HRC announces $58.6M for research

News Release
 

7 June 2007

STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY 7 JUNE 2007

HRC announces $58.6M for research into key health issues

Three major new research programmes addressing key health issues were among 59 health research contracts worth $56.8 million announced by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) today.

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

The new programme grants include a research programme focusing on injury prevention and reducing subsequent disability. This will be led by Professor John Langley at the University of Otago and is worth nearly $2 million.

This programme includes a follow-up study examining traffic-related injury among newly licensed drivers. Motor vehicle traffic crash injury is the leading cause of death and hospitailisation among young people in New Zealand. 

This programme will work towards addressing the major public health problems of injury and injury outcomes.

Professor Andrew Mercer from the University of Otago will head a research programme worth nearly $2.9 million aimed at combating deadly viruses and using viruses for beneficial purposes. This will include creating new drug targets to treat HIV/AIDS. The programme will also look at developing specific therapies for human papillomaviruses (HPVs).  HPVs cause a range of carcinomas, including cervical cancer, a disease which will develop in 1 in 80 New Zealand women.

Dr Cliona Ni Mhurchu from the University of Auckland’s Clinical Trial Research Unit leads a major research programme worth $1.7 million investigating news ways to improve diet and physical activity behaviours in New Zealand. 

The programme involves four interventions including a supermarket trial to evaluate the effects of price discounts and tailored nutrition education of healthier food purchases, an obesity prevention in communities project, a trial to improve physical activity in children and weight loss intervention programme for adults, both via new technologies.

Dr Robin Olds, HRC Chief Executive, says this year’s funding round was very competitive and the successful research teams showed the potential to conduct world-class research.

“The HRC funds high quality health research and we see exciting and promising outcomes from the many research teams that we support, that will significantly benefit the lives of many New Zealanders,” he says.

Six existing research programmes have also received additional funding for three years to continue undertaking first class health research.

ends

© Scoop Media