Aussie gov't announces 14.9 mln USD for "life-saving" brain research

The Australian government has announced more than 20 million Australian dollars in funding for research into brain disorders.

Greg Hunt, the minister for health, on Thursday committed 21.8 million Australian dollars (14.9 million U.S. dollars) from the Medical Research Future Fund to 10 research projects.

The minister said in a statement that the funding represented new hope for Australians affected by neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease and autism.

"This research could change lives. It could save lives," Hunt said.

"Neurological disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent in Australia. They account for a third of all diseases, with the number of people affected increasing by almost 20 percent between 2003 and 2015."

"Health and medical research is the single best way to advance health care - and our government is profoundly committed to backing our best and brightest health and medical researchers in finding new treatments for patients both in Australia and internationally."

Researchers from the University of Melbourne will receive more than 1.4 million Australian dollars for their work developing an implantable brain computer interface.

The interface acts as a hands-free controller, helping people with paralysis as a result of spinal cord injury, stroke, motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophy move again.

"These research projects mean new hope for Australians suffering from debilitating neurological disorders," Hunt said.

"The initiative aims to increase clinical trial activity in Australia, give Australian patients more access to clinical trials, show which treatments and medicines work best, and enable researchers to collaborate internationally and bring international trials to Australian patients.

"These trials are vital to evaluating the effectiveness and safety of medicines, devices, services and interventions to help prevent, detect or treat illness and disease."