Future Health Research and Innovation Fund - FHRI Fund Open Day in the Great Southern celebrates partnerships for better health

08/11/2024

Six new programs and initiatives were launched at the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Open Day in Albany on 25 October, including the first ever program designed to help researchers and innovators engage with communities and consumers at the earliest stage of their projects.

The first regional Open Day for 2024 was held under the theme ‘partnerships for regional health and wellbeing’ and co-hosted by the Office of Medical Research and Innovation (OMRI), UWA Albany Campus and the WA Country Health Service (WACHS).

After an introduction from Master of Ceremonies Tim Martin and Evelyn Quinn, Merningar Barduk Elder Lynette Knapp welcomed attendees to country, and the Minister for Medical Research, the Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC spoke about the importance of maintaining a secure source of funding to support WA researchers and innovators.

Medical coordinator at the Rural Clinical School of WA and WACHS Clinical Director of Palliative Care Professor Kirsten Auret AM spoke about the mental health impacts of receiving palliative care on country, and the success of the rural clinical school.

UWA professor and FHRI Fund Distinguished Fellow Professor Kathy Modecki spoke about her work on the youth mental health project ‘every moment counts’ which uses intergenerational cohort data and dynamic daily data to develop personalised mental health interventions.

The Kids Research Institute Senior Research Fellow and FHRI Fund Translation Fellowships Recipient Dr Gail Alvares spoke about her work developing a digital parent group program, which targets anxiety in young children diagnosed with autism.

WACHS Acting Director Research and Innovation Narelle Mullan and Albany Health Campus Clinical Nurse Kerry Harker spoke about the great southern teletrial – part of the national Flash GM trial – which investigates the use of flash glucose monitoring to improve type 2 diabetes management in Aboriginal people.

Consumer and Community Involvement Coordinator at OMRI Dr Ingrid Laing spoke about consumer and community involvement in research, and FHRI Fund Advisory Council Member Dr Marcus Tan announced new FHRI Fund recipients and spoke about his work in health innovation.

Dr Stacey Waters, OMRI’s Executive Director Research and Innovation introduced new funding programs open for applications, the call for innovation expert committee members and expert review panellists and urged attendees to complete the FHRI Fund grant recipient survey as part of the FHRI Fund evaluation.

The following funding programs are open for applications in the October funding cycle: