Second Round of Funding

In 2004 the Trish Foundation’s second round of funding for research grants, committed a further $250,000 for research into the pursuit of a cure or preventive strategy for multiple sclerosis.

The Trish Foundation and Multiple Sclerosis Australia called for applications for research which were jointly branded and were overwhelmed by the number of worthy applications for research, all of which could not be funded.

Applications were assessed internationally and were ranked by the Medical and Research Advisory Board of MS Australia, following which the Trish Foundation’s honorary Scientific Research Committee recommended the following projects which met the firm funding guidelines of the Trish Foundation to the Foundation’s Board for approval:

Dr Judith Greer and Professor Michael Pender – Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland
Dr Heinrich Korner – James Cook University, Queensland
Dr P Cabot, Dr S Roberts-Thomson, Dr G Monteith and Ms M Peitis – University of Queensland
Mr Attila Szvetko – Griffith University, Queensland

The four projects which the Foundation funded were all Queensland-based and addressed fundamental aspects of causation or prevention.

Foundation Scientific Research Committee member Professor Peter Russell said, “Momentum is gathering in the quest to eradicate this disease. The part our Foundation plays should not be underestimated, as it underpins the fragile research funding in Australia into multiple sclerosis and its causes.”