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  • Researchers work to reduce debilitating spinal cord injury pain

    Researchers work to reduce debilitating spinal cord injury pain

    When we think of the impact of a spinal cord injury, we tend to focus on the significant limitations with the loss of mobility, but for a large share of people living with this injury, it’s actually the chronic pain which is one of the most challenging issues to manage long-term.

    Neuropathic pain affects about 60 per cent of people with a spinal cord injury. It’s generally felt at or below the zone of injury and is often described as sharp, burning, unbearable and even terrifying.

    It can lead to a range of challenges like depression, catastrophizing or panic thinking, poor sleep, social isolation and reduced physical activity.

    Professor of Rehabilitation Ashley Craig said medications like antidepressants, antiepileptics and opioids are used to treat neuropathic pain, but they offer limited relief and come with a host of side effects.

    “Most medications provide only a third of patients with up to a 30 per cent reduction in their pain, while other non-medication approaches have failed to have any real impact,” he said.

    However, an exciting clinical trial will shortly get underway as a result of a $2.2 million grant through the Medical Research Future Fund.

    The team from the Kolling Institute’s John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research will work with national and international experts to investigate the impact of an innovative approach targeting pain pathways in the brain.

    This new approach will combine direct brain stimulation with an advanced interactive brain-computer neuromodulation therapy.

    Professor Craig said both these interventions are showing some promising results, and we are looking forward to measuring the impact of their combined approach.

    “Our research will aim to confirm if these therapies will offer significant and consistent improvements in neuropathic pain for people living with a spinal cord injury,” he said. 

    “Chronic pain after a spinal cord injury results in an altered cortical neurochemistry and blood flow resulting in cortical dysrhythmia.

    “This is where brain neuromodulation therapy can really help. It involves a non-invasive approach to correcting the dysrhythmia and improving pain.

    “Interactive brain computer therapy is an extension of established treatments, while direct brain stimulation is a well-tolerated form of non-invasive brain stimulation to promote brain plasticity.

    “We are keen to test these approaches through the clinical trial and help provide evidenced based guidelines to relieve neuropathic pain and improve outcomes for those living with a chronic spinal cord injury.”

    This clinical trial will also help researchers at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research pursue other innovative psychological interventions to reduce catastrophizing thinking and subsequently neuropathic pain.

  • Celebrating over 100 years of innovation

    Celebrating over 100 years of innovation


    The inaugural Eva Kolling Research Day was staged within Royal North Shore Hospital, providing the perfect chance to celebrate the vision and generosity of a true pioneer.

    Established in 1920, the Kolling Institute is the oldest medical research institute in New South Wales. It has been at the forefront of cutting-edge research for more than a hundred years, with its founding director Dr W. Wilson Ingram opening the first clinic for diabetes treatment in Australia.

    In 1931, a new two-storey building was officially opened and named the Kolling Institute of Medical Research after businessman Charles Kolling. His widow Eva was a strong supporter of research and made a substantial donation towards the development of the new building.

    The Kolling Institute’s iconic photo features Eva laying a foundation stone. 

    Her vision and the long-standing impact of the Kolling were highlighted at the inaugural research day by Royal North Shore Hospital honorary archivist Catherine Storey OAM, who shared insights into the Kolling’s remarkable journey.

    The institute’s Academic Director Professor James Elliott said the event offered the chance for researchers to engage with visitors, to learn more about the health challenges facing the community, and to share details of their current research.

    “A key part of our research success will depend on the strength of our community ties, including community driven clinical trials and broad community involvement,” he said.

    “I would also like to thank the NORTH Foundation for their unrelenting support, and for raising awareness of the dedicated and skilled clinician researchers within the Kolling Institute.”

    Early-to-mid-career researchers presented a poster display, illustrating their commitment to improving health outcomes, driving new health policy, and realising global reach.

    Two awards were announced on the day, including an Excellence in Clinical Translation Science gong to Temitope Esther Afolabi from the Kolling’s Lab of Ageing and Pharmacology, and an Excellence in Basic Science award to Daisy (Qinrui) Chen from the Renal Research Lab. 

  • Multi-million dollar grant to improve treatment for lung cancer

    Multi-million dollar grant to improve treatment for lung cancer

    Leading Royal North Shore Hospital clinician researcher Professor Nick Pavlakis and Professor Ben Solomon have secured a $14.7 million MRFF grant for a clinical trial which will explore the use of a liquid biopsy to inform treatment for lung cancer.

