The Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute’s (CHIRI) research was recently in the spotlight, at an engagement and networking event featuring ‘Adults Only’ research disclosures from some of CHIRI’s research team.
Professor Marco Falasca and Professor Deirdre Coombe joined CHIRI Director Professor John Mamo in showcasing some of the cutting-edge research underway at the institute, while Dr Nina Tirnitz-Parker, Dr Carl Mousley and Dr Connie Jackaman ran interactive stands providing guests with a hands-on insight into the world of discovery science. Early Career and PhD student researchers Alice Domenichini, Abhishek Singh and Andrea Stephenson were on-hand to support the interactive experience.
For this first event in the ‘Adults-Only’ series, Prof. Falasca spoke about how CHIRI’s research into how cancer cells within our body release small ‘bubbles’ of information and material into our blood that could be manipulated to provide hope for pancreatic cancer sufferers.
Prof. Coombe spoke about how alternative to naturally-occurring substances called ‘heparins’ may effectively treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and provide a breath of fresh air for older-aged people with lifelong asthma.
Prof. Mamo provided a new insight into a possible for the cause and treatment of dementia, through his team’s discoveries about a small molecule from the small intestine and liver that makes tiny blood vessels in the brain ‘leak’ and a drug that may prevent this pathway of brain destruction from occurring.
It’s hoped this, and future events, will help spread the word about the importance of CHIRI’s work and to recruit ambassadors who can help identify and establish seed funding for CHIRI-Adults Only research, which is aimed at finding and developing new opportunities for the prevention and treatment of diseases that commonly occur in older age.
Such support would allow CHIRI to continue to encourage freedom of research, and to progress high-risk research projects in its pursuit of break-through and high-impact research outcomes.
Donations made to CHIRI go directly to research as instructed by donors and are fully tax deductible.
Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the event’s success and stay tuned for the next showcase event.
To find out more about support for CHIRI, go to chiri.curtin.edu.au/support.
CHIRI’s first Adults Only engagement event.
