$1m grants awarded to Westmead doctors and researchers

More than $1m in grants has been awarded to researchers and clinicians at a ceremony at Westmead Hospital.

There were big winners on the night from both Westmead Hospital and Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) with grants of up to $200,000 being awarded by Westmead Medical Research Foundation to projects as diverse as treatment of coeliac disease and the effectiveness of patches of marijuana extracts in treating joint pain.

Long serving WMRF board member Professor Jeremy Chapman said that the disbursements continued the Foundation’s decades long support of Westmead Hospital and WIMR.

“Over the years the Foundation has awarded tens of millions of dollars to the hospital and WIMR,” Prof Chapman said.

“The process is always competitive and we have always ensured that all applications for grants are peer reviewed.

“We have more funds to release and we will do that in the new year.”

The grants awarded came from bequests from Betty Schofield and Joyce Anderson, women with long connections to Westmead Hospital. Betty (OAM) was a former head nurse at the old Parramatta Hospital.

WMRF head of development Joe Conneely revealed that there had been more than 20 applications for funding with eight winners ultimately selected.

The biggest grant of the night ($200,000) went to a Westmead Hospital team represented by Dr Kirsty Stuart to fund data collection to identify patients at risk of developing breast lymphoedema, how to best manage the breast lymphoedema and whether the introduction of intervention improves outcomes.

A team represented by Dr Eddy Kizana, that will be working with WIMR, won the second biggest grant on the night ($183,000) to fund work that will use a protein borrowed from nature to determine if it can translated into a type of natural pacemaker for the heart. Dr Kizana is a cardiologist at Westmead Hospital who does his research at WIMR.

A project to develop a new ‘calculator’ to gauge the risk of stroke was awarded $160,000 with the team represented by Professor Liza Thomas at the event on December 10.

If you wish to discuss a legacy bequest or make donation to WMRF, go to https://web.thankq.net.au/wmrfa/donation/donate/

All the winners:

Coeliac Disease Research
Kirstie Bertram	$93,000 – WIMR
Palliative Care Research & Development
Mary Roberts	$67,000 – Westmead Hospital
Lymphedema, Osteoarthritis & Cellulitis Research
Sohel Julovi	$75,000 – WIMR
Alex VAREY	$120,000 – Westmead Hospital
Nicholas Manolios	$150,000 – Westmead Hospital
Kirsty Stuart	$200,000 – Westmead Hospital
Heart Care Research
Liza Thomas	$160,000 – Westmead Hospital
Eddy Kizana	$183,880 – WIMR