    The condition is the leading cause of cancer death in Australia and worldwide, claiming an estimated 9,000 lives in Australia each year.

    The pioneering study will place Australia at the forefront of global precision medicine by using liquid biopsies to revolutionise personalised lung cancer treatment.

    It will involve some of the country’s most respected lung cancer clinicians and researchers and will be available to patients across Australia.

    Professor Pavlakis said the large-scale clinical trial will involve more than 500 people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, offering them access to the exciting new treatment.

    “Over the last decade, treatment for non-small cell lung cancer has been transformed by the discovery of several genomic mutations that drive tumour growth,” he said.

    “This has led to effective new therapies which specifically target the mutation, moving away from general chemotherapy to daily tablets at home with tolerable side effects.

    “Many patients have survived up to 10 years living with their lung cancer, but in most cases, the cancer inevitably develops resistance to the targeted therapies.”

    To date, clinicians have relied on invasive tissue biopsies to inform treatment options, but this new clinical trial will investigate the use of a liquid biopsy (circulating tumour DNA) to guide a personalised approach throughout a patient’s journey.

    It could change the way lung cancer is treated and provide a model for other cancers as well.

    “A simple blood test will be less invasive, provide quicker results and will enable more frequent feedback on what genomic changes have occurred in response to treatment,” said Professor Pavlakis.

    “This will inform what treatments will be the best for a given patient.

    “The approach represents a unique opportunity to refine personalised medicine for lung cancer, not just at the time of diagnosis, but throughout treatment.

    “It is a major step forward and a testament to the many people involved in progressing our work to this point.

    “We anticipate it will lead to improved survival and quality of life, and may provide supporting evidence for broader liquid biopsy application to transform the treatment for other cancers as well.”

    The trial, named Aspiration 2L, will be led by the Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia.

    NORTH STAR VNP will be participating in the transformative study, utilising the telehealth platform to provide access to patients across its network.

  • Beryl and Jack Jacobs Travel Awards offer crucial international opportunities

    Beryl and Jack Jacobs Travel Awards offer crucial international opportunities

    Five emerging researchers will have the chance to develop their skills and raise the international profile of the Kolling Institute thanks to generous funding from the Skipper Jacobs Charitable Trust.

    Academic Director Professor James Elliott said a total of $40,000 will be shared by the early-to-mid career researchers to increase their research impact and strengthen their collaborations.

    Pablo Cruz-Granados: travelling to Spain

    Pablo, a PhD candidate within the Kolling’s Menière’s Disease Neuroscience Lab, will complete a three-month stay with the Otology and Neurotology group at the University of Granada.

    Pablo said I would like to thank the Skipper Jacobs Charitable Trust for this amazing opportunity.

    “During my time, I will be investigating the clinical phenotypes of Ménière’s Disease to gain a better understanding of its presentation in different populations,” he said.

    “I will be expanding my skill set by learning advanced bioinformatic tools to analyse structural variants in DNA which could identify mechanisms underlying the disease.

    “I’m excited to accept the Beryl and Jack Jacobs Travel Award and truly appreciate the generous support. It will be incredibly valuable for my research and upcoming travel.”

    Dr Kenji Fujita: travelling to Denmark and Japan

    Kenji, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care has helped develop a real-time calculation system to measure frailty in older hospitalised adults.

    During his trip, he will deliver a keynote address at the International Pharmaceutical Federation conference in Copenhagen on innovative approaches to reduce the inappropriate use of medications in older adults.

    He will also meet with research partners in Japan to advance their collaborative project analysing medication data from millions of older adults across community pharmacies in Japan.

    Kenji said he was truly honoured to receive the award.

    “This international travel will enhance my academic leadership profile, while strengthening cross-institutional partnerships and promoting the Kolling Institute’s innovative translational research globally,” he said.

    Dr Noriko Sato: travelling to Washington, USA and Wakayama, Japan

    Noriko is a research fellow within the Kolling who specialises in frailty research in older patients using data from six hospitals in NSW.

    She will present the frailty study at the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology conference in Washington and chair an international symposium at the Japanese Society of Social Pharmacy.

    Noriko said I am very pleased to have received this award and excited about the chance to present our study at the largest and most prestigious pharmacoepidemiology conference.

