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The value of involving consumers in health and medical research cannot be underestimated. Consumer and community involvement (CCI) brings a unique perspective to all areas of research including planning, policy, funding, evaluation and reporting, as well as participation in the research project.
As part of Australian Health Research Alliance’s (AHRA) National Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) Initiative, the Western Australian Health Translation Network (WAHTN) has produced a new resource: “Involving Consumers in Health and Medical Research: A practical handbook for organisations, researchers, funders and consumers”.
The Handbook contains a step-by-step guide to CCI for the four stakeholders within the CCI ecosystem. Each step is supported by user-friendly templates and checklists. Members of these groups have co-designed this comprehensive but user-friendly resource.
“This Handbook is the essential resource for all those who are serious about involving consumers in health and medical research,” said Professor Gary Geelhoed, WAHTN’s Executive Director.

Download your free copy.

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WAHTN Media and Communications  – Hannah Vu (08 6151 0919)

WAHTN congratulates the recipients of Raine Foundation research grants.

Raine Priming Grants

• Dr Qi Fang: Raine Robson Fellow, BRITElab, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, The University of Western Australia
  Low-cost and wireless imaging for cancer detection during surgery
• Dr Nelly Amenyogbe: Raine BrightSpark Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia
  Harnessing innate immune metabolism to save newborns from infectious death
• Dr Rachael Zemek: Raine BrightSpark Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia
  Leveraging the surgical wound healing immune response to stimulate local cancer eradication
• Dr Penelope Strauss: Raine Cockell Fellow, Youth Mental Health, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia
  Enhancing suicide prevention for LGBTQA+ young people
• Dr Virginie Lam, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University
  Restoration of myelin genesis with dietary-derived bioactive lipids: An opportunity to improve disease outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis

Clinician Research Fellowships

• Dr Charlie McLeod, Department of Infectious Diseases, Perth Children’s Hospital
  Validation of a model for predicting bacterial (co)infection in bronchiolitis
• Dr Pamela Laird, Department of Physiotherapy, Child and Adolescent Health Service
  Improved respiratory health for Aboriginal children through knowledge and translation 
• Dr Wee Loong Chin, Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
  Designing a prediction framework for mesothelioma response to chemoimmunotherapy
• Dr Michael O’Sullivan, Department of Immunology, Perth Children’s Hospital
  Establishing an adaptive platform trial for food oral immunotherapy (ADAPT-OIT)
  

Research Collaborations Awards

• Dr Jonathan Chee, Healy Research Collaboration Award, The University of Western Australia
  Collaborating Institutions: The University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Institute
  Can inhibition of JAK-STAT signalling prevent autoimmunity and improve anti-tumour immunity?
• Dr Mohamed Estai, Healy Research Collaboration Award, CSIRO
  Collaborating Institutions: Western Sydney University, The University of Melbourne, Edith Cowan University and the WA Health Translational Network
  Enablers and barriers to accessing digital oral health resources: caregivers and health providers’ perspectives
• Dr Julian Basanovic, Cockell Research Collaboration Award, The University of Western Australia
  Collaborating Institutions: The University of Sydney and Western Kids Health
  Creating tools to help clinicians protect the mental health of children with chronic pain
• Dr Lynden Miles, Cockell Research Collaboration Award, The University of Western Australia
  Collaborating Institutions: Macquarie University and Wise Realities Institute for Healthcare Emerging Technologies Research
  Investigating the negative relationship between social anxiety and interpersonal coordination: identifying mechanisms and developing interventions

Raine BrightSpark Research Collaborations Awards

• Dr Henry Hui, The University of Western Australia
  Collaborating Institution: The National University of Malaysia
  Improving survival in childhood leukaemia
• Dr Akila Rekima, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia
  Collaborating Institution: Amsterdam University Medical Center
  Influence of early life diet on intestinal epithelial cell development and function

Publication Prizes

• Dr Lakshini Herat, Raine Research Prize, School of Biomedical Sciences and Dobny Hypertension Centre, The University of Western Australia
  Publication: SGLT2 Inhibitor–Induced Sympathoinhibition: A Novel Mechanism for Cardiorenal Protection. Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): Basic to Translational Science. 2020 February; 5(2), 169-79.
• Dr Michelle Olaithe, Strachan Memorial Prize, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia
  Publication: Cognitive deficits in obstructive sleep apnea: Insights from a metareview and comparison with deficits observed in COPD, insomnia, and sleep deprivation, Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2018; 38, 39-49.

