Otago biggest recipient in funding round

THE University of Otago has gained more than $4.2 million, more than any other university, in the Health Research Council’s latest funding round.

Otago received three grants of more than $1.3 million through the HRC’s new health delivery research investment round, the overall Otago grants amounting to $4,282,950 of the total HRC $14.4 million funding pool.

The university also received seven smaller health delivery activation grants of up to $30,000 each.

Prof Pauline Norris, of the university’s Centre for Pacific Health, was yesterday ‘‘very pleased’’ to receive $1,349,520 over three years to investigate issues over access to medicine.

She also gained a second grant, of $30,000, to measure aspects of food security and sovereignty.

Prof Timothy Stokes, codirector of Otago’s Centre for Health Systems and Technologies, gained $1,399,512 over three years to study whether alliance partnerships between district health boards and primary health organisations improved system performance and patient outcomes.

Dr Philip Adamson, of Otago’s Christchurch campus, received $1,331,290 over four years to investigate the potential of CT scans in diagnosing and treating heart attack patients who would otherwise need to undergo the risks of a heart angiogram.

Other Otago funding: Prof Leigh Hale, $28,683; Prof Carlo Marra, $29,822; Associate Prof Gisela Sole, $27,023; Dr Yana Pryymachenko, $29,845; Associate Prof Lee Thompson, Christchurch campus, $29,680; Dr Sara Filoche, Wellington campus, $27,575.