HRC puts $4.3m into University projects

Health Delivery Research Project Grants

The largest grant of $1.4 million was made to Professor Cameron Grant, who is Head of the Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health at the University and a paediatrician at Starship Hospital. He will assess the effectiveness of a new treatment, OM-85, to reduce hospital admissions for preschool children with recurring respiratory illnesses.

OM-85 is a bacterial lysate that can be taken orally to stimulate immune responses against viral infections and reduce inflammation associated with wheezing episodes.

Trials suggest it reduces recurrent respiratory infections in children, but larger studies are needed to see whether it prevents wheeze-related hospitalisations.

A $1,353,460 grant will enable senior lecturer in nutrition Dr Amy Lovell to develop and implement nutrition guidelines for children with cancer. While about 85 percent of children survive cancer treatment, poor nutrition contributes to negative outcomes for others.

Lovell’s study will examine weight changes during cancer treatment and their association with outcomes. She will co-design nutrition guidelines and interventions with patients, whānau, Māori health researchers, clinicians, and community groups, using a New Zealand-specific He Pikinga Waiora framework. A national implementation and evaluation strategy will then be developed.

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences research fellow Dr Eileen Gilder has been granted $837,705 for research to improve care after strokes. Better management of hyperglycaemia, fever, and swallowing dysfunction for 72 hours after stroke is known to reduce death and disability. Gilder will look at the impacts of different levels of support for hospital staff implementing 'fever, sugar and swallow' (FeSS) protocols after strokes. She hopes better implementation of FeSS guidelines will improve equity and outcomes for stoke patients across Aotearoa.

Gilder also received $29,830 for a pilot project advancing health professionals’ knowledge and understanding about links between human and planetary health. She says health professionals must be ready to work in a changing climate and to support patients with climate-change-related health needs.

Health Delivery Research Career Development Awards

Associate Professor Jichao Zhao, from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, received $160,525 for research that aims to develop an artificial intelligence-driven electrocardiogram (ECG) to detect atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition that can cause stroke and heart failure.

Zhao says an AI-enabled ECG could improve diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and identify patients who are most suitable for ablation treatment.

Senior lecturer in nursing, Dr Kim Ward, has been granted $109,138 to start developing guidelines for patient and whānau centred inpatient care.

Interviews with families and health professionals will provide insights into whānau-centred care dynamics and help define expectations for culturally responsive, whānau-inclusive inpatient care. Ward says families act as allies for patients, advocating for their safety and quality of care.

Ward also received almost $30,000 to assess the Kōrero Mai programme at  Te Toka Tumai, Auckland Hospital. Numerical and interview data will be used to evaluate Kōrero Mai, which is a process family members can use to raise concerns with clinicians about a loved one.

Health Delivery Research Activation Grants

Nutrition lecturer Dr Nicola Gillies has been granted $29,856 to research nutritional needs for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder characterised by joint hypermobility, chronic pain, and fatigue. Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, often leading people to follow restrictive diets, which might exacerbate the condition.

Curriculum and pedagogy lecturer Dr Hayley McGlashan-Fainu has received $30,000 for research on ākonga Māori experiences in relationships and sexuality education. Non-heterosexual Māori youth are significantly more likely to experience bullying, unwanted sexual attention and sexual and mental health problems than their Pākehā and heterosexual counterparts. This research will draw on ethnographic case studies to explore the experiences of young Māori who identify as takatāpui – sex, gender and sexuality diverse – in relationships and sexuality education.

Research fellow Dr Nicola McKenzie has been awarded $30,000 to look into end-of-life care for people with learning disabilities. The project will involve interviewing 24 people to identify gaps and issues related to end-of-life supports and services for people with learning disabilities.

Associate head of research in nursing, Associate Professor Jackie Robinson, received $29,983 to co-design information resources to support whānau caring for family members at the end of their lives in Eastern Bay of Plenty. Findings will inform the future development of resources for whānau caregivers in remote rural communities across Aotearoa.

Associate Professor of pharmacy Amy Chan has been granted $30,000 to address inequity in treatment of Māori with asthma. Research shows Māori experience worse asthma outcomes than non-Māori and are less likely to receive treatment that complies with guidelines. This research is co-led with Māori researchers and aims to develop strategies to improve asthma treatment for Māori.

Honorary lecturer in psychological medicine Dr Aida Dehkhoda has been awarded $30,000 to develop support groups for families and professionals involved with assisted deaths. Dehkhoda says assisted dying creates new forms of grief and this research aims to form and evaluate support groups to address this.

Deputy head of the School of Pharmacy, Professor Joanne Barnes, has received $30,000 for research on monitoring the safety of natural health products in Aotearoa. The study will explore consumers’ views on developing a new safety monitoring method that could be used to collect more comprehensive data on patterns of use and benefit–harm profiles for natural health products marketed in New Zealand.

Honorary academic at the Liggins Institute Esther Calje has been awarded $29,992 for initial research on managing iron-deficiency and anaemia in pregnant women.

Senior lecturer in pharmacy Dr Rhys Ponton has received $30,000 for research to help improve the safety of consuming psychedelic mushrooms in Aotearoa. The project aims to initiate the research and development of mushroom testing procedures that can be used in drug-checking clinics to identify mushrooms in use in Aotearoa and reduce harm to consumers who might otherwise ingest toxic species.

Senior research fellow in pharmacology Dr Thomas Park has been granted $29,907 to establish a National Brain Tumour Registry for Aotearoa. Every year, more than 2,400 Kiwis are diagnosed with a brain tumour. However, Park says current data on brain tumours in New Zealand is incomplete and disjointed.

This project aims to establish a national brain tumour registry that will collect, store, and report data from brain-tumour patients. Park hopes the data will improve research efforts, guide health policies, and ultimately provide better health outcomes for patients.

Professor of health economics Paula Lorgelly has received $30,000 to co-create research about long Covid with people who have lived with the condition.

Auckland Bioengineering Institute research fellow Dr Weiwei Ai has been awarded $30,000 for a bioelectrical heart model that tests pacemaker clinical parameter settings. The project has generated interest from major device companies.

Research fellow in optometry and vision science Dr Pushkar Silwal has been granted $30,000 for a project that aims to use routinely collected data about children’s eye health to achieve better outcomes.