SUPER-NEXT will use genome profiling to help guide treatment of cancers with an unknown starting point and help resolve missing cancer type diagnosis. This project will help to drive broader adoption of genomics for all cancers of unknown primary patients.
Life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is much lower than other Australians, in part due to an apparent genetic predisposition to chronic diseases.
The Queensland University of Technology will use whole genome sequencing of the Tiwi people to understand how their genetic makeup is associated with chronic disease.
This will lead to improved early detection and targeted prevention strategies to reduce disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The University of South Australia will seek answers for families who have experienced or may be predisposed to perinatal death and stillbirth.
The team will investigate the proportion of cases that could be diagnosed using genomic analyses leading to accurate diagnosis of the cause of perinatal death.
This project will help health professionals better understand risk to future pregnancies and ensure families can get appropriate counselling.
The University of Queensland will aim to improve the diagnosis of sepsis through the use of genomic knowledge and technology by investigating critically ill children presenting with suspected sepsis to hospitals.
Sepsis is a leading cause of death and disability in adults and children.
The project addresses a key priority in health and can lead to better treatment of sepsis, reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and improve patient outcomes leading to major cost savings.
Macquarie University will investigate the social and financial costs to families of a child with severe intellectual disability that is genetic in origin.
It will then determine the extent to which clinical genomics can contribute to improving these impacts.
Families with a child with intellectual disability face many social and economic impacts, including financial pressure, relationship strain, poorer parental health and uncertainty about the future.
These grants are part of the Government’s $500 million Genomics Health Futures Mission, which will help transform and save the lives of more than 200,000 Australians.
All 17 projects will harness the power of genomics to improve testing, diagnosis and treatment.
Independent grant selection committees were established to peer review and assess applications that were received for competitive grant opportunity.
The Morrison Government is committed to health and medical research that will ultimately benefit all Australians.
By investing in genomics research we will provide new pathways for diagnosis, medicines and treatments.