Bright Ideas Grants: $60,000 Awarded to Transform WA Patient Health Outcomes

We're excited to share some incredible news that puts patient care and research innovation front and centre.

Last week, Charlies Foundation for Research proudly awarded six Bright Ideas Grants - with each project receiving up to $10,000 in funding.

These grants are designed to support forward-thinking, patient-centred research led by clinicians at Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospitals. From early diagnosis of COPD to using eye scans to detect cancer, these projects are united by a single goal: improving patient health outcomes.

What made this round of funding truly inspiring was the number of applications received from our hospital community. It's a clear sign of how passionate our clinicians are about research excellence and driving meaningful change in WA healthcare.

The Bright Ideas Grants program is truly seed funding that grows. We're strategically investing in early-stage research who have brilliant ideas, but often lack the initial support to get their projects off the ground.”

— Vicki Rasmussen, CEO at Charlies Foundation for Research

And none of this would be possible without you - our generous community of supporters. Your support helps turn innovative ideas into real-world outcomes for patients across Western Australia.

Here's a look at the six research projects funded this year - and the brilliant clinicians behind them:

Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan

Department: Respiratory

Project: DEAR-COPD: Diagnosis through Early Assessment during Respiratory Events

Dr Brendan Luu 

Department: 

Project: Using non-invasive OCTA imaging of the retina to detect human cancer

Dr Paul Armstrong

Department: Hepatology

Project: Characterisation of liver fibrosis in patients with cystic fibrosis – a retrospective review

Dr Julia Bereyne

Department: Medical Oncology

Project: Exploring Oncology Patients' Perceptions of Clinical Trials: A Qualitative Study

Stephanie Preen

Department: Occupation Therapy

Project: Can augmented reality scanning technology support occupational therapy home environmental assessments? A feasibility study.

Peri Mickle 

Department: Anaesthesia

Project: Provocation threshold and severity of hypersensitivity with intravenous challenge using non-linear drug infusion

Thank you for supporting the vital medical research and projects that are shaping a healthier future for WA patients.