October 26, 2017

Painkiller and positive psychology projects win German support

Early career researchers win funding under scheme to foster Australian-German collaboration

Two research projects from the University of Wollongong (UOW) have been awarded grant funding under a scheme that fosters collaboration between Australian and German universities and research institutes. The successful grants were announced on Wednesday 25 October by Universities Australia.

The Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme enables researchers in the early stage of their career at Australian universities to apply for funding to work alongside their counterparts in German research institutions. It has awarded $8.6 million in grants to 245 projects since 2015.

Dr Karen Luna-Ramirez from the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute at UOW was successful in her funding application to further her research into the venom of marine cone snails and its potential use in developing a new class of painkillers. Her work could also lead to a better understanding of neurotransmission and improve the prediction, identification and management of neurological disorders.

The grant will enable Dr Luna-Ramirez to travel to Germany to work at the Walther-Straub-Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich with Professor Annette Nicke, a leading expert in this field.

Dr Mark Allen and Dr Stewart Vella (pictured above) from UOW’s School of Psychology were also successful in their application to begin a new program of research relating to the psychophysiological processes of happiness and well-being.

Research has found that simple practical techniques can produce long-term changes in happiness and life satisfaction, but little is known about the processes through which this occur. Their project will investigate a novel approach – slow-paced breathing exercises – and its effect on happiness and life satisfaction.

They will be collaborating with Dr Sylvain Laborde, an expert in psychophysiological measurement techniques from the German Sport University Cologne.

Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme is a partnership between Universities Australia and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Universities Australia Chief Executive Belinda Robinson said both Germany and Australia were strong performers in global research and the scheme was a boon for both nations.

“New collaborations between small research teams can become a springboard for future large-scale research partnerships that bolster future prosperity,” Ms Robinson said.

The DAAD is the largest funding organisation in the world supporting the international exchange of students and scholars. Since its foundation in 1925, it has provided funding for more than 1.9 million scholars in Germany and abroad.