Meet the Spinnaker Health Research Foundation 2020 Research Awards recipients
Recipients of Spinnaker Health Research Foundation 2020 Research Awards
Spinnaker Health Research Foundation has awarded more than $145,000 in its annual research grant to 10 recipients including one project which will explore how technologies used by Google, Uber and other tech giants for video analysis could inspire an improved way to diagnose and measure cancer biopsies.
The grants, which support research linked to hospitals in south metropolitan Perth including Fiona Stanley Hospital and Fremantle Hospital, were announced at the Spinnaker Health Research Foundation’s 2020 Awards Ceremony on Tuesday night at The University of Notre Dame.
Spinnaker CEO Dana Henderson said the 2020 recipients and their research are truly reflective of the organisation’s vision and purpose.
“Our intent is about inspiring and cultivating a vibrant and sustainable culture of research in WA through a focus on early career and seed grants and support for projects that seek to test an idea or challenge current thought practice,” she said.
“These grants seek to solve a problem that has been identified in the clinics and wards of the hospital and immediately translate the findings to practice for improved diagnosis, treatment and care.”
Ms Henderson said an example of the researchers who are benefiting from the grants included 2015 Australian of the year award nominee, Professor Yogesan Kanagasingam who is changing the way eye care is delivered throughout the world.
“Prof Kanagasingam will test artificial intelligence based eye screening at Fremantle Hospital to improve screening for diabetic retinopathy, an increasing burden of vision impairment in Australia that is estimated to cost $9.85 billion annually,” Ms Henderson said.
“Other 2020 recipients include projects that seek to improve the success of lung transplants, develop new drug treatment for chronic pain and test novel treatments for cancer.”
While the awards evening was an opportunity to honour the exceptional research community, it was also an occasion to celebrate the donors who make the grants possible.
Recipient |
Research title |
Grant amount |
Hospital |
Abhey Singh |
Can Testosterone help treat men with Crohn’s disease? |
$15,000 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Teng Fong Ng |
Detecting high risk genetic changes in patients with myeloproliferative disorders |
$14,775 |
Rockingham General Hospital |
Herbert Ludewick |
Establishing an accurate diagnostic tool for lung transplant rejection |
$15,408 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Michal Luniewski |
Development of a new drug for chronic nerve pain |
$15,000 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Yogesan Kanagasingam |
Artificial intelligence-based eye screening for patients with diabetes at Fremantle Hospital |
$15,000 |
Fremantle Hospital |
Jeremy Parry |
Tapping the video goldmine: how technologies used by Google, Uber and other tech giants for video analysis could inspire an improved way to diagnose and measure cancer in biopsies |
$13,850 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Shereen Paramalingham |
Whole body PET-CT scan to diagnose and manage myositis, a rare but debilitating disease of muscle and internal organs |
$13,955 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Jesica Makanyanga |
Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy improve remission rates in acute severe ulcerative colitis? |
$15,000 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Fiona Poelchow |
A study of the effects of a silicone-based topical dressing on the rate of wound healing, pain and scarring outcomes in donor site wounds, and in burns to the face in comparison to standard care |
$12,471 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |
Dickon Hayne |
SUBDUE-1 – testing the novel application of immunotherapy to halt the spread of high-grade bladder cancer |
$15,000 |
Fiona Stanley Hospital |