Therapeutic Innovation Australia (TIA), in partnership with Phenomics Australia, Bioplatforms Australia and ANSTO’s National Deuteration Facility, is thrilled to announce the successful recipients of the Pipeline Accelerator 2024-25 (Round 2).
Enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), all four NCRIS providers mentioned above are working together to help address the medical products challenge outlined in the 2021 National Research Infrastructure (NRI) Roadmap. Together, they provide academic researchers and SMEs seamless access to world-class Australian translational research infrastructure, spanning the molecular basis of health and disease through to clinical trials.
This round, 40 projects, including one Technical Feasibility Assessment (TFA), will share a total of $1,324,362 in voucher awards with a total cash co-investment fund of $1,745,302. These vouchers will subsidise the cost to access these translation NRIs to accelerate therapeutic translation and improve human health including, but not limited to, diabetes, heart disease, pain relief, cancer therapy, neurological disorders and women’s health.
We’re pleased to welcome Bioplatforms Australia to the scheme as a provider of supplementary vouchers. This round, five researchers have been awarded vouchers to access facilities supported by TIA or Phenomics Australia, along with additional vouchers enabling access to Bioplatforms Australia’s capabilities.
- Dr Rudrarup Bhattacharjee (University of Adelaide) – Functional Genomics South Australia (TIA) and Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Platform (Bioplatforms Australia)
- Dr Steve Dingwall (University of Queensland) – Protein Expression Facility (TIA) and Metabolomics Australia (Bioplatforms Australia)
- Dr Zhi Ying Kho (Monash University) – National Drug Discovery Centre (TIA) and Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Platform (Bioplatforms Australia)
- Prof Claudia Nold (Hudson Institute of Medical Research) – Monash Organoid Program (Phenomics Australia) and Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Platform (Bioplatforms Australia)
- Dr Tan Nguyen (Walter Eliza Hall Institute/ exteRNA) – Monash Functional Genomics Platform (Phenomics Australia) and Drug Target Identification Platform (Bioplatforms Australia)
Click here to see the Phenomics Australia voucher recipients.
Learn more about the Pipeline Accelerator scheme here.
The full list of awardees for the TIA Pipeline Accelerator and Technical Feasibility Assessment 2024-25 (Round 2) can be found below.
| Recipient Name | Recipient Affiliation | Project Title | Provider Facility |
| Dr Charles Bailey | Centenary Institute | Improving the accessibility of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy | RNA Institute |
| Dr Julia Beveridge | BioCurate Pty Ltd | First-in-Class Dual Inhibitor of Target 1.1 and Target 1.2 for Neuropathic Pain | Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development, Cell Function & Screening Facility |
| Dr Rudrarup Bhattacharjee | University of Adelaide | Deciphering the mechanism of Rubinstein-Taybi Neurodevelopmental Syndrome and screening new therapeutic options | Functional Genomics South Australia |
| Professor Claudine Bonder | University of South Australia | Advancing a ‘first-in-class’ monoclonal antibody to combat cancer. | CSIRO Biomedical Manufacturing |
| Dr Frankie Butera | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute | Assessing the pharmacokinetic profile of small molecules to promote cardiomyocyte specific proliferation | Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation |
| Dr Joanne Casey | Immuron Limited | Design, Scale-up and Manufacturability of a Safe and Effective TcdB Immunogen to Support the Development of an Oral Therapy for the Treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections. | CSIRO Biomedical Manufacturing |
| Professor Gregory Cook | Queensland University of Technology | Development of anti-virulence strategies to combat MDR gram-negative pathogens | IBG-Nathan Mass Spec Facility |
| Dr Steve Dingwall | University of Queensland | Bi-specific proteins for the enhancement of pluripotent stem cell derived heart muscle grafts | Protein Expression Facility |
| Dr Maria Garone | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute | Development of a high-throughput drug screening platform for paediatric brain tumours using advanced cancer-brain organoid models | Drug Discovery Facility |
| Dr Diyana Hassanel | Garvan Institute of Medical Research | Development of targeted mRNA vaccines for liver cancer | mRNA CORE |
| Dr Behnaz Heydarchi | Walter and Eliza Hall Instittite | Advancing a novel therapy for the prevention of haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn | National Biologics Facility |
| Dr Stephen Huang | Mater Research Institute | In vivo macrophage modulation | Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development , National Biologics Facility |
| Dr Nicholas Hunt | Endo Axiom | A GLP repeat dose oral toxicity study of Endo Axiom’s inverse vaccine for prevention of type 1 diabetes | Agilex Biolabs |
| Dr Yi David Ju | La Trobe University | In Vivo mRNA CAR T Cell Engineering via Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles | BASE Facility |
| Dr Zhi Ying Kho | Monash University | High-Throughput Phenotypic and Target-Based Profiling of Novel Antimicrobials Using Imaging and Proteomics | National Drug Discovery Centre |
| Dr David Leaver | Charles Sturt University | Targeting sterol metabolism as a way to kill parasitic worms | Compounds Australia, ANU Centre for Therapeutic Discovery |
| Dr Lipin Loo | University of Sydney | Optimising Scale-Up Manufacturing for Cutting-Edge mRNA Pain Relief | RNA Institute |
| Dr Julie Monk | Resseptor Therapeutics | Preparation of ADC and Radiotheranositics from our Nvel Covalently Binding T Cell Receptor Against Tumour-Associated Peptide–MHC Complex | Protein Expression Facility |
| Dr Zohaib Rana | Fold AI (RNAFold.AI Pty Ltd) | Targeting Pathogenic Genes in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Using Novel Antisense Oligonucleotides | RNA Institute |
| Prof Rebecca Ritchie | Monash University | Optimisation of a new class of inflammation-resolving GPCR agonists for the treatment of Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) | National Drug Discovery Centre |
| Dr Melanie Robitaille | University of Queensland | TRPC3 inhibitors for the treatment of cardiac disease | Compounds Australia, QEDDI, IBG-Nathan Mass Spec Facility |
| Dr Keith Sia | Children’s Cancer Institute | Development of a novel METTL1-specific PROTAC protein degrader | Recombinant Protein Facility, ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer |
| Dr Clare Slaney | Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre | Overcoming the heterogeneity of cancer antigen expression with an mRNA vaccine and precision LNP delivery. | mRNA CORE |
| Dr Gilbert Song | University of Queensland | Discovery of MyD88 inhibitors for novel anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer therapy | Monash Fragment Platform |
| Prof Christopher Sweeney | University of Adelaide | SAi001 Pharmacokinetic Bridging Study | Agilex Biolabs |
| Dr Mehdi Tabar | Centenary Institute | Epigenetic-directed drug development for type I interferonopathies | National Drug Discovery Centre |
| Dr Thomas Tapmeier | Monash University | Peripherally Restricted NPSR1 Antagonist in Endometriosis | Australian Translational Medicinal Chemistry Facility |
| Prof Joseph Trapani | University of Melbourne | Drugs that block lymphocyte perforin – focused immunosuppressive agents for auto-immune and post-infectious pathologies | Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre |
| A/Prof Michelle Wykes | QIMR Berghofer/ Fovero Therapeutics | Novel therapy for cancer | Agilex Biolabs |
| Prof Colin Pouton | Monash University | Optimisation of AAK1 gene knockdown for treatment of chronic pain | RNA Institute |
| Dr Saparna Pai (TFA Voucher Recipient) | TAARA BIOTECH Pty Ltd | Retrieving short-term memories for treatment of post-TB lung disease | Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics |
