Monday 29 November 2010 8:35amUniversity of Otago scientists have gained around $1.71M in new funding from the Lottery Grants Board to pursue health research that will benefit New Zealanders. Around $3.36M was distributed nationally in the latest Lottery Health Research round.
Twenty-eight researchers from across the University's three main campuses in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington were awarded grants for projects or shared research equipment.
The Otago projects range from probing the genetics underlying gout, to trialling a new psychotherapy for people with borderline personality disorder, and studying the impact of social policy changes on the health of New Zealanders.
Among other research topics are investigating new drugs for tuberculosis, maternal obesity's effects on foetal brain wiring mechanisms, the oral form of Crohn's disease, and white blood cell responses to norovirus infections.
University of Otago Lottery Health Research recipients for 2011
Dr Nigel Anderson (Radiology, University of Otago, Christchurch)
MARS - Camera with six Medpix ASICS/CdTe detectors (hexer)
$100,000 (Shared Equipment grant)
Professor Madhav Bhatia (Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch)
Hydrogen Sulfide in Acute Pancreatitis: A Novel Mediator of Inflammation
$58,500 (Project grant)
Dr Katherine Black (Human Nutrition)
The Otago School Students Lifestyle Survey 2 (OSSLS2); Fitness testing
$14,000 (Project grant)
Dr Dave Carlyle (Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch)
A clinical trial of mentalization based psychotherapy for the treatment of borderline personality disorder
$37,500 (Project grant)
Dr Allan Carman (School of Physiotherapy)
RSscan foot pressure measurement for balance and neurological research
$30,631 (Shared Equipment grant)
Dr Kristie Carter (Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington)
Social policy change: impacts on the health of New Zealanders
$45,000 (Project grant)
Dr Andrew Clarkson (Anatomy & Structural Biology)
Defining the functional role of post-stroke brain excitability in repair
$100,000 (Shared Equipment grant)
Professor Greg Cook (Microbiology & Immunology)
ATP synthase inhibitors: new drugs in the fight against tuberculosis
$81,000 (Project grant)
Dr Kirsty Fairbairn (Human Nutrition),
Determination of liver fat stores by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy
$62,104 (Shared Equipment grant)
Professor David Grattan (Anatomy & Structural Biology)
Role of prolactin in the maternal brain
$40,500 (Project grant)
Associate Professor Parry Guilford (Biochemistry)
Genetic predictors of capecitabine toxicity
$41,000 (Project grant)
Dr Sarah Gunningham (Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch)
Ang-1/IL-29 as markers of cancer in patients with venous thromboembolism
$85,500 (Project grant)
Dr Keith Ireton (Microbiology & Immunology
Role of the human PI 3-kinase pathway in internalisation of Listeria
$54,000 (Project grant)
Dr Christine Jasoni (Anatomy & Structural Biology)
Does maternal obesity alter foetal brain wiring mechanisms to predispose offspring to obesity?
$49,500 (Project grant)
Dr Peter Jones (Physiology),
Regulation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) by interacting proteins
$42,500 (Project grant)
Dr Cushla McKinney (Biochemistry)
Identification of genes contributing to progression from hyperuricaemia to gout
$94,000 (Project grant)
Dr Alex McLellan (Microbiology & Immunology)
Multicolour flow cytometer
$100,000 (Shared Equipment grant)
Dr Sandra Mandic (School of Physical Education)
Community-based cardiac rehabilitation: baseline assessment for prospective observational study
$13,500 (Project grant)
Professor Ian Morison (Pathology)
Shandon Excelsior Tissue Processor
$48,860 (Shared Equipment grant)
Associate Professor Anita Nolan (Oral Diagnostics & Surgical Sciences)
Can examining the mouth improve the management of Crohn's Disease?
$34,000 (Project grant)
Dr Kathie Overeem (Psychology)
An examination of circulating microRNA as biomarkers for schizophrenia
$83,000 (Project grant)
Dr Barry Palmer (Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch)
Genetic variations in MTHFD1L and MTHFR genes and homocysteine levels in heart disease patients
$45,000 (Project grant)
Dr Amy Scott-Thomas (Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch)
Improving the 2-AA breath test for Ps. aeruginosa detection
$72,000 (Project grant)
Professor Doug Sellman (Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch)
Abstinence in the treatment of obesity
$67,500 (Project grant)
Dr Logan Walker (Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch)
Role of germ-line DNA copy number variants in breast cancer risk & development
$58,500 (Project grant)
Associate Professor Vernon Ward (Microbiology & Immunology)
Macrophage responses to norovirus infection
$90,000 (Project grant)
Ms Zhang Wei (Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington)
Exploring access to breast cancer services by Chinese women
$63,000 (Project grant)
Dr Adele Woolley (Pathology)
IncuCyte FLS Microscope System
$100,000 (Shared Equipment grant)
About Lottery Health Research
Lottery Health Research distributes grants to support:
- Research into the cause, prevention and treatment of disorders affecting the health of New Zealanders
- Research which will lead to advances in health and biomedical science for the ultimate benefit of all New Zealanders
- The development, maintenance and retention of a highly skilled workforce of health and bio-medical researchers in New Zealand.