Two researchers from UQ’s School of Chemical Engineering have been awarded more than $1 million by the Heart Foundation to advance cardiovascular research.
Dr Mark Allenby received a Future Leader Fellowship to engineer cell culture models able to predict organ and stem cell transplant complications in patients which are often diagnosed too late.
“Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is a life-threatening condition where our cardiovascular and immune systems attack one another,” Dr Allenby said.
“Dr Rose Ann Franco from our lab discovered an innovative way to grow vascularised immune tissue by mixing blood cells from a transplant patient and their donor. This new discovery is promising to predict transplant patient risks, optimise management, and evaluate potential treatments to improve patient outcomes.”
“This work may also have broader applications for other serious conditions, like COVID-19, Buerger disease, and traumatic brain injury.”
Associate Professor Joy Wolfram, who is jointly appointed at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), was awarded a Future Leader Fellowship to develop therapeutics to improve recovery outcomes after open-heart surgery.
“My research to produce next-generation medicines will take natural molecular packages (extracellular vesicles) from healthy individuals and engineer them as new therapeutics to reduce heart inflammation and tissue damage following open-heart surgery,” Dr Wolfram said.
“The long-term goal of this work is to save lives and enhance the quality of life for patients.”
Heart Foundation CEO David Lloyd congratulated Dr Allenby and Associate Professor Wolfram and thanked donors for their support in funding this vital research.
“Cardiovascular disease remains a devastating health issue, claiming the lives of one person every 18 minutes,” he said.
“Researchers play a crucial role in working to turn this statistic around. Their work helps us understand the causes, develop more effective treatments, and improve prevention strategies.
“The generosity of people in Australia over the past year has ensured we can continue to support vital cardiovascular research, including these projects.”
These UQ projects are among 66 initiatives funded Australia-wide this year by the Heart Foundation totalling $13.7 million, made possible through the generosity of donors in Australia.
