Senator for the ACT, Kate Lundy has congratulated Dr Charani Ranasinghe from the Australian National University (ANU) for receiving $232,500 over two years for the Development of a novel strategy to enhance T cell-mediated immunity to vaccine antigens, through the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council Development Grants.
Dr Ranasinghe’s research proposal looks at novel strategies to increase the efficacy of vaccines for diseases such as HIV/TB. Globally there are about 33 million people living with HIV. The disease has already resulted in 23 million deaths and 2.5 million people are newly infected each year, Similarly, TB kills nearly 2 million people every year and infects about 1% of the world’s population every year. A vaccine is the best and also likely the only long-term solution for HIV/TB disease prevention.
“This project highlights the benefits that can flow from investing in health and medical research and the quality of research being undertaken at our own Universities here in the ACT,” Senator Lundy said.
Media contact: Annika Hutchins (Senator Kate Lundy) 0407 458 882
