Researchers awarded total of $7.78m from Health Research Council

The Health Research Council has awarded $7.78 million to University of Auckland researchers to support important work ranging from the link between opioid use and dementia to better ways to recruit and retain midwives.

The award round includes Career Development Awards forresearchers from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, alongside funding for research training for postgraduates and prestigious fellowships for researchers who are more advanced in their careers.

Clinical Research Training Fellowships:

• Hoda Fahmy, FHMS, Pharmacy, for research on opioid use among adults with late and young-onset dementia in Aotearoa - $260,000.
• Dr Mikaela Garland, FHMS, for research evaluating the use of topical sevoflurane - $260,000
• Dr Engelina Groenewald, FHMS, for research on developing better care pathways for delirium in New Zealand - $260,000
• Dr Qiliang Liu, Liggins Institute, for research on mother and child health after gestational diabetes - $260,000
• Dr Howe Mao, FHMS, for research on molecular insights into pancreas cancer in Aotearoa - $260,000
• Sreyon Murthi, FHMS, Pharmacy, for developing and evaluating digital tool prototypes for hospital medicine management - $260,000
• Benjamin Scrivener, FHMS, to shine a light on functional neurological disorder in Aotearoa - $260,000
• Dr Vicky Tai, FHMS, for research to unravel calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease - $260,000
• Caitlin Woods, Liggins Institute, for research on the recruitment and retention of midwives in Aotearoa - $260,000

Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowships:

• Dr Hamid Abbasi, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, for research on technology to detect perinatal brain injury - $600,000
• Dr Julie Choisne, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, for research on implementing biomechanics tools for paediatric surgery - $599,601
• Dr Joanna Ting Wai Chu, EDSW, for research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder - $599,102
• Dr Catherine Morgan, Science, for research on magnetic resonance imaging to predict dementia in a New Zealand sample - $598,353
• Dr Amy Smith, FMHS, for research on glial connections in mate wareware dementia - $599,771

Māori Health Career Development Awards

The Eru Pomare Fellowship:

• Dr Alehandrea Manuel, FMHS, for research on ngā moemoeā a ngā mokopuna Māori: Rangatahi Māori hearing and vision health - $611,624

Māori Health Clinical Research Training Fellowships:

• Dr Helen Kearns, FMHS, to research the retinopathy of prematurity in Aotearoa: Optimising screening and Māori equity - $105,000
• Brendon McIntosh, FMHS, Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, to research pharmacist-facilitated medication reviews with and for Māori with type 2 diabetes mellitus - $265,000

Māori Health Research Masters Scholarships:

• Kathleen Mason, FMHS, to research what Māori want for palliative pain management - $32,130
• Fushia Tibble, FMHS, Vision 2020 Service, for research on ngā ira filaggrin me te pānga pāpaka - the filaggrin gene in Māori with eczema - $32,116

Māori Health Research PhD Scholarship::

• Jennifer Rogers, Liggins Institute and Psychological Medicine, for research on whānau Māori lived experience of organ donation and transplantation - $131,000

Māori Health Research Summer Studentship:

• Katya Hutton for research on the accuracy of the TMB score using tumour-only sequencing for Māori - $7,500

Pacific Health Career Development Awards

Pacific Clinical Research Training Fellowships:

• Arieta Fa'apesolo Mu'aulama, to explore the experiences of Pacific people living with asthma - $260,000
• Jessee Fia'Ali'i, School of Psychology, for research on Pasifika wellbeing and psychological need during general hospital admissions - $260,000

Pacific Health Research PhD Scholarship:

• Noah Papali'i for investigation into factors behind gynaecological cancer in Pacific women - $124,820

Pacific Health Research Summer Studentships:

• Logan Fenton, FHMS, for a comprehensive analysis of breast cancer in young Pacific women - $7,500
• Ruby Pankhurst, Science, Statistics, to research the impact of disclosure risk processes on Pacific official statistics - $7,500

The Sir Thomas Davis Te Patu Kite Rangi Ariki Health Research Fellowship:

• Dr Analosa Veukiso-Ulugia, EDSW, Curriculum and Pedagogy, for research on empowering villages to safeguard Pacific children: Big data and community education - $599,587.