Variety of research programmes amongHRC grants

Variety of research programmes among HRC grants

Four major research programmes were among 56 health research contracts worth $61.4 million announced by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) today.

The HRC is the principal Government agency responsible for funding healthresearch in New Zealand.

Dr Bruce Scoggins, HRC Chief Executive says this year’s funding round was very competitive and the successful research teams demonstrated potential to conduct high quality research.

“I am thrilled with the results, which will ensure health research capacity in New Zealand will continue to grow,” he says.

Associate Professor Alistair Gunn from the University of Auckland will lead an investigation into treatments for perinatal brain injury. Brain damage can occur as a result of low oxygen levels at birth and is associated with a spread of injury, overtime, into undamaged regions of the brain. This programme, which is supported by a$2.6 million grant will trial practical and clinical interventions to reduce the spread ofdamage.

A University of Otago research programme worth nearly $2 million led by Professor Allan Herbison, will investigate new avenues for treating infertility, a problem which affects more than 10 per cent of couples in New Zealand. By studying key cells in the brain which regulate fertility, the research team will look at factors that disrupt this function. The results of these investigations will provide critical information for the development of new infertility treatments.

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