The Hunter Children’s Research Foundation (HCRF) raises funds for important research into children’s terminal and debilitating illnesses. Formed in 1996, the Foundation is authorised to fundraise by HMRI and is also affiliated with HNEkidshealth – Children, Young People and Families.
Money raised by HCRF stays in the Hunter to fund children’s research projects in areas like asthma, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes and sleep disorders – illnesses that can affect any family at any time. Over $2.4 million in funds has been raised to date.
HCRF provides funds for essential research equipment, to employ research support staff and fund research grants for new and ongoing research. It is overseen by an independent committee, the Children Young People & Families Research Executive, who guides the assessment and allocation of funding for children’s research, in collaboration with HMRI.
The ReaCH 200 is a group of local businesses and individuals who to contribute to children’s research through HCRF. HCRF also holds its own fundraising events, and receives proceeds from various charity functions, raffles and sponsorships.
In 2011, retired paediatrician (turned artist) Dr Cliff Hosking was announced as Patron of HCRF. In 2015, Michael and Sue Hagan and Matt Hall were announced as HCRF Ambassadors to help spread the word and why it is so important to support children’s medical research.
Support or connect with the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation:
- Follow HCRF on Facebook
- For more information, please call Lorraine Gardner, HCRF Secretary/Treasurer, on 0416 044 754.
Funded Research
2022
Dr Sarah Valkenborghs
Dr Sarah Valkenborghs from the HMRI Active Living Research Program has received a grant to fund her study in child neurodevelopment, investigating if physical activity while pregnant is beneficial for child neurodevelopment after birth.
moreDr Adam Collison
Dr Adam Collison from the HMRI Asthma and Breathing Research Program received a grant for his study into bronchiolitis, a severe viral infection that is the leading cause of babies under 12 months being admitted to the John Hunter Children’s Hospital.
moreDr Henry Gomez
Dr Henry Gomez won a grant to investigate the role of iron status and supplementation during pregnancy on respiratory disease in children.
moreAssociate Professor Vanessa Murphy
Associate Professor Vanessa Murphy received a grant to fund her project focusing on better early detection of childhood neurodevelopmental differences using mid-pregnancy biomarkers and infant behaviours
moreAssociate Professor Matt Dun
Associate Professor Matt Dun from the HMRI Precision Medicine Research Program won for his work in taming free radicals to increase response to standard-of-care treatments for children with high-risk leukaemias that become treatment resistant.
more2021
Dr Carla Da Silva Sena
Lung function and respiratory health at 6 weeks of age in a cohort of children born to non-asthmatic mothers
moreAssociate Professor Koert de Waal
The POKES study: Practice Observations and Knock-on Effect of Skin breaks in preterm infants
moreDr Beth Mah
Neurofeedback treatment to improve complex post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in Out of Home Care
more2020
Dr Matt Dun
Dr Bronwyn Berthon
How do fruit and vegetables improve lung function in childhood asthma?
more2019
Eosinophilic Oesophagitis in childhood is associated with chronic heartburn, nausea, vomiting, dysphagia, failure to thrive, food getting stuck in the oesophagus and can result in permanent scarring of the oesophagus. Delays in diagnosis and treatment failure is not uncommon. There is no cure, and no predictor for treatment response has been identified.
moreThe heart is a complex structure designed to help pump blood efficiently around the body. While much is known about how the heart contracts and changes shape, limited attention has been paid to the properties of the blood flowing inside the cardiac chambers.
moreUrinary tract infections are a common cause of bacterial infection, mostly affecting females. These infections can cause long-term damage to the urinary tract, especially when they occur in children.
moreType 1 Diabetes is associated with a significant, on-going health care burden for the individual and the community. While insulin pump therapy will tailor the insulin dose and delivery accordingly, insulin dosing for carbohydrate, fat and protein is significantly more complicated than determining the insulin dose for carbohydrate alone.
more2018
Alice Grady
Internationally, 41 million children aged 0-5 years were overweight or obese in 2016(1). Poor nutrition is one of the most important risk factors for the development of obesity(2). As early childhood is a formative time for developing healthy eating behaviours, population health strategies that support children to eat better are of upmost importance(3).
moreUrinary leakage in the daytime, feeling of urgency to urinate and frequent urination are common and often incapacitating problems in school-aged children. If affects 5-10% of healthy, otherwise normal children and significantly disrupts their day-to-day life and learning.(6,7) This has consequences for mental health and healthy development.
moreAsthma affects one in eight children in Australia and is the leading cause of hospitalisations and emergency visits, with an estimated annual health care cost of more than 24 billion Australian dollars in 2015. Asthma is the most common medical complication in pregnancy and is strongly associated with the development of childhood asthma. ntion strategy for asthma.
more2017
Professor Joerg Mattes
Grow Well Smoke Free: A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial in pregnancy
Co-funded with the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre Grow Up Well
moreDr Vanessa Murphy
Management of asthma during pregnancy, early life nutrition and offspring respiratory outcomes at age 3
Co-funded with the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre Grow Up Well
moreDr Adam Collison
Role of circRNAs in human eosinophilic Oesophagitis - a novel assessment of disease pathogenesis with potential diagnostic and therapeutic benefit
Co-funded with the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre Grow Up Well
moreDr Malcolm Starkey
Understanding the role of Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2s) in paediatric urinary tract infections
Co-funded with the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre Grow Up Well
moreDr Nicole Nathan, A/Prof Luke Wolfenden, Dr Rachel Sutherland, Dr Sze Lin Yoong, Prof John Wiggers
Research indicates that many school-aged children, in particularly girls, are not sufficiently active. Girls are less active than boys with differences beginning from as young as 8 years. Improving physical activity, particularly among girls, has been identified as a public health priority.
