2019 Early Career Medical Research Grants
This is the fourth year the Jack Brockhoff Foundation has provided support to early career medical researchers through this program. The Foundation continues to partner with The Marian and E.H Flack Trust to deliver this program and the recipients for 2019 are listed below.
Dr Mary Ann Anderson
The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Overcoming resistance to venetoclax
($70,000 a year for two years)
Dr Rachel Climie
Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute Holdings Ltd
Identification and prevention of chemotherapy-induced premature vascular ageing in patients with breast cancer
($54,645 a year for two years)
Dr Aaron Elbourne
RMIT
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Microbial Infections Using Stimuli-Responsive Liquid Metals
($36,628 for Year 1 and $55,719 for Year 2)
Dr Shun Gong
Monash University
Tattoo-like Wearable Pulse Sensors for Antidiastole of Cardiovascular Disease
($51,500 for Year 1 and $69,300 for Year 2)
Dr Quentin Gouil
The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
The development of a fast, low cost (epi)genetic test for FacioScapuloHumeral muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).
($55,000 for Year 1 and $41,000 for Year 2)
Dr Thanh Kha Phan
La Trobe University
When the dead speak: Boosting antibacterial immunity by inducing host cell death and disassembly
($69,000 for Year 1)
Dr Ashleigh Poh
La Trobe University
Developing and validating novel anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of pancreatic cancer
($46,390 for Year 1 and $48,311 for Year 2)
Dr Sarah Voisin
Institute for Sport & Health, Victoria University
Developing epigenetic biomarkers for healthy ageing
($56,949 for Year 1 and $53,864 for Year 2)
Dr Leigh Walker
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Understanding sex differences in the role of cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) in adolescent onset binge alcohol consumption.
($46,053 for Year 1 and $68,804 for Year 2)
Dr Aowen Zhuang
Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute Holdings Ltd
A novel gene therapy approach to prevent heart failure
($69,541 for Year 1)
2018 Early Career Research Grants
The Jack Brockhoff Foundation entered the third year of providing early career support for scientific research related to health and wellbeing. The Foundation continued to partner with The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust and the recipients for 2018 are listed below.
Dr Thomas Angelovich
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Defining HIV Reservoirs In The Central Nervous System
($92,800 over two years)
Dr Brendan Ansell
The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Systems biology to understand drug-resistant childhood epilepsy
($95,000 over two years provided by The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust)
Dr Erin Campbell
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Identifying the brain circuits underlying relapse to alcohol seeking following adolescent onset long-term alcohol use.
($70,000 over two years)
Dr Jennifer Cori
Institute for Breathing and Sleep
Novel ocular alertness measures to assess fitness to drive in patients with sleep apnea.
($70,000 provided)
Dr Maria Jelinic
La Trobe University
Identifying a novel therapeutic approach for obesity-related chronic kidney disease
($128,997 over two years)
Dr Sweta Iyer
The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Developing a new antibody therapy for the treatment of chemo-resistant cancers
($109,500 over two years provided by The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust)
Dr Grace Lidgerwood
Centre For Eye Research Australia Ltd
Modelling inflammation in retinal diseases using patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)
($69,092 provided)
Dr Rachel McQuade
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Old Drug New Trick: Prucalopride as a Neuroprotective Agent in Parkinson’s Disease
($99,870 over two years)
Dr Eric Tan
Swinburne University of Technology
Examining a new method for relapse prediction in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
($110,000 over two years)
Dr Samantha Turner
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Investigating innovative therapies in childhood dysarthria
($69,932 provided)
Dr Cassandra Wright
The MacFarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health
Reducing risky alcohol consumption by understanding and intervening during drinking events
($127,500 over two years)
2017 Early Career Research Grants
In 2017, The Jack Brockhoff Foundation continued providing early career support for scientific research related to health and wellbeing. This year the Foundation was pleased to partner with The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust to support these impressive researchers. The recipients for 2017 are listed below.
Dr Marcel Doerflinger
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Developing a diagnostic blood test to improve clinical management of febrile children undergoing cancer treatment
($100,000 over two years)
Dr Amie Hayley
Swinburne University
Characterising the effect of methamphetamine and alcohol on driving behaviour and performance
($55,500 provided by The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust)
Dr Flora Hui
Centre for Eye Research
Reducing the time to detect short-term improvement in glaucoma after vitamin B3 supplementation
($69,500 provided by The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust)
Dr Amy Loughman
Deakin University
A novel approach to modifying the risk of Alzeimer’s disease: the gut microbiome
($120,000 over two years)
Dr Anushi Rajapaksa
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Inhaled Palivizumab- A novel delivery platform to effectively prevent and treat severe respiratory syncytial virus infections in preterm babies.
($90,000 over two years)
Dr Christina Vrahnas
St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research
Identifying mechanisms by which autophagy in osteocytes controls bone strength
($100,000 over two years)
2016 Early Career Research Grants
In 2016, The Jack Brockhoff Foundation began providing early career support for scientific research related to health and wellbeing. The first eight recipients are listed below.
Dr David Ascher – University of Melbourne ($100,000 over two years)
Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Complex Mutations
Dr Ryan Cross – Walter & Eliza Hall Institute ($110,000 over two years)
Genetically engineering protective immunity for paediatric glioblastoma using adoptive cell transfer of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells and influenza vaccination
Dr Samantha Emery – Walter & Eliza Hall Institute ($116,000 over two years)
Characterising lysine acetylation for urgent drug discovery in the diarrhoeal parasite, Giardia duodenalis
Dr Christopher Langendorf – St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research ($100,000 over two years)
Identification of common targets in the control of energy metabolism
Dr Yugeesh Lankadeva – The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health ($110,000 over two years)
Novel therapies to maintain kidney function in septic shock
Dr Sam Manna – Murdoch Children’s Research Institute ($100,000 over two years)
Synergism between Streptococcus pneumoniae and respiratory syncytial virus in paediatric respiratory disease
Dr Andrew Rodda – Monash University ($39,000)
Multiplexed detection of multiple myeloma-related mutations in circulating cell-free DNA
Dr Tamsyn Van Rheenen – University of Melbourne ($100,000 over two years)
Understanding cognitive variability in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder