Monash University researchers will share in $50.5 million through the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants, according to an announcement from the institution. The funding supports 28 awards across four faculties, providing salary and research support packages that allow recipients to pursue major health and medical research directions.
National Investment and Institutional Impact in Health Research
The Monash awards form part of a broader Australian Government national investment totaling $430 million through the 2026 NHMRC Investigator Grants. According to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President Professor Robyn Ward AM, these grants stand among Australia’s most significant health and medical research awards. She noted via the university announcement that the funding gives researchers the flexibility to pursue ambitious ideas that can transform our understanding of disease and improve health outcomes.
Securing over $50 million reflects the outstanding quality, innovation, and impact of Monash researchers, Professor Ward stated in the university’s public release. The successful projects span diverse areas, including perioperative clinical trials, climate and health, molecular biology, and the integration of artificial intelligence.
Diverse Research Projects and Targeted Funding Areas
The 28 successful projects cover a wide spectrum of medical disciplines and career stages. Professor Samuel Forster received support for translating foundational microbiome science into innovative therapeutics. Dr Zhen Yu secured funding for developing a multimodal AI framework for precision ageing and proactive disease management, while Professor Helena Teede focuses on optimising reproductive metabolic health, including in high-risk pregnancies.
Other notable recipients include Professor Paul Myles, who leads global high-impact perioperative clinical trials, and Professor Yuming Guo, working on promoting climate health risk assessment using big data and emerging technologies. In the realm of infectious disease and microbiology, Dr Meiling Han aims to reprogram bacterial metabolism to overcome antibiotic resistance, and Dr Xiangfeng Lai is developing lipid nanoadjuvants to treat multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Maternal and child health features prominently in the grants. Associate Professor Aya Mousa works on advancing precision medicine in gestational diabetes, Professor Mary Herbert is investigating the safeguarding of the transmission of the maternal genome to improve women’s health and reproductive outcomes, and Professor Shanshan Li is researching how to protect maternal and child health from the effects of bushfire smoke.
Did you know? NHMRC Investigator Grants support researchers at all career stages, offering both salary and research support packages to give recipients the flexibility needed to pursue new directions in disease prevention and treatment.
Additional projects address complex conditions ranging from inflammatory diseases to neurological disorders and cancer therapies. Dr Jacqueline Heraud-Farlow is investigating new mechanisms and targets in RNA-driven inflammatory disease, while Dr Shouya Feng is defining the role of innate immune sensors in inflammatory diseases. Dr Peter Eggenhuizen focuses on developing an engineered T-cell therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.
Respiratory and cardiovascular health are also targeted, with Dr Scott Sands investigating new approaches to reduce cardiovascular risk associated with sleep-disordered breathing, and Dr Aidan Burrell developing targeted interventions and enhanced surveillance for severe acute respiratory failure. In neurology, Associate Professor Pablo Casillas Espinosa is advancing disease-modifying treatments and precision biomarkers for epilepsy, and Dr Nirosen Vijiaratnam is working on disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease.
Immunology and oncology studies include Professor Jamie Rossjohn investigating T-cell antigen receptor function and dysfunction in humans, Dr Wael Awad harnessing cancer-activated invariant T cells for next-generation cancer immunotherapy, and Dr Lauren Alesi developing a new strategy to preserve fertility and long-term health following cancer treatment. For full details on national funding outcomes, visit the NHMRC funding outcomes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the NHMRC Investigator Grants?
They are significant Australian health and medical research awards that provide researchers at all career stages with salary and research support packages to pursue ambitious ideas and transform disease understanding.
How much funding did Monash University secure in this round?
Monash University researchers will share in $50.5 million across 28 awards spanning four faculties, according to the institution.
What research areas do the Monash grants cover?
The funded projects cover perioperative clinical trials, climate and health, molecular biology, artificial intelligence integration, microbiome science, maternal health, and targeted therapies for conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.
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