Women's Health Research Catalyst Grants

The Women's Health Research Catalyst Grants are grants from the Victoria Department of Health that fund one-year research projects to advance understanding of how diseases and health conditions specifically affect women.

Proposals for up to $150,000 were considered under the program, which addresses identified gaps in Victoria's medical research environment, including the underrepresentation of female bodies in clinical research and insufficient focus on conditions that disproportionately impact women. Eligible applicants are organisations in the medical research sector. Funded projects must submit a 6-month progress report and a 12-month final report.

The program is part of the Women's Health Reform Package and aims to catalyse broader cultural change across the research sector.

Women's Health Research Catalyst Grants | health. vic. gov.au Women's Health Research Catalyst Grants The Department of Health is funding one-year catalyst grants to advance the understanding of how disease and other health issues affect women – further cementing Victoria's reputation as a global leader in medical research.

Who can apply: Medical research sector Key gaps in the Victorian research environment have been identified through a capability and capacity assessment as part of the Women’s Health Reform Package. These include the following: Women's health research can be siloed into specific groups. Sex and gender are not consistently or regularly used as variables of comparison in health and medical research.

Biological determinants of sex in many conditions experienced by all sexes are not well established or known. Most research has historically investigated a male body and generalised to female and intersex bodies. Many conditions which solely, differently or disproportionately impact women have historically have not received the focus and funding they deserve.

The intention is for this funding to help address the above gaps. It will also lay the groundwork for the other research initiatives that will bring a cultural change across the sector. Proposals for up to $150,000 were considered.

Successful grants were offered for a one-year duration and require a 6-month progress report and a 12-month final report. To encourage or support research in disease/condition areas that are experienced across sexes and/or genders to include different sex and/or gender comparison.

For example, inclusion of male and female sex derived/biopsied cells, inclusion of female and male animals, or inclusion of women and gender diverse people in human research. To encourage or support research into underfunded or under-researched conditions which are women-specific conditions, conditions that disproportionately and differently impact women.

To support work towards attracting larger, federal or philanthropic funding for the above 2 categories. Find out more about the Women’s Health and Wellbeing program . Successful grant projects The following projects have been funded in this program.

Chief investigator Grant title Description Dr Riikka Arppe-Tabbara, ZiP Diagnostics Development of a low-cost, rapid, point-of-care lateral flow test for prediction and early diagnosis of preeclampsia Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that results in high blood pressure and protein in patient urine and severe swelling. There is no cure, however it can be managed, particularly with rest and early delivery.

Diagnosis is crucial and this project will deliver a novel, rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tool for clinicians to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. Prof Jayashri Kulkarni, Monash University ADHD in Women ADHD is very under-researched in women and has a much later diagnosis due to the lack of understanding of sex differences in symptoms and presentation.

Sex hormones and trauma both contribute to these sex differences and an understanding of how these factors influence the presentation of ADHD in female patients, which is an important step in improving the quality of life of women with ADHD.

Prof Justin Yeung, University of Melbourne An artificial intelligence digital health tool to predict at risk colorectal cancer patients, providing them with precision treatment Globally, colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death, with incidence in women increasing significantly along with sex differences in presentation. Research on these sex differences is minimal.

This project will use CT images from Western Health, with AI tools for analysis, to investigate reasons for the variations in patient outcomes. This will provide a key base for further understanding the sex differences in this disease to improve treatment and care.

Dr Nikki Burdett, University of Melbourne (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) Decoding the drivers of resistance in high grade serous ovarian cancer High grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and aggressive form of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Recent research has investigated the mechanisms of treatment resistance, however these studies have failed to comprehensively answer the question: How do some of these HGSC cells resist therapy? This project will investigate the drivers of resistance in HGS, laying groundwork to develop new and more effective treatments for this form of cancer.

Dr Esther Davis, Monash University (Victorian Heart Institute) Leveraging mammograms for the early identification of cardiovascular risk: a 2-for-1 benefit using established screening programs Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains underdiagnosed in Australian women, resulting in worsened prognoses and delayed treatment. Routine CVD screening in women could help to improve early diagnosis and better prognosis.

Breast screening or mammography is a commonly used screening technique for breast cancer. Breast arterial calcification is a powerful surrogate marker for CVD risk and can be seen clearly during breast screening. This project will be a pilot study to use breast screening to identify undiagnosed CVD risk to improve early diagnosis.

Dr Margie McCormick, Western Health Measuring women's perception of feeling safe during labour and birth and evaluating clinical and emotional outcomes Recent research has identified that the measurement of safety during childbirth does not include the perceptions of the mother, which can result in traumatic experiences for women and worsened mental health outcomes.

