Catalyst 2024: advancing global health priorities

Congratulations to Burnet Institute researchers who have been awarded the 2024 Catalyst grants. 
 
Catalyst supports projects addressing key priority areas in each of Burnet’s program areas: Disease Elimination; Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health; and Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness.  
 
The following researchers and their teams will receive A$600,000 over the next 3 years.

Disease Elimination

Dr Lindi Masson & Dr Mark Ziemann
Establishing a proteomics pipeline for biomarkers discovery and characterising disease mechanisms

This initiative brings together researchers with diverse expertise to collectively develop a world-class pipeline to generate and analyse proteomics data, as well as train staff and students in this methodology.

This will be achieved through 4 different research projects that will simultaneously address priority areas at Burnet, including HIV, spontaneous pre-term birth, mosquito-borne viruses and malaria. 

Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

Dr Caroline van Gemert
Burnet Triple Elimination Platform in the Pacific: demonstration project in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands  

This initiative leverages existing Burnet projects in Vanuatu for a coordinated, integrated, partnership-based and scalable approach. It will support governments in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to develop, support, and monitor the impact of essential services to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of three infections – HIV, syphilis and the hepatitis B virus.

This triple elimination service includes interventions such as antenatal screening, treatment and vaccinations. 

Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness

Dr Fiona Angrisano
Serosurveillance partnership for the Pacific region (SERO-PAC)
 
This initiative supports locally-led, multi-pathogen serosurveillance, which provides estimates of antibody levels against infectious diseases, to strengthen data-informed disease control and elimination in the Pacific. 

The program will help to provide equitable access and establish a platform for integrated surveillance of infectious diseases, which can become a sustainable long-term approach in the region. 

Catalyst was introduced in 2023 to fund initiatives that address a key priority across Burnet programs. Projects that are awarded are cross-disciplinary and could unlock further funding and strategic collaboration opportunities.