2376 Results
Improving eye health among the most underserved populations in Aotearoa
Aotearoa New Zealand has significant room for improvement in the way we plan and deliver eye care services.Funding proposalsDevelopment of a human oligodendrocyte platform for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune neurological disorder affecting 1:1,000 New Zealanders. Oligodendrocytes are cells that produce an insulating sheath called myelin which is required for efficient neuron-to-neuron communication.Funding proposalsLocking up antisense oligonucleotides to advance cancer therapies
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are a revolutionary new type of drug work at the genetic level to treat a wide range of conditions and can be custom-made to provide patients with personalised therapies.Funding proposalsFit for treatment: Evaluating the feasibility of exercise during chemotherapy
Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Aotearoa, with especially high rates in the Otago-Southland region. Chemotherapy is a key treatment but often causes unpleasant side effects.Funding proposalsPolypeptide-based polymeric materials for metallo-anticancer drug delivery
Platinum-based anticancer drugs are among the most widely used cancer chemotherapeutics but their significant side effects and drug resistance severely limit their use.Funding proposalsDisruption of oxygen management networks to combat bacterial pathogens
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) is unrivalled in its capacity to infect humans.Funding proposalsDeveloping new community-led models of aged care
In Aotearoa, new care models are needed to help people live well in older life. This is particularly important in Wairoa, where extreme weather events led to the closure of their only aged residential care facility.Funding proposalsEstablishment and maintenance of skin resident memory Th2 cells
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic allergic skin condition affecting a significant proportion of New Zealand’s population. It is characterised by skin infiltration of a type of immune cell (CD4+ T cell) that expresses chemical messengers called IL-13.Funding proposalsPreclinical development of new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant pathogens
Drug-resistant bacteria, or 'superbugs,' are a growing global health crisis responsible for millions of deaths.Funding proposalsDirect-to-stomach delivery of drugs for the chemoprevention of inherited stomach cancer
Individuals at risk of the inherited cancer syndrome Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC) are recommended to have their stomachs removed to eliminate their high risk of death from stomach cancer.Funding proposalsTackling gender inequity: The International Women’s Aneurysm Trial
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is when the main blood vessel in the tummy weakens and expands, which is life-threatening if it ruptures (bursts).Funding proposalsGenotypes, phenotypes, and treatment of NOTCH2NLC-related disease in Aotearoa New Zealand
Mutations in the NOTCH2NLC gene cause brain and muscle degeneration in children and adults that is often fatal.Funding proposalsRole of a CALCRL gene variant in metabolic disease
We have discovered a ‘hyperactive’ CALCRL gene variant that is enriched in people of Māori/Pacific descent and is linked to metabolic disease, including raised blood sugar levels.Funding proposalsAcceptability and utility of cervical screening self-tests for big-bodied people
Cervical cancer is preventable through vaccination, screening and timely treatment. New Zealand’s cervical screening programme now offers a universal self-testing option which is expected to reduce inequities in participation and cancer outcomes.Funding proposalsDo excessive ovarian hormones cause ovulation failure in polycystic ovary syndrome?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of infertility in reproductive-age women, but the causes remain unclear. One treatment for PCOS is a surgical procedure that targets the ovary, but this procedure is not frequently performed.Funding proposalsBALANCE+: A Platform Trial for Gram Negative Bloodstream Infections
Bloodstream infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria (e.g. gut bacteria) are common in Aotearoa New Zealand and can be life-threatening.Funding proposalsMental health service uptake by Aotearoa’s Rainbow+ Youth
The term Rainbow+ (also known as LGBTTQIA+ or MVPFAFF+) refers to people with diverse sexualities (like being lesbian, gay, bisexual), diverse gender identities (e.g. transgender, non-binary), and those with variations in sex characteristics (intersex).Funding proposalsThree-dimensional cell replacement therapy to treat Huntington's disease
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive brain disorder caused by the loss of medium spiny neurons (MSNs), which are vital for movement and coordination. One promising treatment is cell replacement therapy, which aims to replace the lost brain cells.Funding proposalsTranslational studies of solute carriers in human diabetic lens cataract
Our sense of sight depends on the ability of the lens to maintain its transparent and refractive properties. The energy required to maintain these optical properties is predominantly generated by the metabolism of glucose.Funding proposalsUncovering the connection between serotonin and Lp(a) metabolism
Twenty percent of people have high levels of a form of blood cholesterol called "Lp(a)" which predisposes them to heart attacks.Funding proposalsTargeting atrial subcellular tubules in atrial fibrillation: A new perspective
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder, but we still don’t fully understand what causes it at the cellular level. Because of this, current treatments often don’t work well for many patients.Funding proposalsNicotine pouches for smoking cessation
Despite the decline in smoking prevalence in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), smoking rates remain high in certain subgroups of the population. Furthermore, smoking is a leading cause of death and disability in NZ.Funding proposalsDevelopment and delivery of oral prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines
Vaccination is a key public health care intervention used to prevent infectious disease and more recently, to treat chronic conditions such as cancer.Funding proposalsTargeted pacing for gastric dysfunction therapy
Up to 10% of the population suffer from disorders that affect how the stomach digests and empties food. These conditions can have severe symptoms such as vomiting and pain, leading to poor quality of life, social isolation, and high healthcare costs.Funding proposalsFaster CARs: Overcoming exhaustion to enhance CAR T-cell therapies
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are a personalised cancer immunotherapy that is available internationally to treat certain blood cancers.Funding proposalsHeart disease in diabetes: focus on fructose as a novel therapeutic intervention
Heart disease causes nearly two-thirds of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori experience higher rates and worse outcomes from this condition.Funding proposalsCAPTIVATE: A chronic kidney disease adaptive platform trial
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 11% of the Aotearoa New Zealand population. It is more common in indigenous people impacting one-quarter of Māori and one-third of Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.Funding proposalsVascular disease risk prediction using a blood test for smoking exposure
This study aims to improve how we predict someone’s risk of cardiovascular disease by testing a new blood test that more accurately measures a person’s lifetime exposure to smoking.Funding proposalsA RCT to determine the optimal IV treatment for children with severe asthma
Severe asthma is the most common childhood medical emergency. Up to 8% of children coming to emergency departments with severe asthma need intravenous medication when inhaled treatments are not effective enough to open airways.Funding proposalsHow the mechanisms driving osteoarthritis differ in males versus females
Osteoarthritis affects ~670,000 New Zealanders. Women are more susceptible than men, however, the reasons for this are incompletely understood. Disease results in loss of the cartilage cushion within joints.Funding proposalsTreatment of Alzheimer's disease via inhibition of ryanodine receptors
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major concern for New Zealand’s aging population and has very few treatment options. Seizures are an important morbidity of AD with ~25% of patients experiencing an epileptic event.Funding proposalsTargeting meningeal fibrosis to improve outcomes in traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are a major cause of long-term disability in New Zealand. A key cause of symptoms after such injuries is the build-up of waste in the brain when its natural clearance systems stop working.Funding proposals