Monash Health stroke research: $5 million national study to transform stroke recovery

27 July 2026
Research
2 min read

Monash Health researchers are part of a collaborative team awarded $5 million in federal funding for a major study into stroke recovery, in a project they say could help identify new treatments and improve care for patients across the country.

The 5-year project has been awarded funding through the 2025 Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Cardiovascular Health. It is led by Monash Health’s stroke team — Professor Henry Ma, Professor Thanh Phan, Dr John Ly and Dr Jason Vuong — who are responsible for imaging and clinical evaluation, alongside the overall project lead, Professor Connie Wong from Monash University.

The IMAGINE study also involves collaborators at hospitals across Australia and is led by Professor Connie Wong from Monash University.

Researchers will track stroke patients over time, combining data on proteins, molecules and gene activity with brain imaging, clinical assessments and information on complications such as recurrent stroke and infection.

The team says bringing these different types of data together, an approach known as multiomics, should help them better understand what happens in the brain and body during stroke recovery, and why some patients recover better than others.

They hope the findings will point to new treatment targets, speed up the development of new drugs, and lead to better rehabilitation programs. The large datasets generated by the study will also be used to train artificial intelligence tools designed to predict patient outcomes and help health services plan more effectively for future demand.

‘What truly sets IMAGINE apart is its extensive database that integrates individual multi-level biomarkers with comprehensive clinical assessments over time and multivariate analysis of imaging data,’ said Professor Henry Ma, Director of Monash Health’s Neurology Department.

‘This innovative system not only advances precision medicine to new heights but also generates valuable insights capable of influencing health outcomes and survivorship.’

Researchers say the project builds on a run of recent National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grants awarded to Monash Health neurologists and reflects a broader push to strengthen the hospital’s research partnership with Monash University.

To receive more stories like this direct to your inbox, subscribe to Research Matters, Monash Health’s quarterly research newsletter.