Two Hunter researchers who are helping to improve the health and wellbeing of communities worldwide have been bestowed prestigious medical research awards.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) awards are presented annually to top-ranked researchers and teams following peer-reviewed applications to NHMRC’s highly competitive grant schemes.
At a March 30 gala event in Canberra, the two University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute researchers were recognised.
World-leading dietitian researcher, Laureate Professor Clare Collins, received the NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award for Leadership in Clinical Medicine and Science.
Professor of Nursing, Brett Mitchell, who is investigating strategies to prevent healthcare-acquired infections, was awarded the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award for Emerging Leadership.
Laureate Professor Collins focuses on nutrition technologies and methods to support personalised medical nutrition therapy, including dietary biomarkers and telehealth models of care.
Currently, 7 million Australians live with at least one diet-related chronic disease risk factor, while 27,500 die from causes directly due to unhealthy dietary patterns.
Her research targets under-served population groups based on life stage, socioeconomic status and geographic location, generating new knowledge on cost-effective models of care to reduce diet-related health risks.
“If you could click your fingers and instantly every Australian was able to eat healthily in a way that aligned with nutrition guidelines, estimates from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare are that the disease burden attributed to heart disease would drop by 50 per cent and type 2 diabetes would drop by 25 per cent,” Laureate Professor Collins said.
Before her research, no Australian dietary assessment tools could measure usual dietary patterns in real-time or generate personalised reports.
“The tools my team created are transforming how dietary advice is delivered both in-person and for telehealth,” she said.
“My vision is to translate precision and personalised nutrition technologies that improve diet-related health and wellbeing into settings that are easily accessible for health care practitioners and vulnerable communities.
“My greatest hope is that these next-generation nutrition technologies will transform access to cost-effective models of nutrition support available through Medicare, hospitals and primary healthcare.”
Professor Brett Mitchell’s research is tackling the global threat of microbial resistance and emerging infections by researching methods to prevent infections from occurring in the first place.
His research focuses on increasing patient safety by preventing and controlling infections within hospitals, healthcare settings and businesses.
One in 10 patients in an Australian hospital acquires an infection while in hospital.
The burden of healthcare-related infection is significant, with associated morbidity, mortality and, for those acquired in hospitals, increased length of stay.
Despite being common and affecting 165,000 Australians a year, strategies to prevent healthcare-acquired infection are underpinned by low-quality evidence.
“My research program consists of three discrete, inter-related projects. The work will provide evidence for practical measures to reduce common infections – urinary tract infection, pneumonia, as well as improving cleaning in healthcare,” Professor Mitchell said.
“The program of work will provide a strong foundation for transformations in clinical practice and policy in Australia and internationally.
“This will, in turn, reduce patient morbidity and mortality, control healthcare expenditure and help to prevent antimicrobial resistance.”
His expertise has also contributed to designing a portable single isolation room, used extensively in the United Kingdom as part of the COVID-19 response.
“Through this award, my research and working alongside patients, clinicians, academics and industry, I hope we can reduce the burden of infection for patients who receive healthcare across the country.”
University of Newcastle Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Zee Upton said the innovative research was making a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of thousands of Australians.
“The NHMRC Research Excellence Awards are highly prestigious, celebrating excellence and leadership in the health and medical research sector,” Professor Upton said.
“On behalf of the University of Newcastle community, I congratulate both Laureate Professor Collins and Professor Brett Mitchell on their awards, which recognise the paths they are each forging in their respective fields.”
HMRI Director Professor Mike Calford said both recipients were well deserving of their awards.
“Hospital-acquired infections and diet-related disease are two important fields of research with clear outcomes for individuals and community health,” Professor Calford said.
“It is gratifying to see Hunter researchers continually at the top of the pack in terms of research and recognition.”
Hayley McMahon
Information source: HMRI