A/Prof Kris Thurecht awarded NHMRC Career Development Fellowship for 2018

12 October 2017

Congratulations to A/Prof Kris Thurecht who has recently been awarded an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship of $476,728 for 2018-2021. His project, Next generation imaging to bridge the knowledge gap in nanomedicine delivery, aims to develop predictive models of how nanomedicines interact with biological systems, then validate the nanomedicines in dog models of cancer that mimic the human disease.

“This work develops on current projects in which we have developed and tested a variety of targeted therapeutics for cancer. Moving into the canine models using comparative oncology offers a more efficient process for expediting nanomedicines to clinical use”

Biography

A/Prof Thurecht’s research focusses on the development of polymer and nanoparticle-based devices for nanomedicine. For polymers to be truly effective in nanomedicine, they must incorporate new therapies while maintaining their physical and chemical integrity. This can only be achieved by developing a strong understanding of the fundamental properties of the nanomaterial-delivery system, in addition to identifying and successfully delivering new therapies. Central to the development of these future therapeutic platforms, is the field of theranostics, where molecular imaging plays a key role in understanding the dynamics of polymeric nanomedicines. A/Prof Thurecht’s team works across the boundaries of chemistry and materials, biology and imaging science to probe how nanomaterial properties affect their function in living animals.

Kris with his Research Group in 2017

About NHMRC Career Development Fellowships

Career Development Fellowships (CDFs) are highly competitive, four year fellowships that recognise and provide support for the most outstanding early to mid-career health and medical researchers in each Fellowship category. CDFs can be applied for at one of two levels depending on the applicant’s career stage – CDF Level 1 or CDF Level 2.

The specific objectives of the CDF scheme are to enable investigators to establish themselves as independent, self-directed researchers; expand capacity for clinical, population health, biomedical and bioinformatics research, and for evidence-based policy development in Australian health systems; encourage the translation of research outcomes into practice; bridge the gap between research and industry; and provide a means for Australian researchers working overseas to return to Australia to continue their career development.

(Source: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/apply-funding/career-development-fellowships)

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