Media Releases - 7 November 2023

Victorian diabetes researchers secure funding to find the next breakthrough

Victorian diabetes researchers have secured 10 funded research projects representing over 50 percent of the 2024 Diabetes Australia Research Program (DARP) national grant round.

The funded projects are awarded to some of the brightest minds in diabetes research in Victoria and will aim to find new ways to prevent and treat diabetes and related complications.

Diabetes Victoria is proud to make a significant contribution to the national DARP funding pool over many years.

DARP supports and develops outstanding diabetes research in Australia by funding a range of grants across the full spectrum of diabetes research. The grants are available to non-profit organisations and recipients are selected through a merit-based peer review process.

Among the recipients for the 2024 grant round is Professor Glenn Wadley of Deakin University, who is leading the development of a vitamin C treatment to aid the healing of foot ulcers in people with diabetes. An exercise physiologist with 25 years of research experience, Dr Wadley has a growing international reputation.

The general grant he has secured will fund a clinical trial to provide the first strong evidence as to whether vitamin C supplementation can improve foot ulcer healing and if it will help to prevent some of the 4,400 amputations annually in Australia.

Dr Helena Qin of Monash University has secured the Millennium Type 2 Diabetes Award to fund her research project, which has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of kidney scarring (renal fibrosis) in people with diabetes. Dr Qin’s expertise in drug design means this new treatment strategy could ultimately reduce kidney-related diabetes complications and deaths.

Dr Karen Alt of Monash University has secured a general grant for her project to find improved methods for detecting kidney scarring. Currently the only screening method is invasive biopsies – Dr Alt’s proposal will develop a non-invasive imaging method to identify and stage renal fibrosis in diabetes.

The 2024 DARP grant round received 193 applications, with 18 research projects selected for funding nation-wide.

Quotes attributable to Glen Noonan, Diabetes Victoria CEO

“Diabetes Victoria strives to support world class research in diabetes, to progress research breakthroughs for this serious and complex condition.”

“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are proud over many years to be one of the biggest funders of this national program.”

“Every dollar spent on research is an important investment and it is pleasing to see this year’s projects focus on all types of diabetes. The research will seek improved methods for the treatment and prevention of diabetes and diabetes-related complications and each project may be vital to the next big breakthrough.”

“Since 1987, Diabetes Victoria has been a significant contributor to the DARP funding pool, supporting more than 350 diabetes research projects in our state.”

“We are delighted that Victorian researchers secured more than 50 percent of the funded research projects this year.”

The 2024 DARP grant round received 193 applications, with 18 research projects selected for funding nation-wide. Read more about each project below.

Researcher	Institute	Project Title
Charles Campbell Coghlan OAM Emerging Researcher Award
Dr Steven James	University of the Sunshine Coast	The TREE study – Type 1 diabetes acRoss thE lifEspan
Millennium Type 1 Diabetes Award
Professor Anthony Russell	Monash University	A randomised controlled trial of plasmalyte versus normal saline as resuscitation and maintenance fluid therapy for patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis (BEST-DKA)BalancEd fluids vs Saline Trial in Diabetic KetoAcidosis
Millennium Type 2 Diabetes Award
Dr Chengxue (Helena) Qin	Monash University	A novel approach to treat diabetic kidney disease

General Grants
Researcher	Institute	Project Title
Professor Karen Jones	The University of Adelaide	Utilising novel molecular imaging to quantify portal glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor density in type 2 diabetes
Professor Glenn Wadley	Deakin University	Vitamin C treatment to aid the healing of foot ulcers in people with diabetes: a randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind trial
Distinguished Professor Tracy Levett-Jones	University of Technology Sydney	Enhancing healthcare professionals’ empathy skills in the provision of care for people living with or at risk of diabetes
Professor Toby Coates	The University of Adelaide	The Development of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T regulatory Cells as a Novel Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
Dr Sarah Turpin-Nolan	Monash University	Targeting gut ceramides – a new way to improve systemic insulin sensitivity
Dr Miles De Blasio	Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University	Mitochondrial-targeted therapies to limit the structural and functional changes in diabetic cardiomyopathy
Associate Professor Jonathan Oakhill	St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research	A smart, muscle-targeted drug-delivery system to combat type 2 diabetes
Dr Andrew Fleetwood	Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute	Interferon-alpha links clonal haematopoiesis and atherosclerosis in diabetes
Dr Karen Alt	Monash University	Translational Kidney Fibrosis Imaging in Diabetes
Associate Professor Christina Bursill	South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute	Plaque-targeted Nrf2 activation to prevent diabetes-accellerated atherosclerosis using a novel switchable fumarate drug
Dr Mahesh Umapathysivam	University of Adelaide	Do carriers of type 2 diabetes risk alleles in PAM have accelerated gastric emptying?
Professor Leonie Heilbronn	The University of Adelaide	A randomised controlled trial comparing caloric restriction and meal timing on the circadian regulation of immune cells in individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.
Dr Cong Xie	The University of Adelaide	Development of a novel bile acid-based therapy to optimise postprandial glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes
Dr Patricia Rusu	Monash University	Deciphering the Nutritional and Neuronal Drivers of Protein Satiety
Dr Phillip Kantharidis	Monash University	Targeting kidney macrophages as a novel treatment for diabetic kidney disease