    “This travel grant will broaden my expertise, strengthen international collaborations and extend the impact of our Kolling research using data to improve the use of medications in clinical practice,” she said.

    Kate Bryce: travelling to North Carolina and Florida, USA

    Kate, a PhD student with the Osteoarthritis Clinical Research Group at Kolling, investigates the use of digital technologies to encourage behaviour change in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

    Kate will attend the 2026 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) World Congress in the USA, where she will meet with experts in behaviour change and implementation science, including collaborators from Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University.

    Kate says their expertise will allow us to enhance the broader rollout of the ATLAS clinician eLearning platform for osteoarthritis and a mobile app for knee osteoarthritis named OA Coach.

    “Visiting their universities and learning from their work will help refine digital interventions to support clinician and patient behaviour change more effectively, and I’m grateful to have received this travel award.”

    Bimbi Gray: travelling to Florida and North Carolina, USA

    Bimbi, a PhD candidate also with the Osteoarthritis Clinical Research Group, will attend the 2026 OARSI World Congress and deliver a presentation on the ATLAS program.

    The trip will strengthen partnerships with leaders at the Thurston Arthritis Research Centre in North Carolina and the Arthritis Foundation’s Osteoarthritis Action Alliance. These collaborations will speed the implementation of ATLAS with insights to refine and scale the program for broader adoption.

    Bimbi said she was thrilled to receive the travel award.

    “As an early-career researcher, this experience will bolster my expertise in knowledge translation, implementation science and international collaboration, while also boosting the reputation of our research at the Kolling Institute,” she said.

    Professor Elliott thanked the Skipper family for their generous backing of the program, and the NORTH Foundation for their ongoing support. 

  • Pioneering study to improve sleep and reduce musculoskeletal pain

    Pioneering study to improve sleep and reduce musculoskeletal pain

    An innovative study, led by a team of researchers from the Kolling Institute, has the potential to change the way osteoarthritis and low back pain are managed.

    More than $4.7 million has been awarded to the project through the Medical Research Future Fund’s program for early to mid-career researchers.

    Study lead Associate Professor Michelle Hall said we know that chronic muscle pain and poor sleep often go hand-in-hand, yet sleep is rarely addressed in standard musculoskeletal care.

    “Our program however, will target insomnia as a first line treatment for a range of musculoskeletal pain conditions, including hip and knee osteoarthritis, and low back pain,” said the University of Sydney researcher.

    “These conditions are the leading cause of disability worldwide and co-exist with poor sleep. We know that insomnia affects up to 80 per cent of people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and poor sleep actually worsens chronic pain.

    “Our ground-breaking program will measure the impact of adding cognitive behavioral therapy to physiotherapy care for people with muscle pain and insomnia.

    “This type of therapy is a proven treatment for both sleep and chronic pain, yet it is not routinely offered due to limited psychologist availability and funding.

    “Physiotherapists are well-positioned to address this care gap, given they typically manage people with chronic musculoskeletal conditions and are more widely available than clinical psychologists.

    “Our approach could also represent a significant financial saving.

    “Earlier trials have demonstrated a reduction in medication use and costs, and given the $7 billion cost of medications for osteoarthritis and low back pain each year, the projected savings could exceed $60 million a year.”

    The program will be adopted across nine public hospitals in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, and will involve seven Australian universities and a UK institution.

    “We would like to thank the many consumers and partners who have helped us develop this project. It has the potential to be upscaled and could improve models of care and patient outcomes for a large number of people across Australia and internationally.

    “We are looking forward to progressing this important research and reducing the severity of pain experienced by the community.” 

  • Crucial new funds to help improve heart and kidney disease treatment

    Crucial new funds to help improve heart and kidney disease treatment

    Royal North Shore Hospital’s Associate Professor Brendon Neuen will establish an international consortium to support those with both heart and kidney disease.

    The nephrologist and Director of Kidney Trials will lead the collaboration after being awarded close to $500,000 from NSW Health through a program to drive groundbreaking projects in heart disease.

    The grant will support the establishment of the ROCKET Consortium, a global initiative to determine the best way to assess kidney disease progression in people with heart failure.

    The collaboration will bring together the team at Royal North Shore Hospital with world leading experts at Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

    The project will analyse data from 12 landmark heart failure trials involving more than 50,000 patients to confirm the best approach to track the loss of kidney function in heart failure trials.

