Since 2016, the Ramaciotti Foundations have invested $450,000 in HRI researchers’ work, an investment which is already having a profound impact in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease – Australia’s, and the world’s, biggest killer.
The Ramaciotti Foundations are collectively one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia. Their Health Investment Grants of $150,000 are awarded to scientists whose work has a potential path to clinical application within five years.
Dr Anna Waterhouse’s work
Dr Anna Waterhouse investigates ways to improve medical devices by improving the way they interact with human blood to reduce blood clotting. The Ramaciotti Foundations are supporting her work to coat devices such as bypass machines and ventricular assist devices (to help a failing heart pump blood) with a novel ‘non-stick’ liquid interface.
The current materials used to manufacture these devices are highly reactive to blood, leading to blood clots and the potential for poorer health outcomes. For people recovering from heart surgery, for example, this means that they do not recover as well as they should – there is a life-long need to take anti-clotting medication, which can have many dangerous side effects, and in many cases fatal clots occur regardless.
Each year, 30,000 Australians have a bypass. This number will only increase with the growing burden of cardiovascular disease. Dr Waterhouse’s new coatings will improve devices to ensure that thousands of Australians can have a better recovery, without the underlying risk of severe side effects.
Thank you to the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundations for their investment in research that has the potential to translate into significant improvements in healthcare for Australians within the next five years.