Researchers at Adelaide University have secured more than $26.3 million through the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Investigator Grants, backing 16 projects tackling some of Australia’s most pressing health challenges.
Spanning a wide range of areas, from advanced cancer treatments and immunotherapy to chronic disease prevention, pain and recovery, nutrition and population health, the research projects harness breakthroughs in biology, nanotechnology and innovative drug delivery.
The funding marks the first NHMRC Investigator Grants awarded since Adelaide University’s formation. This year’s funding is more than double the annual average of Investigator Grants received over the last five years by both foundation universities combined. The results cement Adelaide University’s position as a national leader in health and medical research.
The NHMRC Investigator Grants foster innovation, creativity and leadership by supporting Australia’s highest‑performing health and medical researchers across biomedical, clinical, public health and health services research.
Adelaide University Deputy Vice Chancellor - Research and Innovation, Professor Anton Middelberg FTSE FNAI said the funding results underscored the strength of the University’s research capability.
“This outstanding result speaks to the calibre, ambition and national standing of our researchers,” Professor Middelberg said.
“NHMRC Investigator Grants are among the most competitive research awards in the country, and this success demonstrates the strength, depth and momentum of our health and medical research.
“This result confirms Adelaide University as a destination for world‑class, high‑impact health research with genuine benefit for patients and communities.”
The 2026 NHMCR Investigator Grants recipients include:
· Professor Timothy Hughes who will receive $3,035,320 to lead a global research program to improve treatment for people with chronic myeloid leukaemia. The project will harness new targeted therapies, including the first allosteric inhibitor, to transform care beyond lifelong drug therapy to treatment‑free remission and potential cure.
· Professor Carol Maher will receive $2,974,620 to make healthcare more affordable and better suited to people’s everyday needs. The research will develop an AI‑powered virtual health coach to support eating, exercise and weight loss, and explore wearable technologies to help prevent chronic disease prevention and support recovery.
· Professor Chun‑Xia Zhao will receive $2,974,620 to develop advanced nanomedicines that will trigger systemic immunity, helping immunotherapy work at the tumour and throughout the body. By delivering multiple immune‑activating therapies, the research aims to overcome therapy resistance and extend the body’s ability to fight cancer, offering new hope for cancers that don’t respond well to existing treatments.
· Professor Stuart Brierley will receive $2,974,620 to develop novel treatments for chronic visceral pain (CVP), one of the most misunderstood and under-treated health problems. Affecting one in five Australians living with irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and endometriosis, this research aims to uncover the causes of this pain and stop it at its source.
· Professor Caroline Miller will receive $2,836,100 to generate policy‑focused evidence to help Australians reduce their intake of ultra‑processed foods and sugary drinks. The research will look at ways to better tackle overweight and obesity, including testing measures such as warning labels to encourage healthier food choices and inform future policy change.
· Professor Greg Goodall will receive $2,635,320 to investigate how gain of loss of non‑coding RNAs can promote the formation of cancer cells or contribute to other diseases. This research aims to identify these non-coding RNAs and understand their role, helping to develop more targeted treatments and diagnostics to predict outcomes and guide safer care.
· Associate Professor Lee‑anne Chapple will receive $1,636,800 to design personalised protein‑based nutrition to help intensive care patients maintain muscle strength and recover more quickly. The research aims to support better recovery and improve long‑term quality of life for people who have survived critical illness.
· Dr Yannan Yang will receive $1,636,800 to develop a virus‑mimetic cancer vaccine for advanced triple‑negative breast cancer. This novel nanotechnology‑based approach aims to turn patients’ own tumours into immune triggers that attack metastatic tumours and prevent recurrence, improving outcomes and quality of life while minimising side effects.
· Dr Jane Chalmers will receive $697,615 to improve care for women living with endometriosis, a common and often debilitating condition with limited treatment options. Co‑designed with people who have lived experience of endometriosis, the research will focus on pain education and self‑management to improve outcomes and support more sustainable, long‑term care.
· Dr Thanh Loc Nguyen will receive $697,615 to develop biomaterial‑based strategies that ‘reprogram’ the tumour environment to help immune cells, such as T cells and natural killer cells, wake up and attack cancer cells. By helping immune cells ‘switch on’ inside tumours, the research aims to improve immunotherapy and deliver more effective treatments for hard-to-treat cancers.
· Dr Joanne Dono will receive $697,615 to develop and test public health messages that encourage Australians to cut back on ultra‑processed foods and drinks that harm their health. This research aims to help people better understand dietary risks and guide effective health campaigns and public policy.
· Dr Benjamin Liffner will receive $697,615 to study how parasites that cause diseases such as malaria and cryptosporidiosis infect human cells. By identifying the key proteins parasite use to enter and survive in the body, the research aims to pinpoint new drug targets as current treatments become less effective.
· Dr Min Zhang will receive $697,615 to create a biomaterial‑based cancer vaccine for patients whose immune systems have been weakened by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The project aims to help the body mount a strong immune response using gentle stimulation, paving the way for more effective and patient‑friendly cancer treatments.
· Dr Julian Carosi will receive $697,615 to uncover how cells detect and clear damaged proteins that drive neurodegenerative diseases. How cells delineate between damaged and healthy proteins is poorly understood. This research aims to uncover how this system works, opening doors to new treatments for conditions such as dementia.
· Dr Sha Liu will receive $697,615 to develop an inhalable treatment for chronic antibiotic-resistant lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. Using phage-based therapies delivered directly to the lungs, the research aims to target hard-to-treat bacterial infections and improve treatment options for people with cystic fibrosis.
· Dr Yun Liu will receive $697,615 to develop a smart, self‑propelling oral hydrogel patch to deliver drug‑loaded nanoparticles to disease sites in the gut. A smart coating shields the medicine from stomach acid before releasing it at the target site over time. Using approved materials and machine learning optimisation, the technology aims speed translation to clinical use.
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Media contact:
Annabel Mansfield, Senior Media Adviser Adelaide University. T: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@adelaide.edu.au