A trio of University of the Sunshine Coast research teams will share in $450,000 grant funding to improve the health care of newborn babies, examine the recurrence of liver cancer and understand the causes of diabetic kidney disease.
The UniSC academics will work with Sunshine Coast Health clinician-researchers who received the 2025 SERTF-Wishlist Collaborative Research Grants to lead investigations into these core healthcare challenges.
Professor Fiona Bogossian is leading a study to test the effectiveness of a tissue "glue" designed to secure and stabilise intravenous catheters in newborn babies.
Professor Bogossian, Deputy Dean of UniSC's School of Health and a registered nurse, says more research is needed to assess the risks and benefits of the adhesive compared to standard care dressings. Catheters are essential for newborns, enabling medication delivery and emergency procedures.
Dr Lochlan Fennell , UniSC Senior Lecturer and cancer biologist, is mapping early-stage locations of hepatocellular carcinoma, a common primary liver cancer.
Dr Fennell's team aims to better understand why this cancer often recurs after curative treatment.
Dr Mitchell Sullivan , UniSC Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science, is exploring the role of glycogen in diabetic kidney disease.
Dr Sullivan says that while glycogen stores sugar in organs such as the liver, abnormal accumulations in the kidneys may be linked to diabetic kidney disease.
UniSC Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Ross Young says the close collaborations with Sunshine Coast Health and the university's partnership in the Sunshine Coast Health Institute reflect the University's commitment to "boost the wellbeing of the region and to advance our understanding of crucial health issues in our community".
"Our researchers are continuously delivering new insights into cancer , chronic diseases, mental wellbeing such as PTSD and youth mental health, healthy ageing , nutrition and sports science and other projects across the health spectrum," Professor Young says.
