Five of Queensland’s leading diabetes researchers will share in almost $370,000 funding from Diabetes Australia to fund vital medical research.

Projects including new treatments for diabetes-related foot ulcers, therapies to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on people living with diabetes and new treatments for diabetes-related heart disease.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the organisation was pleased to be able to support some of the nation’s leading researchers.

“Queensland universities are some of the best in the nation and we are proud to support researchers at James Cook University, the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland,” Ms Cain said.

“Associate Professor Katharina Ronacher will be studying potential treatments to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on people living with diabetes.

“People living with diabetes account for around 20 per cent of all deaths from COVID-19 so this is very important research.

“Support from Diabetes Australia will help Dr Heena Akbar evaluate a diabetes management program specifically developed for Pasifika women.

“While funding will help Professor Usman Malabu study a new non-invasive, non-surgical therapy known as shockwave treatment to reduce the recurrence of diabetes-related foot ulcers.

“In the last century diabetes research has changed the way people live with and think about diabetes and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

“We will continue to fundraise and invest in diabetes research until we’ve found a cure.”

The Awards were announced at a special ceremony in Brisbane during National Diabetes Week.

The Diabetes Australia Research Program was established in 1987 to support and develop diabetes-related research across Australia. The program provides funding towards the prevention, management and cure of all types of diabetes, as well as enabling and fostering young and upcoming researchers in the field of diabetes research. Each year outstanding research projects are selected through a merit based, competitive, peer review process.

General Grants

• Professor Usman Malabu, James Cook University: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Prevention of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Recurrence
• Dr Heena Akbar, Queensland University of Technology: Effectiveness of a Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program (PWDWP)
• Dr Denuja Karunakaran, University of Queensland: Therapeutic knockdown of ripk1 to treat atherosclerotic complications of type 1 diabetes
• Dr Melissa Reichelt, University of Queensland: Targeting cavin-1 via gene therapy in a model of metabolic/low-level chronic stress
• Associate Professor Katharina Ronacher, University of Queensland: Harnessing Oxidised Cholesterols to Reduce Susceptibility to COVID-19 in Obesity and Diabetes