moreThe left atrium (LA) is one of the four chambers of the heart. Its primary roles are to act as a holding chamber for blood returning from the lungs and to act as a pump to transport blood to the left ventricle of the heart, after which the blood flows to the body.
moreCancer is the most common cause of childhood disease-related deaths, with leukaemia the most common childhood cancer in Australia. The two most common forms of leukaemia in children are acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Whilst remission is achievable in over 95% of ALL cases, 1/3 of patients will relapse within 5 to 10 years, and these children will not be long-term survivors. AML accounts for 20% of all childhood leukaemias, and the outlook for children diagnosed with AML is much worse, with only approximately half of children surviving for 5 years post-diagnosis.
more2016
Dr Scott Nightingale, Dr Milena Heinsch, Associate Professor Maria Kangas (Macquarie University), Professor Mike Jones (Macquarie University)
Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy, or CBT, is one of the few effective therapies for children with functional abdominal pain. But CBT sessions can be costly and difficult to access, particularly as multiple sessions are required.
moreDr Komal Vora, A/Professor Patricia Crock, Dr Vicki Maltby
HCRF has funded Dr Komal Vora’s study into Prader-Willi Syndrome – a complex genetic disorder that affects development and growth of the child, manifesting as cognitive disability, obesity, short stature and a chronic feeling of hunger.
moreChildren born to mothers with asthma are three times more likely to develop asthma themselves than those with asthmatic fathers, which suggests that a risk factor extends beyond genetics. There is emerging evidence that bacteria in the infant’s gut can impact immune function and contribute to the types of immune responses that are seen in asthma.
more2015
Preterm birth continues to be a major health problem throughout the world.
more2014
Dr Adam Collison, Dr Rani Bhatia
While symptoms of food allergy range from mild to severe, patients with peanut allergy are at the highest risk of a potentially life threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis affecting up to half of all individuals who are allergic to peanut.
more2013
Professor Philip Morgan, David Lubans, Narelle Eather, Alyce Cook
Engaging fathers to improve physical activity levels and social-emotional well-being in their daughters
moreAssociate Professor David Lubans, Ron Plotnikoff, Philip Morgan, Chris Lonsdale, Amanda Baker, Geoff Skinner, Narelle Eather
Children’s screen-time is high. The time that young people spend sedentary, especially the time they spend alone watching television and using computers, is a major public health issue.
moreBronchiolitis is a very common life-threatening virus infection of the terminal airways affecting infants only.
moreDr Vicki Maltby, Associate Professor Patricia Crock, Professor Rodney Scott
The thyroid gland is responsible for the secretion of hormones involved in growth, sleep patterns, and cognitive development.
moreDr Alexis Hure, Associate Professor Deborah Loxton, Catherine Chojenta, Amy Anderson, Melissa Harris
This project will identify maternal health factors (demographic, health bejaviour, physical and mental health, perceived stress and life events) that are risk factors for low birth weight.
moreDr Adam Collison, Dr Rani Bhatia
Six to eight percent of children suffer from clinically relevant food allergy and the prevalence is increasing worldwide(1-3).
more2012
Dr Donald Anderson, Dr Bruce King, Hphelan, Associate Professor P Cook, Mneylan, Carmel Smart
2011
Rebecca Dyson
Dr Donald Anderson, Dr Bruce King, Associate Professor Pcook, Mneylan, Carmel Smart
Dr Rick Thorne, Charles de Bock, Lisa Lincz
Professor Joerg Mattes, Professor Peter Gibson, Professor M.Hensley, Associate Professor B.Whitehead, Dr Vanessa Murphy
2010
Dr Erica James, Lorraine Paras, Phil Morgan, Marita Lynagh
Professor Clare Collins, Carmel Smart, Bruce King, Patrick McElduff
Associate Professor Joerg Mattes, Paul Foster, Bruce Whitehead, Ana Pereira de Siqueira
2009
Associate Professor Clare Collins, Dr Ian Wright
Dr Ian Wright
Professor Caroline Blackwell
2008
Associate Professor Clare Collins, Mrs Carmel Smart, Dr BR King
2007
Professor Patricia Crock
Professor Peter Gibson, Dr BJ Whitehead, Professor M Hensley
2006
Mr Richard Fletcher, Dr DR Keatinge
Dr Clare Collins, Dr J Warren
Dr Ian Wright, Dr VL Clifton
2005
Dr Mark Chorlton, Dr Frini Karayanidis, Prof K Nunn
Professor Patricia Crock
Professor Peter Gibson, Dr B Whitehead, Professor M Hensley
Associate Professor John Stuart, Professor C Blackwell
Dr Michelle Adams, Dr MD Lucock, Associate Professor J Stuart
2004
Dr Frini Karayanidis, Professor P Michie, Professor K Nunn, Mr T Passfield, Mr P Johnston
Professor Gillian Turner, Dr Lynn Banna
Professor Diana Keatinge, Dr C Fowler
Dr Richard Nicholson, Dr BR King
2003
Dr John Stuart, Professor C Blackwell
Dr Tamas Zaka, Dr IMR Wright
Dr G Anderson, Sr E Nunn
Dr Roger Smith, Dr Mick Hunter
2002
Dr Ian Wright, Professor W Giles
Dr Christopher Wake, Dr IMR Wright
Ms A Prigg, Dr G Vimpani
Dr Bruce Whitehead, Dr JM Hilton
Dr Karen Drysdale, Mr W Levick
Dr Karen Drysdale, Mr W Levick
2000
Dr Maree Gleeson
Dr John Wiggers, Ms R Considine
Dr P Jones, Dr Darren Shafren and Dr Peter Gibson
1998
Dr Damien D'wyer, Trish Crock and Roger Smith