’s research aims to identify over half a million patients with undiagnosed PA, revamp guidelines, and develop better diagnostic tests to improve patient outcomes.
“This support is a vital step towards reducing the immense burden of preventable cardiovascular and renal disease for hundreds of thousands of Australians with high blood pressure caused by this disease,” A/Prof Yang stated.
The School of Clinical Sciences congratulates Professor Morand, Professor Mol and Associate Professor Yang, on their outstanding achievement in securing these prestigious grants. Their innovative research promises to make significant contributions to their respective fields and improve health outcomes for patients worldwide.
This article is republished with permission. Here is the original article.