Raine BrightSpark Research Prizes

• A/Prof Christopher Brennan-Jones, Telethon Kids Institute, Curtin University
  Publication: Topical antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020; Issue 1.

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WAHTN Media and Communications  – Hannah Vu (08 6151 0919)

The course enables multidisciplinary teams to identify digital health technology opportunities which have huge potential to personalise and improve access to care, reduce costs and increase quality of care in the WA health system. The course is based upon Stanford University’s prescriptive biodesign innovation process and is taught by a range of industry experts and Perth Biodesign course directors, Richard Macliver, Innovation Manager at Child and Adolescent Health Service, and Dr Simon Graindorge, COO at OncoRes Medical, Entrepreneur in Residence at IP Group Australia.

The course is designed for passionate individuals with clinical, engineering/IT/computing/design, business, and research backgrounds. Successful participants will be placed into teams and spend time in clinical settings identifying health challenges. After careful needs screening under the guidance of the Perth Biodesign mentors, the teams will ideate and prototype solutions, and plan to implement them.

4 month course Duration
March – June 2022

10 HOUR Clinical IMMERSION AT WA HOSPITALS
Late February 2022

8 HOUR/WEEK OVERALL COMMITMENT
Inclusive of in-person weekly sessions on Wednesday evenings

Please click  here for more information and to apply.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 22 December 2021

ADMINISTERED & SUPPORTED BY
The University of Western Australia and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research

SPONSORED BY
WA Data Science Innovation Hub
WA Health Translation Network
Curtin University
Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science
Ear Science Institute Australia

Applications are invited for the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Innovation Challenge 2021:

Child and Youth Mental Health (the Challenge)

The Challenge seeks to stimulate innovation, and the development and delivery of a solution to a significant unmet need identified by the Challenge ‘winner’ in the area of child and youth (0 – 24 years) mental health in Western Australia. Funding will be provided on a competitive basis to innovation proposals which demonstrate potential to develop and implement novel (new) processes, products and/or services relevant to this area. The proposed solution must result in transformative/disruptive change.

The Challenge will be open to legally constituted entities that may be based in Western Australia, Australia or internationally.

Up to 10 applicants may each be awarded up to $50,000 to undertake feasibility studies and/or build prototypes around their proposed solution to the problem that they have identified.  Following this, one proposed solution (the ‘winner’ of the Challenge), will be awarded up to $1.5 million to fully develop and implement the solution in Western Australia. The Challenge is funded by the FHRI Fund.

The application period closes 1:00pm (AWST), Tuesday 1 February 2022.

The Guidelines and Conditions and Application Form can be accessed from the FHRI Fund website.

For further information please email the Research and Innovation Office, Department of Health via RIO.DOH@health.wa.gov.au.

Information on other FHRI Fund programs can be accessed by subscribing to updates or checking the Current Opportunities page on the FHRI Fund website.

WAHTN warmly congratulates the Western Australian recipients of grants in the latest round of NHMRC funding, announced on 14 September 2021.

Investigator Grants

• Prof Stephen Stick, UWA: Priority driven childhood respiratory research
• Dr Gianina Ravenscroft, UWA: The missing genetics of rare diseases
• Prof Anna Nowak, UWA: Leading the way in mesothelioma – a program of immunotherapy translational research nested within novel clinical trials
• Prof Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, UWA: Safer anaesthesia for children – optimizing perioperative outcomes by advancing and translating knowledge into clinical practice using an international, interdisciplinary approach
• A/Prof Ashleigh Lin, UWA: Improving the mental health of trans and gender diverse young people

Partnership Projects

• A/Prof Julia Marley, UWA: Be Healthy: Implementing culturally secure programs for obesity and chronic disease prevention with remote Aboriginal communities and families

Targeted Call for Research

• A/Prof Glenn Arendts, UWA: A randomised trial of a Carer End of Life Planning Intervention (CELPI) in people dying with dementia

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with WAHTN news, events, and funding opportunities.

WAHTN Media and Communications  – Hannah Vu (08 6151 0919)

Get an introduction to what consumer and community involvement in research is, and what it brings to best practice health and medical research, via our latest online training course.

A collaboration between WAHTN’s RETProgram and CCIProgram, the Consumer and Community Involvement in Health Research course is designed as an introductory course for consumers, community members, researchers, administrators, policy makers and organisations involved in health research.

