July 23, 2025Northern Health is dedicated to fostering a strong and vibrant research culture across the organisation. In continued support of this commitment, and to amplify Northern Health’s contributions to the broader research landscape, a suite of research grants, similar to 2024, were offered:
- Northern Health Foundation Grant ($50,000) – A premier research grant which is a competitive grant based on track record, with a view to building capacity towards Category 1 research success. Only one grant was available under this category.
- Research @ Northern Support Grants ($20,000) – A grant that supports research initiation or establishment at Northern Health. Available to early career researchers, on an equal footing with established researchers. Three grants were available under this category.
- Grants in Aid ($10,000) – A grant focused on supporting research units with funding for equipment, consumables, or external technical support not available within Northern Health. Five grants were available under this category.
The objectives of the Northern Health Research Grant Round are to:
- Support work that benefits the Northern Health’s community
- Support projects that will lead to applications for external grants or funding
- Develop and strengthen the research culture at Northern Health
- Support capacity building and staff development in research
- Increase research productivity at Northern Health
- Support pilot projects or projects where traditional funding sources are difficult to attract.
The grant round attracted a high volume of outstanding applications. The multidisciplinary Grants Committee led by Professor Donald Campbell were highly impressed by breadth and calibre of submissions. Each application was carefully reviewed by independent reviewers, with the process overseen by the Northern Health Research Grant and Scholarship Committee, chaired by Professor Geoffrey Donnan. The committee convened to discuss and recommend the grant recipients for each category.
The final recommendations were endorsed by the Research Executive Committee and the Northern Health Foundation Board. The successful recipients were formally announced today at the Research Grand Round, held at the Northern Centre for Health Education and Research (NCHER).
The recipients are:
Northern Health Foundation Grant
- Dr Loren Sher, Program Director of VVED and Paediatric Emergency Physician
Department: Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED)
Project title: ENDURED: Enhancing Discharge Understanding and Retention through Effective Delivery
Research @ Northern Support Grants
- Dr Julie Wang, Clinical and Laboratory Haematologist
Department: Northern Clinical Diagnostics and Thrombovascular Research Centre (NECTAR)
Project title: Northern Novel biomarkers to improve cardiovascular risk prediction in non-cardiac major surgery - Dr Hashrul Rashid, Interventional Cardiologist
Department: Cardiology
Project title: EMPRESS Study (Empagliflozin and Coronary Stent Restenosis in Type 2 Diabetes - Dr Saiumaeswar Yogakanthi, Senior Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellow
Department: Gastroenterology
Project title: The Renin Angiotensin System in Structuring Crohn’s Disease
Grants in Aid
- Dr Taylor Corocher, Medical Scientist
Department: Northern Pathology Victoria
Project title: Validation of rapid quantification of unfractionated heparin in plasma using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy - Dr Vassili Mark Papageorge, Orthopaedic registrar
Department: Orthopaedic Surgery
Project title: Prospective multi-spectral analysis of joint fluid aspirates for the rapid diagnosis of septic and crystal arthropathies – a SPECTRAL Study (Spectral Profiles of Joint Effusions with Confirmed Test Results and Arthropathy Library) - Dr Darren Lowen, Staff Specialist Anaesthetist
Department: Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine & Pain
Project title: Paired blood samples to determine the obstetric impact of induction of labour in nulliparous women. - Tengyi Cai, Research Fellow
Department: Northern Clinical Diagnostics and Thrombovascular Research (NECTAR)
Project title: Evaluation of vaspin as a biomarker for health outcomes in patients with cardiovascular risk factors and chronic kidney disease - Rebecca Galea-O’Neill, Physiotherapist
Department: Physiotherapy
Project title: Patient Perspectives: Showcasing the Impact of the Musculoskeletal Wellness Program
From all of us at Northern Health, congratulations!
