Researchers awarded over $2 million to boost physical activity and improve chronic pain care
- Institute for Musculoskeletal Health
- Oct 15
- 2 min read
Institute for Musculoskeletal Health researchers secure over $2 million in MRFF funding to boost physical activity in people with intellectual disability and improve chronic pain management in people with chronic low back pain and opioid-managed chronic pain.
Researchers at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health have been recognised in the latest round of Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grants, securing funding as lead investigators on two major projects and collaborators on a third.
Breaking down barriers to physical activity for people with intellectual disability
A/Prof Leanne Hassett has been awarded over $2 million to co-design, implement, and evaluate a co-designed physical activity navigator program that will empower adults with intellectual disability to lead active and healthy lives. The program will address complex barriers across the health, disability, and community sport sectors, working closely with people with lived experience and partners including Australian Sporting Alliance for People with a Disability, Inclusion Australia, Down Syndrome Victoria, and Prader-Willi Research Foundation Australia. The team includes Prof Cathie Sherrington, Dr Abby Haynes, Dr Louise Pearce and Dr Marina Pinheiro from the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, alongside colleagues from The University of Sydney, La Trobe University, Monash University and University of Melbourne.
Testing a new approach to chronic low back pain
Prof Christopher Maher has been awarded over $700,000 to test a potential new treatment for chronic low back pain, which affects 3.9 million Australians and costs the healthcare system $3.4 billion each year. Some people with chronic low back pain have changes in the bones of their spine thought to be due to a low grade bacterial infection. This study will test the feasibility of conducting a trial using antibiotics to treat the infection to definitively establish the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. The team includes Prof Christine Lin, Dr Abby Haynes, Dr Giovanni Ferreira, Prof Peter Youssef, Dr Caitlin Jones and Dr Bethan Richards from the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, together with national and international collaborators and consumers.
Supporting people with chronic pain to safely reduce opioid use
Dr Giovanni Ferreira and Prof Christine Lin are also involved in a $1.8 million MRFF grant awarded to Dr Aili Langford. The study will evaluate I-WOTCH-AU, a multidisciplinary pain management program designed to help Australians who use opioids for chronic pain safely reduce their use of opioids while improving pain and function. This collaborative project brings together researchers from The University of Sydney, Monash University, Bond University, University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne and University of Newcastle.
