UOW’s Professor Andrew Bonney receives IRT Foundation research grant

By Desirée Savage

Wollongong researchers have been given $79,981 by IRT Foundation to help simplify the decision making process on health care for older Australians.

We’re doing better at keeping people alive for longer but we’re not doing so well keeping people free of disability, frailty or threats to independence. – Professor Andrew Bonney

Professor Andrew Bonney and his team from the Illawarra and Southern Practice Research Network were one of two organisations to receive funding from the aged care advocates in 2016.

“What we’re investigating is currently the way older people have a say in their medical management, particularly older people who have multiple health problems and see multiple health providers,” said Professor Bonney.

“The concern is that once they’ve seen the GP, the podiatrist, the dietitian and the eye specialist they may not really have had the opportunity to have a say how they want their health managed.”

He said one of the biggest challenges facing Australia’s health care system today was being able to cope with people living longer.

“We’re doing better at keeping people alive for longer but we’re not doing so well keeping people free of disability, frailty or threats to independence. What we really need to be able to do … is keep people’s vitality, keep them active and independent.”

A research team from the University of Western Sydney was also given $77,895 to look at ways of making it easier for older people to understand complementary medicines and make more informed choices.

They will research products like the latest vitamins, minerals and pro-biotics on the market and work out how they help older people and what consumers need to be aware of.

IRT Foundation Manager Toby Dawson, IRT Group Chief Executive Nieves Murray, Professor Caroline Smith, Professor Andrew Bonney and IRT Foundation Committee Chair Dr Lee Moerman. Picture: Supplied

Foundation manager Toby Dawson said since 2009 they had given $1.9 million to a range of projects to create opportunities for older people to age positively and maintain their independence.

The outcomes of the research will initially be used to inform practice and provide information, with possibility to push policy reform in the future.

IHMRI 2014 Grant Recipients Seminar

Tuesday, 19 April at 5:00pm

Bruce Ashford

“How to destroy tissue and impair research by letting patients get in the way” 

Prof Andrew Bonney

“Use of a novel population health data source to inform local diabetes care planning: the SIMLR study” 

Dr Dylan Cliff

“Retinal micro-vascular and heart rate variability in pre-schoolers” 

Dr Lezanne Ooi

“Investigating the treatment potential of neuregulin-1 against ApoE4-induced neuropathological processes in neurons from induced stem cells of Alzheimer’s disease patients” 

Refreshments will be served following the presentations.

A Q&A session will begin at 6:15pm to discuss the 2016 IHMRI Grant Program. Researchers who are intending to apply for the Career Development Grant or Collaborative Project Grant are welcome to attend. 

Presentations:         5:00pm to 6:15pm

Q&A Session:         from 6:15pm

Refreshments:         from 6:15pm

When:      Tuesday 19 April 2016

Venue:    IHMRI Building 32, Lecture Theatre G01, University of Wollongong

RSVP:      ihmri-admin@uow.edu.au

Congratulations to Dr Munther Zureigat who had his abstract “Rural GP referral process for Isotretinoin treatment in moderate to severe acne” accepted as a poster presentation at the PHCRIS conference which is taking place 8-9 June 2016.

Dear IHMRI Researcher,

IHMRI is pleased to announce the 2016 IHMRI Grant Program, including two new schemes intended to support career development opportunities for ECRs, or to encourage academic and clinician researchers to co-lead a research project.

Career Development Grant Scheme

Three grants of up to $10,000 are available in this scheme to support early career academic or clinician researchers to develop their skills, expertise and research track records through alignment with an established and successful research group, within or external to IHMRI. See application form for more detail regarding eligibility and selection criteria.

Collaborative Project Grant Scheme

Four grants of up to $25,000 are available in this scheme to support collaborative research projects co-led by an academic and a clinician researcher that target important health issues within the Illawarra community and addresses medically-relevant questions. Research can be conducted at IHMRI, The Wollongong Hospital, other ISLHD sites, or any combination of the three.

Of the four grants available, two will be open to any research area aligned with IHMRI’s strategic goals and priorities whilst the two remaining grants, from philanthropic funds, will be offered to research specifically targeting ageing or childhood health. Selection criteria and more details regarding the scheme are outlined in the application form.

Both grant schemes will be reviewed by a panel comprising the IHMRI Executive and key IHMRI researchers. Successful applications for each scheme will then progress to a second stage where they will have an interview and discussion with the IHMRI Executive. Grants are awarded for a 12 month timeline and expenditure is expected by the end of June 2017.

Please see timeline below for submission, review and announcement for both grant schemes.

Please direct any enquiries to Sally McNeill (4221 4809) or Bethany Pye-Respondek (4252 8940).

Interested applicants are welcome to attend the Grants Q&A Session at 5.00pm on Tuesday 19 April in the IHMRI Lecture Theatre 32.G01 following the 2014 IHMRI Grants recipients seminar.

Please download application forms here and here. NB: Applications are due by 02 May 2016.

Research Development

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Building 32

University of Wollongong NSW 2522

T + 61 2 4252 8940

F + 61 2 4221 8130

W  www. ihmri.uow.edu.au

New research to inform older Australian’s health decisions

New study focuses on  how health care professionals can optimise the involvement of older Australians in decisions about their care.

UOW has received $80,000 in funding for a new study examining how health care professionals can optimise the involvement of older Australians in decisions about their care.

The funding from the IRT Foundation was announced today (31 March) at a special event in Wollongong.

Professor Andrew Bonney, from UOW’s School of Medicine, said he was thrilled to receive the funding and looked forward to engaging with patients and their health care providers to gain new insights into how complex care decisions are made.

“We know that older people with complex health care needs may sometimes feel confused about the care they are receiving and be unsure how to have their say,” Professor Bonney said.

“Our research hopes to change that by recommending practical ways to better involve older patients in decisions about their care,” he said.

IRT Group Chief Executive Nieves Murray said IRT was proud to support research by Australian universities that helps older people to age positively, either through more informed self-care or driving advocacy on critical issues.

“Since 2009 we have committed $1.9 million to a range of research projects covering areas from clinical care to social studies and technology.

“Our 2016 Research Grants program is focused squarely on older Australians themselves, encouraging them to be more involved in their health care and helping them make better use of off-the-shelf complementary medicines,” she said.

The study will take between 12 and 18 months to complete and the findings will be made publicly available.

The launch of the project also appeared on Win News Illawarra (link below)

Win News Illawarra News Clip

We are still looking to recruit a few practices for this project. If you are interested in having your practice involved please contact me.

Kind Regards,
Alyssa Horgan
amunkman@uow.edu.au
(02) 4221 5819