    As researcher with the Kolling and The George Institute, Associate Professor Neuen said their work has the potential to shape how future clinical trials are designed for those with heart and kidney disease, and improve outcomes for people with both conditions.

    “Nearly half of those with heart failure also have chronic kidney disease, which means they generally do worse overall and are admitted to hospital more often,” he said.

    “However, without a standard method of measuring loss of kidney function in heart failure trials, we are potentially missing opportunities to identify treatments which could protect the heart and kidneys.”

    He says the international team is excited by the broad interest in their work to date.

    “Our research is already drawing attention from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as it has the potential to inform regulatory standards and the development of new medications for both heart failure treatments and kidney disease.

    “With a large share of the community living with heart and kidney disease, we are hopeful our work will improve the long-term health and wellbeing of people affected by both conditions.”

  • New digital health program to reduce muscle, joint and bone pain across culturally diverse communities

    New digital health program to reduce muscle, joint and bone pain across culturally diverse communities

    A federal government funding boost will pave the way for a much-needed, tailored program for culturally diverse communities experiencing musculoskeletal pain.

    Dr Saurab Sharma, the Chief Clinical Scientist from the Pain Management and Research Centre at Royal North Shore Hospital, has received a National Health and Medical Research Council investigator grant to progress his research and develop an innovative treatment plan.

    Investigator grants are awarded to only a small number of leading scientists in Australia each year to advance health research.

    As a researcher within the Kolling Institute, Dr Sharma said a specific, co-designed program is needed as culturally and linguistically diverse Australians often miss out on high quality care due to cultural, language, and health literacy barriers.

    “These communities are often excluded from research including clinical trials, which means evidence-based treatments are designed without their input or experiences,” he said.

    “Ultimately, this means Australians from diverse backgrounds receive poor care and experience poorer outcomes compared to other Australians.”

    The $700,000 grant will support the development of a digital, pain-management treatment program for communities from Arabic, Chinese, Indian, Nepali, and Vietnamese backgrounds with musculoskeletal pain.

    “Importantly, the program will be co-designed with individuals with lived experiences of musculoskeletal pain, healthcare professionals from respective cultural backgrounds, and world-leading musculoskeletal pain experts,” he said.

    “Our initiative aims to empower marginalised and disadvantaged communities, build research capacity within these communities, and foster a greater understanding of pain among community members and healthcare professionals to transform pain management for these vulnerable communities.

    “Encouragingly, our program could be adopted on a global scale as it will be tailored for Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Nepali, and Vietnamese languages, which are spoken by over 2.2 billion people globally.

    “A cultural and linguistic adaptation of the educational resources could benefit approximately a quarter of the world’s population.

    “We hope the pain management program will enhance health equity, reduce costs and inform national and international guidelines on musculoskeletal pain.”  

  • Pioneering MuscleMap project secures strong philanthropic support

    Pioneering MuscleMap project secures strong philanthropic support

    An innovative tool which could revolutionise the detection and treatment of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions will be further developed following a $230,000 gift.

    The donation was made following a campaign by the University of Sydney’s Advancement team and the NORTH Foundation to support the world’s first open-source dataset of whole-body muscle composition.

    The Kolling Institute’s Academic Director Professor James Elliott said there is a critical need for the diagnostic tool with musculoskeletal and neurological conditions among the leading causes of illness and disability worldwide.

    “With these conditions affecting more than four billion people, they are expected to cost around $21 billion in healthcare expenditure by 2033 in Australia alone,” he said.

    “Early identification and intervention are crucial if we are to offer long-term health benefits and minimise the disease burden.

    “We know that these conditions often lead to a steady decline in muscle health, and this decline is evident by an increase in fat deposits in the muscles and the loss of muscle fibres.

    “CT and MRI scans can be used to identify these changes, but the time it currently takes is prohibitive.

    The MuscleMap tool however, will automatically identify any changes, potentially revolutionising the detection of muscle health in any part of the body. It could inform treatment for everyone from elite athletes to astronauts and older people with complex conditions.

    Astronauts for instance, experience significant muscle loss due to the effects of prolonged exposure to zero gravity.

