Griffith University Receives $2.2 Million in NHMRC Investigator Grants

Griffith University has been awarded $2.2 million across the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants.

Congratulations to Associate Professor Bronwyn Griffin from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Dr Yun Shi from the Institute for Glycomics.

Associate Professor Griffin will receive a $1.6 million Investigator Grant which will be used for her project into a new implementable early burn care intervention strategy for children across Australia.

Children with burns require special, often complex treatments within 24 hours of injury to effectively reduce the impact of injury and minimise chronic physical and emotional scars.

Unfortunately, treatments are often not implemented, such as first aid, are too complex (emerging technologies), or patients are too far away (e.g. in regional and remote areas of Australia).

Associate Professor Griffin’s research aims to test simple new technologies to make sure every child, no matter where they live, gets the best care.

Dr Shi will receive a $674,000 Investigator Grant for his project which looks at molecular characterisation of NMNAT2 activity and regulation for neuroprotection.

Dr Shi’s project aims to study a brain biomolecule that protects nerve cells in the context of neurodegenerative disorders.

With an interdisciplinary approach developed in his biochemistry program, Dr Shi will determine the molecular and structural basis underlying the activity and regulation of this biomolecule and design chemicals to preserve its neuroprotective activities.

This project will lay a fundamental framework to target this biomolecule to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.