Investigative research on new treatments for cluster headaches and chronic pain management are among the successful projects.
UNSW Sydney researchers have secured $4.7 million under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research initiative for four projects which seek to improve patient care.
The projects will test new treatments for cluster headaches and complex regional pain syndrome, improve access to paediatric care for children in regional areas and investigate the causes of pregnancy loss for people undergoing reproductive treatment.
Dean of UNSW Medicine & Health Professor Cheryl Jones welcomed the funding.
"This is wonderful news and underscores how crucial focused research is in enhancing health outcomes for diverse groups in our communities, from people living with chronic pain to those seeking care in regional and rural Australia," she said.
"I'm deeply proud of our researchers for their dedication to developing treatment options that are inclusive, and evidence based."
Improving paediatric care for children in rural areas
Dr Shannon Pike from UNSW's Wagga Wagga Rural Clinical School has been awarded $1.99 million to work with the Population Child Health Research group at UNSW and partners across the Murrumbidgee region. Together they will co-design and evaluate a rural model of care which supports young children with developmental concerns.
The Enhanced Paediatrics in Primary Care (EPiPC) program connects a family's GP with community paediatricians, allied health professionals and nurses. This helps keep a child's care local, timely and coordinated, while ensuring they receive the right screening and early intervention.
One in five Australian children begin school without the basic social, emotional, language, thinking and physical skills they need to learn, and the rate is even higher in rural communities.
Dr Pike said children who start school with developmental challenges are more likely to struggle in the long term.
"Access to early intervention is critical. Evidence shows that early identification and intervention within the first 2000 days of life can significantly improve a person's life trajectory," she said.
"Despite this pressing need, access to paediatric care in rural areas is severely limited and wait times can extend to up to two years for common developmental concerns. This denies timely, equitable and appropriate care for these children and their families."
The project will be supported by Professor Raghu Lingam at UNSW Sydney and includes a team of frontline paediatric and primary care clinicians and researchers. Dr Pike said the research will create new opportunities for regional families, clinicians and academics to get involved.
"This grant will allow us to implement the EPiPC model across the Murrumbidgee region, determine its impact and help identify factors that will help improve the sustainability and scalability of this model of care across rural and regional Australia," she said.
Predicting pregnancy loss in assisted reproductive technology
Dr Wentao Li from UNSW Medicine & Health has received $978,059 to investigate the causes and develop better models to predict pregnancy loss for those undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). The best-known ART treatments are in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and artificial insemination. Pregnancy loss occurs in around 20% of ART pregnancies.
"Pregnancy loss after ART is common and deeply distressing yet the reasons it occurs remain poorly understood," Dr Li said.
"By uncovering the mechanisms behind pregnancy loss and identifying modifiable factors in ART procedures, this project directly addresses one of the most pressing and underexplored challenges in fertility care."
The findings and predictive tools for pregnancy loss in ART will be integrated into the government-funded YourIVFSuccess website to help patients and doctors make informed and personalised treatment decisions.
"Ultimately, this research has the potential to reduce the emotional and financial burden of pregnancy loss, improve treatment success, and provide couples with clearer, more compassionate guidance throughout their fertility journey," Dr Li said.
New immunotherapies to address chronic pain
Associate Professor Gila Moalem-Taylor at UNSW Medicine & Health has been awarded $944,367 to trial a new treatment to manage Complex Regional Pain Syndromes (CRPS).
CRPS is a rare chronic pain condition that can develop after an injury or surgery to a limb. People with CRPS experience intense, ongoing pain, swelling and extreme sensitivity that can last for years.
A/Prof. Moalem-Taylor said current treatments for CRPS often fail to bring relief, and growing research suggests an autoimmune link.
"This project will test a new approach that aims to reset the immune system and reduce pain by boosting a special type of protective immune cells called regulatory T cells, using a cutting-edge humanised mouse model that mimics CRPS," she said.
While immunotherapies are already used in cancer and autoimmune diseases, applying them to pain conditions like CRPS is new. The project will provide critical evidence for advancing small-scale clinical trials in patients.
"By targeting the immune system rather than just masking pain, this research offers a potential new way to stop the disease process itself," A/Prof. Moalem-Taylor said.
"If successful, it could pave the way for safer, longer-lasting therapies that restore quality of life for patients who currently have limited treatment options.
Testing psychedelics to prevent disabling headaches
Dr Faraidoon Haghdoost from The George Institute for Global Health and conjoint lecturer at UNSW has received $799,767 to conduct one of the world's first clinical trials into the potential for the psychedelic compound psilocybin to prevent cluster headaches.
Cluster headaches can be extremely painful, and with sufferers sometimes describing a sharp, drilling pain behind the eye or temple. The attacks can occur many times a day and last for several hours.
Existing treatments for other types of headaches, including new medicines for migraine, are less effective for cluster headache.
Dr Haghdoost's 'Psilocybin Efficacy and Acceptability on Cluster Headache Episodes' (PEACE) pilot trial will assess whether 10mg of psilocybin once a week for four weeks can prevent cluster headache attacks.
"Some studies have shown psychedelics can have a cluster-busting effect by reducing or eliminating attacks after just a few doses. But global clinical evidence for psilocybin is limited, and there are no data for Australia," he said.
Many sufferers resort to self-medicating with treatments such as psilocybin from unregulated sources. By involving clinicians, researchers and consumer advocacy groups, the PEACE trial will generate important safety data and help guide responsible use, Dr Haghdoost said.
"If the PEACE findings are positive, we hope to do larger trials with the aim of providing an effective, evidence-based treatment option using affordable generic psilocybin for those enduring cluster headache," he said.