This project will develop a tool for use in clinical settings to continuously monitor women's perceptions of safety during childbirth to improve experiences and outcomes for mothers and their newborns.

Prof Priscilla Dunk-West, Victoria University Victorian queer, lesbian, bi and non-binary intersectional experiences of the menopause: Understanding health through the body, communities and relationships This research will explore how sexuality diverse and gender diverse menopausal people in Victoria experience, interpret and navigate the menopause as a bodily experience and in relation to others and society.

This will help to give tools to health professionals to better support this cohort of people in their experience of menopause.

Dr Shivani Pasricha, University of Melbourne Rebecca Wigan, Alfred Health Empowering Women's Reproductive Health: A CRISPR-Based Point of Care Test for Early and Accessible Diagnosis of Syphilis, Herpes and Mpox The diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, herpes and mpox is difficult in women due to overlapping symptoms, diagnostic bias, and barriers to testing access.

There are major diagnostic gaps in underserved communities, particularly women from low socioeconomic communities. This project will validate a rapid point-of-care diagnostic tool to improve accuracy, speed and access, seeking to address the gender disparities in testing.

Dr Andrea Putica, University of Melbourne Investigating Sex-Specific Stress-Response and Neurobiological Mechanisms in Functional Neurological Disorder Functional neurological disorder (FND) is characterised by changes in how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body, resulting in loss of functions like movement and sensation which disproportionately affects women.

This project will investigate the role of cortisol, a key stress hormone, to better understand the underlying mechanisms of FND, focusing on women, to drive the development of targeted interventions for this condition.

A/Prof Anna Arstein-Kerslake, University of Melbourne Amplifying the Voices of Disabled Women and Gender Diverse People in Obstetric Care Existing research indicates that disabled women and gender diverse people experience barriers in having their voices heard and decisions respected in health care settings. During obstetric care, disabled women and gender diverse people likely also experiences such barriers.

This project will engage with disabled women and gender diverse people to understand their experiences and uncover the barriers that may exist to having their voices heard in the context of obstetric care.

Dr Aparna Jayachandran, Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute Harnessing nanotechnology to tackle advanced breast cancer Nanoparticles are tiny particles, typically ranging from 1-100nm that can be a safer and cheaper alternative to viruses for treatment delivery in solid cancers.

This project builds on research that developed unique nanoparticles to induce cancer cell death, seeking to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this model for potential clinical use as a treatment for multiple solid cancers.

Dr Louise Segan, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute E valuating Qu antitative differences in women versus men with A trial Fibrillation and L eft ventricular systolic dysfunction undergoing AF ablation - The EQUAL-AF study Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common type of irregular heart rhythm that can result in blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications, and is most often treated with ablation of key areas of the heart.

There have been identified sex differences in AF with women experiencing different symptoms and a worse outcomes and quality of life. This study will seek to better understand the sex differences in procedural success, safety and long-term prognosis to better understand the experience and outcomes in women and improve clinical treatment.

Prof Helena Frawley, University of Melbourne Dr Karin Jones, Royal Women's Hospital Dr Marlena Klaic, University of Melbourne Early intervention to better manage pelvic pain: Evaluation of a new multidisciplinary model of care This study will provide new knowledge and evidence of the clinical outcomes of a novel pilot program called “Early Intervention Pelvic Pain Clinic” (EIPPC), a multi-disciplinary pain management program, designed by a team of researchers and clinicians.

This study will involve the co-design of a version of this model which can be implemented in regional areas that do not have the specialised skills and resources of a tertiary centre. The results will be used in a larger-scale study to improve services in both metropolitan and regional areas.

Dr Lakshini Gunasekera, Alfred Health and Monash University The safety, tolerability and efficacy of a combined oral contraceptive medication containing nomegestrol acetate and estradiol for menstrually-related migraine Menstrually-related migraine (MRM) affects approximately 1 in 4 women with migraine and causes a significant burden to individuals.

There are limited effective therapies available for this condition, however some evidence suggest that hormonal supplementation may be beneficial due to the influence oestrogen changes have in MRM presentation. This is a randomised-control trial assessing the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a newer generation of contraceptive.

Dr Marilla Druitt, University Hospital Geelong Nitrous Oxide or Epidural, a retrospective study looking at analgesic escalation for women in labour in Geelong Nitrous oxide (NO) is a cheap, non-invasive pain medicine that is commonly used throughout the world for pregnant women in labour. However, the use of NO has some identified issues, such as its efficacy and the potential occupational exposure for healthcare workers.

This study will examine the escalation rates of women from NO to epidural to help inform hospital police and provide information for women that could help in choosing their analgesia during labour. Projects will run from 1 July 2025 and conclude on 30 June 2026.