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Two innovative projects have been awarded a total of US$20,000 in funding through the 2024 Emory-UQ Collaborative Partnership Research Grant.
Congratulations to the successful applicants:
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research – ‘Spatial and Immunoepidemiologic Methods for Evaluating the Risk of Residual Lymphatic Filariasis Transmission from Two Integrated Serosurveillance Studies in the Dominican Republic’
This project is led by NHMRC Fellow and Professorial Research Fellow Professor Colleen Lau and Assistant Professor Karen Hamre. It will draw on UQ and Emory’s shared expertise on spatial epidemiology and modelling to compare study design methods and molecular and serological outcomes from 2 unrelated, independent studies conducted nationwide in the Dominican Republic. Learnings from this research will contribute to the global conversation to optimise methodologies for establishing criteria for verification of elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmission, which currently do not exist beyond validation of elimination of LF as a public health problem. This is a current gap and identified research priority by the World Health Organization (WHO). This project aims to strengthen the relationship between UQ, Emory University, The Carter Center, and the Dominican Republic Ministry of Health to foster future collaborations that go well beyond the scope of the project. Opportunities to apply geospatial modeling to advance decision-making for targeted interventions for malaria and acute febrile illness are also actively being explored.
- UQ Frazer Institute – ‘Translational innovations in paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma’
This project focuses on improving treatments for paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare and aggressive cancer that affects muscle tissues in children. By using cutting-edge cancer mapping techniques and advanced mouse models, we aim to better understand the disease and identify new therapeutic targets. The project is a collaboration between world leader in sarcoma research, Professor Jason Yustein from Emory University, and Assistant Professor Fernando Guimaraes, a leader in immunotherapy development at The University of Queensland. Together, they hope to discover innovative treatments that could improve survival and quality of life for children affected by this challenging cancer.
The Collaborative Partnership Research Grant fosters the broadening of international research and engagement between Emory University and UQ. Applicants from all schools and disciplines are encouraged to submit funding applications for innovative and sustainable projects built around collaborative research and engagement. The expectation is that these projects will lead to long-term collaboration, institutional and research relations, and, where applicable, generate publications, exhibitions, and external funding.
The next funding round will continue in 2025.
For more information on UQ’s engagement with Emory University and the Collaborative Partnership Research Grant, please contact globalstrategy@uq.edu.au
