A new project using AI technology to deliver personalised support for people with chronic health conditions is one of two La Trobe University programs to share $3.9 million worth of federal funding.
Brian Oldenburg, Professor of Public Health and Implementation Science at La Trobe and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, and Director of the Connected Health NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Digital Technology to Transform Chronic Diseases, will use AI tools to implement a support system to address the psychological and social challenges of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
The Connect4Health project has secured $2.2 million through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2025 Ideas Grants.
It is co-designed with people who have chronic conditions, working alongside doctors and other healthcare workers to connect them to services like social groups, walking clubs and counselling. By actively involving those with lived experience, the project helps build a supporting community beyond the medical system to improve physical and mental health and reduce inequalities.
Professor Oldenburg said the Connect4Health project would leverage the AI expertise at La Trobe to implement a system where current workforce capacity falls short.
"While our health system does a good job managing the clinical and medical aspects of chronic disease, the social and psychological dimensions are frequently neglected," Professor Oldenburg said.
"This AI-enabled platform will go beyond generic advice by providing personalised navigation, called a social prescription, to relevant services and support that align with each person's goals, cultural context, health literacy preferences and accessibility needs to ensure care feels relevant and inclusive."
The five-year project will bring together a cross-institutional and world-class team of researchers, incorporating La Trobe and Baker specialists across AI, disease prevention, rural health, loneliness and social isolation, and collaborations with health professionals and partners in Denmark and the UK.
Dr Ralph Audehm, a general practitioner with over 35 years' experience and an associate investigator on the project, brings expertise in chronic disease management and community-based care.
"The impact of chronic disease on people and their lives is enormous and often underestimated. Psychological health and chronic diseases often influence each other and the treatments used to manage them," Dr Audehm said.
"This tool puts resources directly into the hands of the person, giving them control over how they can manage their health. It's about empowerment and making support accessible in a way that matters."
Implementation will begin in Melbourne and regional Victoria through La Trobe's Rural Health School. with plans to expand into regional Tasmania.
Professor Grant Drummond, co-Director of La Trobe's Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, together with Associate Professor Antony Vinh and Dr Hericka Figueiredo Galvao, has received $1.7 million in a separate project that addresses a life- threatening condition where there are limited treatment options.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a condition in which the body's main artery becomes inflamed, dilated and prone to rupture.
The team's project aims to investigate potential therapeutic treatments for the condition, which has a mortality rate of 80 per cent.
Professor Drummond said there were currently no drugs to treat AAA and surgery was rarely an option, highlighting an urgent need for new therapies.
"We will examine the role of an inflammatory protein called interleukin-18 in AAA to understand how it activates immune cells and explore whether blocking its activity with new drugs could offer a viable treatment," Professor Drummond said.
La Trobe's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Chris Pakes acknowledged the achievement of both researchers and their teams.
"I commend both Professor Oldenburg and Professor Drummond on their achievements. These successes reflect both the excellence of their work and their dedication to addressing critical health challenges," Professor Pakes said.
"The funding of these projects will have a lasting impact on the wellbeing of our communities."
- Person with chronic disease case study available on request.
