The University of Melbourne has secured $9 million in funding for three new Centres of Research Excellence (CREs), which will support researchers to tackle some of the world's most complex health and sustainability challenges.
Announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler MP, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) CRE scheme aims to improve health outcomes and promote or improve translation of research outcomes into policy and practice.
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Mark Cassidy said the University's research excellence, translation and impact are delivering enduring positive benefits for our global society.
"The three new Centres of Research Excellence demonstrate how University of Melbourne researchers are working in partnership to advance knowledge and directly improve lives," Professor Cassidy said.
"From mood disorders to breathlessness and One Health, these projects bring together extraordinary interdisciplinary teams to solve problems that matter.
"We would also like to acknowledge our partner organisations who will receive funding in this round of grants. We are enormously privileged to be part of the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct which enables the kinds of interdisciplinary and collaborative research that delivers real benefit to our community.
"Our latest research strategy, released only last month, outlined the University's aspiration to create deeper engagement with our network, working together across disciplines, sectors and communities to harness diverse knowledge, experiences and perspectives to address pressing challenges. Our partners play an integral role in addressing these challenges and we congratulate them on securing this funding."
The three new CREs are:
Centre for Next-Generation Treatments for Mood Disorders
Led by Professor Christopher Davey (Melbourne Medical School), this CRE will explore the clinical application of rapidly acting antidepressants, including the use of advanced neuroscience approaches to better understand their mechanisms of action.
The neuroscience component will be led by Professor Ben Harrison (Department of Psychiatry) and Associate Professor Jess Nithianantharajah (The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health). The Centre will also collaborate with Professor Colleen Loo (Black Dog Institute) and Professor Nick Glozier (University of Sydney) and will be informed by lived experience experts led by Clare Walton.
The research will address questions of long-term safety, cost-effectiveness and equitable access. It has a particular focus on improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and will train the next generation of researchers in this emerging field.
Centre for Investigating Mechanisms, Peripheral and Central Traits (IMPACT) in Chronic Cough
Led by Professor Stuart Mazzone (School of Biomedical Sciences), this CRE will explore the biological and clinical drivers of persistent cough, develop better diagnosis and treatment, and co-design culturally appropriate awareness initiatives with First Nations communities. It will train future scientists to sustain global leadership in cough research.
Professor Mazzone leads an interdisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians spanning national and international organisations, including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of New South Wales, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Montana and King's College London.
The Centre will also be supported through partnerships with Lung Foundation Australia, Laryngology Society of Australia, Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand, NEuroCOUGH CRC (UK), Redenlab (Australia) and Hyfe AI (USA).
Building Resilient One Health Communities: Preventing Zoonoses, Reducing AMR and Improving Food Security
Led by Professor Glenn Browning (Faculty of Science), this CRE will partner with communities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to reduce animal-to-human disease transmission, strengthen antimicrobial stewardship and support food security.
The interdisciplinary team brings together researchers from the Melbourne Veterinary School, the Nossal Institute, and national and international partners including Monash University, Murdoch University, Udayana University (Bali), the PNG Institute of Medical Research, Menzies School of Health Research, Prevalensi Nusantara (Indonesia), National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesia) and the National University of Timor-Leste.
Their work will focus on co-designed, sustainable solutions to prevent disease and improve health outcomes, particularly for communities at the frontline of climate and health challenges.
The NHMRC's CRE program supports ambitious, collaborative solutions to complex health challenges, enabling researchers to turn ideas into tangible benefits for patients, communities and health systems.
