The RMH partners with Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations

A national diabetes research centre initiative involving the Royal Melbourne Hospital has been funded through a significant Australian Government grant.

The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI), led by the University of Melbourne, will receive $10 million from the Medical Research Future Fund Targeted Translation Research Accelerator over four years. It will also receive substantial co-contributions from academic and industry partners of over $20 million.

In total, ACADI will build a collaboration of 70 partners from clinical, research, industry and community organisations across the country.

The RMH will be a key collaborating institute of this national diabetes research centre, which will focus on three priority areas:

• Diabetic kidney disease
• Peripheral neuropathy and diabetic foot syndrome, and;
• Metabolic complications of hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar syndrome and ketoacidosis

The RMH Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, led by A/Prof Spiros Fourlanos, will be conducting trials in painful peripheral neuropathy and diabetic kidney disease, as well as a trial of a new digital model of care to assist with treating people with diabetes admitted to hospital.

“We hope the acceleration of research in these three key priority areas will improve clinical outcomes for people with diabetes, specifically a reduction in foot complications such as neuropathy, improve diabetic kidney disease, and decrease hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis in hospital,” A/Prof Fourlanos said.

The University of Melbourne's A/Prof Elif Ekinci will lead ACADI as centre director.

According to Diabetes Australia, about 1.8 million Australians have diabetes, with one person every five minutes developing the disease. Complications may include blindness, amputation, kidney and heart disease.