Indigenous genetic research funding a boost for CQU
CQUniversity has been named as one of the beneficiaries of the Albanese Government’s $66 million Medical Research Future Fund - 2022 Genomics Health Futures Mission Grant.
The University is one of 25 successful entities to be funded, with almost $2 million allocated to the Jawun Research Centre for its project: Integrated Genetic HealthCare: Improving Access to Quality Genetic Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients.
Jawun Principal Research Fellow, Gregory Pratt, welcomed the funding and said it would allow Jawun researchers to kick start the Integrated Genetic HealthCare (IGHC) pilot project.
“This funding will allow us to implement and evaluate Integrated Genetic HealthCare (IGHC) - a preferred care model co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and genetic health services,” Mr Pratt explained.
“Implementation research will begin almost immediately for a genetic health service benefit in partnership with the primary health service sector,” he said.
Genomics medicine is revolutionising health care, particularly for people with rare diseases and cancer, by offering prompt and accurate diagnosis, identifying a patient’s risk based on their genes, and providing personalised treatments.
The Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP said “we are living through a supercharged period of discovery that promises to extend the health and wellbeing of Australians, and the Albanese Government is proud to fund this important work.
“This research is world-leading and these projects have the potential to be game changers that will lead to advances in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for Australians and around the world.”
Mr Pratt said implementation research would be undertaken to understand inequalities of access and review and refine strategies to improve access to culturally appropriate, sensitive, quality genetic health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“We will leverage local, jurisdictional, national and international networks to implement and evaluate IGHC, and create pathways for a coordinated approach to equitably transform primary genomic health care.”
