MSWA has injected $2.4 million into MS Australia's latest grant to fund 35 new research initiatives across the country.
Western Australia's peak body for multiple sclerosis, MSWA, has injected $2.4 million into MS Australia's latest research grant to help fund 35 new research initiatives across the country.
The national $5.7 million grant – the not-for-profit body's largest research grant yet – will support research both in WA and nationally for better treatments, prevention and cures for multiple sclerosis.
MSWA's $2.4 million contribution will fund close to a third of the 35 funded projects, with nearly $500,000 for WA-based research projects.
Murdoch University received almost $250,000 in grant money from MSWA, which will be used to develop a co-designed toolkit to provide doctors and nurses with practical resources to encourage and support exercise for people with MS.
"We want to provide healthcare professionals with the tools and knowledge to help people with MS incorporate exercise into their lives, improving their overall health and wellbeing," Murdoch University associate professor Yvonne Learmonth said.
Another MS study, led by Stephanie Trend alongside the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Western Australia, which received $250,000 in grant funding, looks at a type of white blood cell called ‘immature neutrophils’ in people with MS.
Dr Trend and her team aim to investigate the functions of these immature neutrophils and how they respond to current treatments in the hope to find new targets for treatment, improve outcomes for people with MS, and develop better ways to manage the disease, especially in cases where it continues to progress even with treatment.
In the past 10 years, MSWA has contributed $43 million towards neurological research in WA and nationally.
MSWA chief executive Melanie Kiely praised the generosity of the WA community that has supported the work of MSWA with donations.
“Ultimately this investment is about getting us closer to cures, closer to better treatments and ensuring Australians living with MS stay stronger for longer so they can do what matters to them in life," Ms Kiely said.
“This contribution to the national research program would not be possible without our WA community, which continues to generously support our work in support of people living with MS and many other neurological conditions.”
Ms Kiely stressed the importance of not only the research, but translating it into better outcomes for people with neurological conditions through education and interventions.
Over the past 20 years, MS Australia has invested $60 million into MS research. MS Australia CEO Rohan Greenland said the continued contribution of funding makes the vital research into MS possible.
"I wish to express my gratitude to MSWA for its significant investment in the latest funding round; investment that will continue to deliver significant outcomes for Australians living with MS, including faster diagnosis, slower disease progression, and improved life expectancy on par with the general population,“ Mr Greenland said.
