Illuminate Sundowner 2024

Project title: Healthy fathers, healthy families, healthy babies

Research area: Human Development and Community Wellbeing

Vincent is a senior research fellow in the Human Development and Community Wellbeing team. An early career researcher at the Institute, his work is focussed on empowering fathers and father figures to improve the health and wellbeing of children.

Nearly one in every five Australian babies are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to receive lifesaving treatment due to birth complications. 

Vincent’s work addresses the growing demand from the community to support fathers of babies, especially those babies with additional complications. Fathers are a critical source of support for mothers and babies during this period, but do not have access to suitable services to help them navigate this difficult period. 

Since receiving an Illuminate Award supported by Helping Little Hands at PitchFest in 2023, Vincent has been recognised as an innovative leader, taking his research to new heights – receiving additional funding from corporates and a recent Healthway grant.

Project title: Clearing the air from vapes

Research area: Respiratory environmental health

Vaping is the health scourge of the moment, with suppliers targeting teens and young people with artificially coloured and flavoured e-liquids we now know to contain toxic and harmful chemicals.

Previous work by The Kids researchers has had a direct impact on Australian policies regarding e-cigarettes, but what is still not fully known is the toxicity of the actual aerosol inhaled by users and how it changes between the different flavours. This evidence gap has been seized upon by vaping proponents trying to discredit the research.

Katherine is clearing the air from vapes – staying ahead of the game by testing the vape produced by e-cigarettes on human airway cells. Thanks to the support of her recent Illuminate Award, Katherine is using existing biobank cell samples to create 3D models which mimic human lung formation, and analyse the effects vape has on them.

Project title: It’s about time! The role of body clocks in improving lung health of premature babies

Research area: Newborn health

Globally, more than 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely and live with a lifelong burden of poor lung health. Jane’s research aims to find simple, safe, affordable therapies to improve global lung health outcomes for preterm babies.

There is increasing awareness of the importance of our biological clock in boosting our health and wellbeing, and disruptions to the biological clock are associated with adverse health consequences.

Jane’s research, made possible with the support of an Illuminate Award, is dedicated to improving perinatal care and to achieve healthy lungs for every child for life while ensuring equitable healthcare for vulnerable populations in WA and globally.

Project title: Developing new immunotherapies for kids with sarcoma

Research area: Cancer

Ben is passionate about improving outcomes for kids with sarcoma by developing new immunotherapies that can be applied during surgery to prevent local recurrence and stop the cancer coming back. About 15% of cancers in children are sarcomas, and one in three kids with sarcoma will die from their cancer.

He is combining his expertise in the biology of immune cells with the rapidly growing field of mRNA-based therapies (technology similar to that used in the COVID-19 vaccine) thanks to support of an Illuminate Award to develop a new way for patients to receive safer and more effective cancer treatment.

Ben hopes his research will drive significant improvement in the standard of care for kids with cancer by introducing a safer and more effective treatment with fewer lifelong side effects.

Project title: Mental health matters for children with intellectual disabilities

Research area: Child disability

Jacinta is passionate about improving the health and quality of life of Australian children and young people living with intellectual disability (ID).

ID is a lifelong condition that affects a person’s cognitive skills and behaviours, leading to difficulties in communication, understanding, problem-solving, memory, social and emotional skills. Around 40% of children with ID have mental health problems, but current mental health care models are failing to meet their needs. Children with ID are less likely to receive appropriate treatment compared to the general population, and parents have voiced their concern that support is only offered once behavioural issues have already become a major challenge.

Thanks to the support of an Illuminate Award, Jacinta is developing preventive mental health strategies and resources for these children, allowing them to have better mental health trajectories into adulthood.