November 2011

Latest Cell Imaging Suite unveiled

The Kids Research Institute at Westmead has today celebrated the opening of the Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy Suite (CLEM).

The CLEM Suite will be fundamental in giving scientists a better understanding of childhood illnesses through enabling them to analyse molecular and cellular structure in greater detail.

The million dollar research suite was funded by over $1 million dollars in grants and donations given to the Institute by private and government funded bodies Read full story...

Leading Researchers Prestigious NHMRC Grant Success

Researchers at the Kids Research Institute have been awarded 17 prestigious Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants worth more than $12m. This will benefit research into a number of childhood illnesses and conditions such as kidney disease, neuromuscular disorders and foetal alcohol syndrome as well as enabling the development of innovative treatments using cell and gene therapies and bone tissue engineering with the aim of achieving better outcomes for children and their families.

Funding was received for research projects, a partnership, career development fellowships and to develop two new Centres of Research Excellence. This will provide support for teams of researchers to pursue collaborative research and develop capacity Read full story...

Pictured in photo (L-R): Andrew Thomas, General Manager of Philanthropy, Perpetual & Dr Loretta Lau at the Ramacotti awards

KRI Researchers receive $149 800 in grants

Two leading researchers at the Kids Research Institute have each received grants from the Ramaciotti Foundations to continue their outstanding biomedical research.

Dr Loretta Lau received an establishment grant of $74,800, to study how neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, uses different methods to acquire unlimited growth. The research will help predict how a cancer tumor will behave. This knowledge can then be used to design better treatments for cancer. Read full story...

Study gives new hope to diabetes sufferers

Retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in diabetes sufferers but due to the trend in intensively managing glucose levels there has been a marked decrease in cases of retinopathy in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, a study led by Professor Kim Donaghue from Kid’s Research Institute has shown.

Retinopathy was found in approximately half of adolescents who had type 1 Diabetes
in the early 1990s, compared with only 12 percent in recent years (2005-2009) Read full story...

Pictured in photo: Dr George Khut and BrighHearts interactive prototype

Innovative collaboration between art and science

BrightHearts is interdisciplinary research collaboration between artist Dr George Khut and Dr Angie Morrow of Kids Rehab at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. The BrightHearts team are researching the potential of bio feedback for the management of pain and anxiety experienced by children undergoing painful, recurrent clinical procedures.

BrightHearts interactive prototypes, an exhibition by artist George Khut, invites interaction with a collection of prototype iPhone and iPad ‘apps’ that translate changes in heart rate and skin temperature into colourful geometric artworks Read full story...