A fellowship worth $500,000 from the Health Research Council has boosted University of Otago research by Dr Tania Slatter which is aimed at improving outcomes for patients with brain tumours.
The Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship was the biggest of a series of research grants totalling $1.51million received by Otago University researchers in the latest round of the HRC Career Development Awards.
Awards amounting to about $6.4million have been announced this week, and a further $1.8million in Maori-linked awards are to be announced later.
Dr Slatter, of the Otago pathology department, has an Otago PhD in biochemistry.
She was yesterday excited and ‘‘a bit shocked'' to gain the four-year fellowship.
High-grade tumours in the brain were largely incurable but despite most people having a poor prognosis, some people lived considerably longer than others.
To improve the outcome for everyone with such tumours, her research centred on finding prognostic markers that could predict, when the tumour was first diagnosed, how it would develop.
The use of the oral chemotherapy drug Temozolomide in recent years was changing the outlook for some patients and some were surviving for five years.
Her research, which involved Dr Noelyn Hung, Prof Antony Braithwaite and many other collaborators, was promising.
Five patient sub-groups had been discovered by researchers, and the research partly aimed to find ways to extend the benefits of taking Temozolomide, so more patients could enjoy an improved prognosis.
"It's a very exciting area to work in,'' she said.
Dr Sarah Donald, of Otago University's Dunedin School of Medicine, gained a Clinical Research Training Fellowship ($250,000) to undertake a three-year study of prescription medicine use in pregnancy.
Also gaining Clinical Research Training Fellowships were Dr Brian Corley, of the university's Wellington campus, involving aspects of gastric bypass surgery ($167,000); and Dr Patricia Whitfield, of the university's Wellington campus, for research on ‘‘Ethnic differences in energy metabolism among New Zealanders'' ($250,000).
General practitioner Dr Carol Atmore received the 2015 HRC Foxley Fellowship ($222,000) to study "Exploring and improving hospital care quality for New Zealand rural communities''.
HRC Pacific summer studentships ($5000 over 10 weeks): Melbournemockba Coudetalei Mauiliu; Damaris Dekker; David Nair; Kaylarina Fuatai; Hilla Fukofuka; Ryder Fuimaono; Troy Ruhe, Zebulun Laqekoro, Brogan Maoate, Jonathan Feki, Eirenei Tauai, Tapuaki Vehikite, Ulalei Aiono, Theresa Fitzpatrick, James Devoe, Nina Maifea, Fuakava Tanginoa, Adaab Azam.
HRC Pacific master's scholarship: Acelini Hakopa, $20,104.
HRC Pacific postdoctoral fellowship: Dr Ramona Tiatia, $105,900.
