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A Griffith researcher participated in a $ 5 million grant to develop innovative research on stroke prevention.
The Heart Foundation has announced that Professor Michael Good, of the Griffith Institute for Glycomics, would be one of two Australian researchers who will participate in the single grant open to researchers who could demonstrate that they were working on innovative and internationally important research that would showcase Australia as a leader in the prevention of stroke.
The $ 5 million legacy will be shared between professors Good and Sophia Zoungas from Monash University.
Professor Good will seek to develop a stroke vaccine to prevent streptococcal A infection, which could lead to rheumatic heart disease and cause a stroke related to the disease. This research could lead to a simple vaccine for children that can significantly reduce the strokes badociated with the disease.
Professor Zoungas will study the efficacy of statins in elderly patients with stroke (aged 70 years and older) and will identify key predictors of stroke and neurovascular changes in brain structure at old age.
Professor Good received his first grant from the Heart and Stroke Foundation for Heart Disease Research 25 years ago.
He and his research team have identified two candidate vaccines and, with this grant, will be able to conduct clinical trials on humans.
"This grant means a lot. This will be the first time in the world that we can test these vaccines on volunteers, "said Professor Good. He paid tribute to co-investigators Andrew Steer, Michael Batzloff, Manisha Pandey, Mehfuz Zaman and Joshua Osowicki.
Professor Zoungas said the research encompbades three major work programs, bringing together an international consortium of researchers led by Australia.
The funding was made available by a generous legacy. The grant is one of the largest research grants offered by the Heart Foundation and is separate from the annual funding of research grants.
Assistant Professor John Kelly, CEO of the Heart Foundation Foundation, thanked the benefactor's family for their generous support. He added that the Heart Foundation's goal was to select research that could make a significant contribution to the prevention and treatment of stroke worldwide, so that the legacy is appropriately honored.
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, stroke is the third leading cause of death in Australia and thousands of stroke survivors are living with the debilitating effects of stroke," said the Professor Kelly.
Cardiovascular diseases, which include heart disease and stroke, affect 4.2 million Australians. In 2017, an average of 22 Australians died as a result of a stroke each day. This equates to one death from stroke every 65 minutes. In ten years, from 2008 to 2017, more than 83,000 Australians have lost their lives as a result of stroke.
Professor Kelly said Professor Zoungas's research was important because it would remove the uncertainty and ongoing debate about the impact of statins on health and cardiovascular disease, especially among older people.
"It will provide urgent information on the prevention of stroke in older adults who have traditionally been underrepresented in clinical trials despite a high risk of stroke."
If successful, these vaccines could significantly reduce the incidence of cerebrovascular disease-related strokes. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders have the highest rates of driving on the right of the world.
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