    Using existing MRI and CT scans, the landmark global study has applied an artificial intelligence model to produce a dataset of muscle health of any part of the body. This will enable a patient’s muscle deterioration to be compared with a healthy person’s.

    Professor Elliott said this will mean a clinician will be able to upload a scan into the MuscleMap program, and within minutes, will have access to detailed information measuring muscle composition compared to a reference dataset.

    “For athletes and the general population, the tool will accurately inform the journey from injury to repair, recovery and return to physical activity.

    “For patients with osteoporosis, the program will provide a detailed analysis of overall health and muscle deterioration, which will then inform personalised strategies to develop healthier muscle mass and improve general health and wellbeing.

    “We are very appreciative of this generous donation to the MuscleMap project. It will enable the broader team to continue developing the digital infrastructure needed to launch the open-source portal.

    “It will be a pioneering resource, accessible to clinicians and researchers globally, and supporting the long-term health of communities.” 

    To donate to the innovative MuscleMap project visit the NORTH Foundation.

  • Epic journey to support vital rheumatoid arthritis research

    Epic journey to support vital rheumatoid arthritis research

    The burble of high-powered motorcycles was heard across the Kolling Institute forecourt as part of a 2000 kilometre ride from Melbourne to Armidale to raise awareness and funds for life-changing research.

    The ride is an initiative of Robert Hunt from the Ulysses Club which has been supporting rheumatoid arthritis research for nearly three decades.

    The late Stephen Dearnley established the club in 1983. His wife Jo had lived with the debilitating disease for more than 20 years. Today, the club has more than 120 branches.

    The Ulysses Club has donated funds to the Kolling Institute for over 15 years, consistently investing in our discovery and translational research into rheumatoid arthritis.

    Leading rheumatologist Professor Lyn March said the club has been a long-time supporter of the Sutton Arthritis Lab and we’re tremendously grateful that this ride is drawing attention to the condition and raising funds.

    “Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that affects over 500,000 Australians,” she said.

    “It causes pain, swelling, and inflammation in the joints as the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues lining the joints.

    “It can be a life limiting illness, causing pain, reducing function and mobility.”

    As a leading clinician and internationally respected researcher, Professor March said while many people manage well on current medications, improved options are needed.

    “Game changing steps take significant investment and expertise, and we’re indebted to the Ulysses Club members for embarking on this ride and fostering large-scale community support.”

    The Ride for Rheumatoid journey will wrap up in Armidale, where a national rally will be held.

    All funds from the ride will go directly towards rheumatoid arthritis research, including a PhD scholarship at the Kolling Institute.

    Professor March encouraged the community to get behind the club.

    Head of the Sutton Arthritis Research Lab in the Kolling Associate Professor Meilang Xue expressed her gratitude to the club members.

    Donations can be made through: Ride for Rheumatoid to Armidale

  • Prestigious grant for groundbreaking blood cancer research at the Kolling

    Prestigious grant for groundbreaking blood cancer research at the Kolling

    A two-decade long commitment to reducing blood cancers has delivered coveted national funding to Associate Professor Jenny Wang to progress her vital cancer research.

    As the head of the Kolling Institute’s Cancer and Stem Cell Laboratory, Associate Professor Wang has secured a $2.95 million investigator grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to advance her pioneering research into acute myeloid leukaemia.

    Jenny said she was overwhelmed by the grant success.

    “It was thrilled to hear the news,” she said.

    “To secure a large National Health and Medical Research Council grant is challenging, so I’m really pleased to be able to accelerate our research with this significant funding boost.”

    Acute myeloid leukaemia is the deadliest form of blood cancer, with only 27 per cent of patients surviving more than five years after treatment.

    “Our research aims to revolutionize treatment by targeting leukaemia stem cells,” she said.

    “These cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy, and are believed to be the primary cause of treatment failure and relapse.

    “Currently, more than 80 per cent of people with this type of blood cancer will experience a relapse, and the majority will have a poor outcome.

    “Our research is working to develop stem cell-targeted therapies where we eliminate the leukaemia stem cells altogether.

    “Encouragingly, this would potentially replace intensive chemotherapy with more targeted treatments.

    “This wonderful funding boost will enable my team and I to progress these promising new therapies and offer hope to people with this aggressive cancer.

    “We expect this funding will lead to renewed optimism for improved outcomes in the fight against acute myeloid leukaemia and other deadly blood cancers.”

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