Two professors at RMIT University’s Bundoora campus have been awarded funding to investigate new ways of preventing and living with diabetes.
Professor Emilio Badoer, of RMIT’s School of Medical Sciences, and Professor of Ageing and Chronic Disease Management, Jiming Ye, were awarded Diabetes Research Trust of Australia grants at Government House during World Diabetes Day last week.
The grants will enable the researchers to work on prevention, better management and even the cure of diabetes, which about 70 Victorians are diagnosed with every day, according to Diabetes Victoria research.
The professors’ research projects were among 54 to be funded through a merit-based, peer- reviewed process. Professor Badoer’s research on blood pressure control is internationally recognised.
He will explore new therapies for cardiovascular complications common to diabetes and people with metabolic syndrome, which is a collection of conditions that include obesity and high blood pressure, increasing a person’s risk of diabetes. Professor Ye will research new ways to treat insulin resistance.
“We’re really excited to have been awarded this grant from Diabetes Australia,” Professor Badoer said. “It recognises the novelty of our work here at RMIT and the potential to really help the health burden posed by diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity.”
Diabetes Victoria chief executive Craig Bennett said the generosity of Australians had raised $1.375 million for diabetes research.
“Researchers awarded these 2016 Diabetes Australia grants are doing timely and important work in Australia right now, given that diabetes is on track to become the number one burden of disease in this country,” Mr Bennett said.
