- New health and medical Innovation Fellowships announced
- More than $1.3 million in funding shared by 10 successful applicants
- Supported by the State's Future Health Research and Innovation Fund
The Cook Government is investing $1,347,849 to help 10 local innovators build their capacity and capability to develop solutions to health and medical challenges across the State.
The 2022-23 Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Innovation Fellowships support a range of projects which aim to improve the health and wellbeing of Western Australians and contribute to WA's economy.
Among the recipients is Curtin University's Dr Armin Mooranian, who is developing a drug-based treatment for age-related hearing loss.
It's a condition that affects a quarter of all Western Australians, and there is currently no available therapy to prevent or treat hearing loss.
Dr Mooranian's drug, delivered via a special gel, permeates deep into the inner ear and creates a long-term environment in which to protect the cochlea.
This new drug is less invasive and less expensive than other treatments, which can include cochlea implants.
Associate Professor Ryu Takechi is working on dementia, a leading cause of death in Western Australians and a condition that is expected to quadruple by 2050.
The Curtin University researcher has found a toxic protein that abnormally increases in the blood decades before clinical onset of Alzheimer's disease.
His team is now testing a drug which significantly decreases the blood levels of the protein, potentially reversing the process and preventing the onset of Alzheimer's.
For more information on the 2022-23 FHRI Fund Innovation Fellowship program, visit the FHRI Fund page.
Comments attributed to Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"These FHRI Fund Innovation Fellowship recipients are at the cutting-edge of innovation here in Western Australia.
"These recipients all have incredible ideas, and many have great expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship.
"The Cook Government committed to helping them fully develop their projects, to benefit the Western Australian community and help diversify the State's economy."
