The University of Queensland (UQ) has secured two of seven successful projects in a highly competitive international health research funding round, strengthening the University’s growing collaboration with Indonesia and the Southeast Asia region.
UQ researchers have been awarded two projects under the e-ASIA Joint Research Program – 14th Call for Proposals in Health Research, delivered in partnership with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and leading regional and global institutions.
The call attracted 127 applications from across the Asia-Pacific, with only seven projects funded—making UQ one of the most successful institutions in this round.
The UQ-led projects will be delivered in close collaboration with two BRIN organisations: the Health Research Organization and the Life Sciences and Environment Research Organization.
Chairman of BRIN’s Health Research Organizations, Professor Indi Dharmayanti, has strongly supported the collaboration, highlighting the importance of international partnerships in addressing complex health challenges.
Professor Dharmayanti said the UQ projects align closely with BRIN’s priority research areas and underscore the depth and maturity of collaboration between Australia and Indonesia’s national research agency.
“Partnerships such as these demonstrate the importance of international research collaboration in building scientific capacity and delivering solutions to complex health issues,” Professor Dharmayanti said.
“BRIN values its collaboration with UQ, and these projects will contribute to strengthening evidence‑based approaches to disease control and public health policy in Indonesia and the wider region.”
Tackling tuberculosis through advanced nanotechnology
The first project, ‘Nanoparticle-Enhanced Rapid Tuberculosis Diagnostics and Drug Resistance Identification’, will be led by Professor Mark Blaskovich (UQ), in collaboration with Dr Chee Wei Ang (Monash University Malaysia) and Dr Anggia Prasetyoputri (BRIN – Life Sciences and Environment Research Organization).
The project aims to develop cutting-edge nanotechnologies to enable faster diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and identification of drug-resistant TB (DR‑TB)—a major public health challenge across Southeast Asian countries.
By capturing TB bacteria directly from clinical samples and using novel chemical probes paired with DNA sequencing, the new approach removes the need for lengthy culture processes, significantly reducing diagnostic time and supporting earlier, more effective treatment.
Notably, both regional collaborators on the project are UQ alumni who completed their PhDs under Professor Blaskovich’s supervision. Dr Prasetyoputri is an internationally recognised early-career researcher and recipient of major awards, including the APEC–Australia Women in Research Fellowship, while Dr Ang was awarded the Professor Yoo Hang Kim Young Women Scientists Award in 2023 and the School of Science Early Career Researcher Award (Commendation) in 2025.
Professor Blaskovich said the collaboration demonstrated the power of long‑standing research partnerships in delivering real-world health outcomes.
“Drug‑resistant tuberculosis is a major challenge in our region, where delays in diagnosis can have devastating consequences,” Professor Blaskovich said.
“By combining UQ’s expertise in chemical biology and nanotechnology with BRIN’s deep understanding of local health systems, we’re developing tools that could dramatically shorten diagnosis times and improve patient outcomes across Southeast Asia.”
Professor Blaskovich is a Professorial Research Fellow and Group Leader at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) and is Centre Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial. The multidisciplinary Australian research team includes UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Professor Nick West, IMB Research Officer Dr Sanjaya KC, and IMB Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Tanuka Sen, as well as Professor Lachlan Coin from the University of Melbourne.
Dr KC’s diagnostic expertise and interest in TB – driven by his Nepalese background – is key to the project’s success. Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) remains a major public health issue in Nepal and is among the top 10 causes of death from a single infectious agent globally.
Addressing antimicrobial resistance in a changing climate
The second UQ-led project, ‘Integrating One Health Framework and Control Strategies to Mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance Risk Escalated by Climate Change’, will be led by Professor Jianhua Guo (UQ) and delivered with partners from BRIN, the National University of Singapore, North Carolina State University, and collaborators across the Asia-Pacific.
Using a One Health framework, the project will investigate how climate-driven extreme weather events influence the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across human, animal and environmental systems.
Focusing on countries including Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the United States, the research will analyse spatial and temporal AMR patterns and identify intervention strategies to inform policy and practical responses aimed at reducing AMR risk in the face of climate change.
Professor Guo is a UQ Amplify Fellow with the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, part of the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology. He said the project responds to an urgent and growing global health challenge that requires coordinated regional action.
“Antimicrobial resistance is being accelerated by climate change, yet the links between extreme weather, environmental pathways and human health remain poorly understood,” Professor Guo said.
“By working with partners across the Asia‑Pacific, including BRIN, we aim to generate evidence that directly informs policy and supports practical interventions to slow the spread of AMR in a warming world.”
For more information on UQ’s engagement with Indonesia, please contact Global Partnerships.