“We’re thrilled to be offering the first e-course on CCI in Australia,” said Deb Langridge, CCIProgram Head. “It’s a free 30-minute course available to everyone who is interested.”

In the first two weeks following its launch, the course was completed by 23 people and received 100% positive feedback, such as:

• “The information was concise and relevant. The material challenged and extended my thinking around the topic.”
• “[The best aspect was] understanding the difference between participation, engagement and involvement.”
• “Simple, easily accessible format. Short and sharp (I can fit it easily in at the end of my work day).”

Following on from this course, participants may choose to deepen their knowledge through live training workshops and other resources offered by the CCIProgram.

Register and start learning here!

Applications are now open for the Raine Medical Research Foundation 2021 Publication Prizes.

The purpose of the Prizes is to acknowledge the achievements of early-career researchers in Western Australia who have the best published scientific papers.

• Raine Research Prize – This Prize is awarded for the best scientific paper arising from research undertaken by an early-career medical researcher in Western Australia. The successful applicant will receive a medallion and $5,000 to go towards collaborative research activities.

• Strachan Memorial Prize – This Prize is awarded to a Western Australian early-career clinical scientist for the most outstanding scientific paper that may translate clinical research into better health outcomes. The successful applicant will receive a medallion and $5,000 to go towards collaborative research activities.

• BrightSpark Raine Research Prize – This Prize is awarded for the best scientific paper arising from child health research undertaken by an early-career medical researcher in Western Australia. The successful applicant will receive a medallion and $5,000 to go towards collaborative research activities.

Applications close 1pm Monday 13 September. Visit the Raine Medical Research Foundation website for details.

Applications are now open for the Raine Medical Research Foundation 2021 Research Collaboration Awards.

The purpose of the Awards is to encourage medical researchers in Western Australia to establish and develop research collaborations, both nationally and internationally, to seek a better understanding of the nature, origin, and cause of human diseases, and their prevention and treatment.

• Healy Research Collaboration Awards – These Awards are for early-career researchers in Western Australia, across all medical research disciplines, to develop research collaborations. A maximum of $30,000 shall be available for each Award.

• BrightSpark Raine Research Collaboration Awards – These Awards are for early-career researchers in Western Australia, to develop research collaborations in the field of child health. A maximum of $30,000 shall be available for each Award.

• Cockell Research Collaboration Awards – These Awards are for early-career, mid-career, and senior researchers in Western Australia, to develop research collaborations in the field of mental health. A maximum of $30,000 shall be available for each Award.

Applications close 1pm Monday 13 September. Visit the Raine Medical Research Foundation website for details.

Several members of the WAHTN Executive Board have recently come to the conclusion of their two-year appointment terms. As per the Board Terms of Reference, representation for the Private Health, University and Medical Research Institute sectors has been rotated to representatives from other organisations within each sector.

We are delighted to announce that the following prominent members have recently been appointed to the WAHTN Executive Board:

• Dr Terry Bayliss representing the Private Health sector (endorsed at the WAHTN Executive Board meeting held 14 April 2021)
• Professor Bill Morgan representing the Medical Research Institute sector (endorsed at the WAHTN Executive Board meeting held 14 April 2021)
• Professor Harlene Hayne representing the University sector (endorsed at the WAHTN Executive Board meeting held 21 July 2021)

View the full list of current Executive Board members.

We thank the departing members of the board – Professor Shirley Bowen, Professor Peter Leedman and Professor Eeva Leinonen – for their valuable contributions during their terms.

It has recently been announced that the Animal Resources Centre (currently based at Murdoch University) will close by the end of 2022 – which will create a huge gap for the medical research sector.

A reliable supply of small animals is critical to the sector’s important work.

As a network of organisations conducting medical research, WAHTN is very concerned about the WA Government’s decision to close the Centre.

The Centre provides a high-quality and affordable supply of small animals for medical research. It is relied upon by universities and institutes nationwide as the country’s only major facility of its kind.

Its closure will have a significant negative impact on the medical research sector: it will impact on the quality of animals available, lead to more in-house breeding (with increased costs and potential for animal wastage), and make it very difficult – or even impossible – to source certain strains. This will all reduce the sector’s capacity to continue delivering world-class and life-saving research.

We urge the WA Government to reconsider its decision to close the Centre within such a tight timeframe and to work with stakeholders to find a solution to ensure the continued availability of small animals for medical research in WA and beyond.

We’ll also be working closely with our partners in WA and our fellow Australian Health Research Alliance members to advocate for the sector on this issue.