NHMRC funding to support diabetes research

5 May 2024

Funding secured to find genomics-based biomarkers for Indigenous people with T2D

We are excited to announce that Dr Sam Buckberry has been awarded a prestigious NHMRC Investigator Grant, securing $1.6 million to support his work over the next five years. This grant recognises the innovative approaches needed to address Type-2 Diabetes (T2D), a major health challenge among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who suffer disproportionately from the disease.

T2D has profound impacts on well-being, leading to debilitating complications such as heart disease, blindness and kidney failure. The gap in life expectancy and health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with T2D continues to widen relative to non-Indigenous people with T2D.

Dr Buckberry’s research program aims to bridge this gap through a precision medicine approach. By integrating genetic, epigenetic, clinical, epidemiological and psychosocial data, his work is aims to develop robust and accurate genomics-based biomarkers to predict and monitor people’s disease, risk, severity and response to treatment with new levels of accuracy.

“Using a precision medicine approach that addresses the unique needs of Indigenous Australians, we aim to significantly reduce the burden of cardiometabolic diseases, thus improving health outcomes.” Dr Buckberry explains.

Dr Buckberry is Head of Epigenetics within the Indigenous Genomics team, working at Telethon Kids Institute and the Australian National University.