Whether it’s the development of a board game to tackle teenage mental health, or deciphering treatment-resistant brain tumours, the University of South Australia is stepping up to support children struggling with mental and physical health concerns.
Eight UniSA research projects have been awarded almost $740,000 in research funding from the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation (CRF) to help improve children’s health and wellbeing.
The successful projects comprise:
- MindScape: Co-creation of an evidence-based board game to address adolescent mental health. Lead investigator: Dr Jacinta Brinsley.
- A Phase 1 trial of group improvisational theatre games that include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy treatment for children and teens who stutter. Lead investigator: Dr Michelle Swift.
- Minimising treatment-induced disease in children with the nerve cell cancer neuroblastoma. Lead investigator: Professor Greg Goodall.
- Turning off the danger signal: reducing ventilator-induced lung injury in preterm babies. Lead investigator: Dr Jack Darby.
- Launching Early Childhood Numeracy: Fostering mathematical self-efficacy of preschool children and their parents for lifelong learning. Lead investigator: Dr Chelsea Cutting.
- Developing lab-grown paediatric brain tumours that mimic the response to treatment of real tumours to learn how they adapt and resist radiotherapy. Lead investigator: Professor Benjamin Thierry.
- Improving the understanding of fetal DNA found in maternal blood during pregnancy towards designing more comprehensive non-invasive prenatal genetic tests. Lead investigator: Dr Marnie Winter
- Re-examining the scope of statutory child protection to improve responses to children. Lead investigator: Professor Leah Bromfield.
UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise and Standing Acting Vice Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, says the support provided by the Channel 7 CRF is invaluable.
“The Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation is a longstanding supporter of quality research into the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of complex health and welfare issues facing children today,” Prof Hughes-Warrington says.
“All children deserve to thrive. These grants will enable our researchers to investigate, trial and uncover new solutions so that young children can live fuller and healthier lives.
“We are very proud of this achievement, our best ever result with the Foundation, and look forward to continuing invaluable work for children.”
