Researcher
Development Stream Awards Program
Our
researcher development stream awards program aims to build skills, foster
innovation, promote collaboration, and advance dust disease prevention and
management.
PhD
Scholarships
Supporting
high-achieving early career research scientists, occupational hygienists,
others working in occupational health, and health professionals to build
capacity, foster innovation, and advance dust disease research and treatment.
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FY24/25 Project: Optimisations and innovations in lung health monitoring for dust diseases
Lead Chief Investigator
Dr. Kirsten Andrea Bennett
Administering Organisation/Institution
The University of Western Australia
Awarded Funding
$100,000
Project Overview
Aims:
-
Aim 1 - To analyse the utility of ultra-low dose CT (uLDCT) scans in lung health
monitoring of dust exposed workers.
- Aim 2 - To optimise uLDCT lung cancer screening (LCS) for asbestos exposed
individuals.
Importance:
CT scans are widely used at almost every stage of monitoring the lung health of
dust-exposed workers. CT scans deliver radiation and there is measurable risk
of cancer from repeated CTs. A lower radiation CT at near chest x-ray levels is
available but not widely used.
Anticipated outcomes:
Dr Bennett’s Project will comprehensively analyse the theoretical and practical
benefits of uLDCT lung health monitoring for dust exposed workers, while also
examining optimal means to screen for lung cancer in dust-exposed workers.
Benefits:
Provide the basis for clinical practice changes resulting in lower ionising
radiation exposure, improved lung cancer detection and incorporation of novel
technologies for dust exposed workers.
Post-Doctoral
and Prevention Fellowships
Building
research capacity and advancing innovation in dust disease prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment by supporting exceptional early to mid-career researchers,
occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, and health
professionals in the field of dust diseases.
Post-Doctoral
Fellowships
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FY24/25 Project: Innovative strategies for personalised medicine in mesothelioma
Lead Chief Investigator
Dr. Ashleigh Jean Hocking
Administering Organisation/Institution
Flinders University
Awarded Funding
$240,000
Project Overview
This research project will further develop
innovative and widely applicable, clinically relevant models for optimising
personalised medicine. The principles of Dr Hocking’s work are applicable to
neoplastic and fibrotic diseases alike but in the first instance, the model
will focus on optimising therapy for mesothelioma. By utilising patient-derived
organoid co-culture models, the project seeks to tailor treatments based on the
unique characteristics of individual tumours.
Current first-line therapies, such as chemotherapy
and combination immunotherapy, often fail to provide significant benefits for
patients. This project addresses the gap in predictive strategies by
integrating stromal elements and immune cells into combined organoid models,
which mimic the clinical tumour microenvironment.
Expected outcomes include enhanced prediction of
treatment responses, targeted timing of therapy, identification of therapeutic
vulnerabilities, and discovery of protein signatures to predict progression
early. Ultimately, the project aims to improve patient quality of life by
optimising effective, personalised treatment while minimising toxicity.
Clinical
Fellowships
Strengthening
clinical and research capacity in dust diseases by funding outstanding
clinicians at any career stage to enhance prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and
patient outcomes through collaboration and innovation.
