$4 million for medical research into gut health

The Morrison Government will support the St George and Sutherland Medical Research Facility with $4 million to further boost its important work to better understand the human microbiota, particularly our ‘gut health’.  Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs and Member for Banks David Coleman said this $4 million funding boost will help researchers better understand how restoring the balance of microbiota through, for example, eating a healthy diet and increasing physical exercise, can prevent and cure disease.  “This funding will also support a new study into the role of the microbiome in pregnancy and its outcomes in the mothers and their babies,” Minister Coleman said.  “St George and Sutherland Hospitals serve a large proportion of the Sydney population and have a high clinical workload, making them ideal centres for translational research projects.  “Investment in health and medical research can fundamentally change people’s lives by providing new treatments to diseases and improving quality of life.”  Minister for Health Greg Hunt said some of the most prevalent diseases that affect the Australian population are associated with gut health—an increasingly important area of medical research.  “Cutting-edge microbiomics research suggests that disturbance of the balance of healthy microbiota can lead to cardiovascular disease,” Minister Hunt said.  “Other connections between microbiota disturbances and disease include diabetes, stroke, asthma, liver cancer, arthritis, and pre‑eclampsia.”  Health and medical research is a key pillar supporting Australia’s world-class health system and is critical to improving healthcare and improving the health of our nation. In the 2018–19 Budget the Australian Government provided $6 billion to life changing and lifesaving medical research.  (ENDS)