HMRI researchers Dr Jonathan Paul and Dr Marina Paul, who met and married while working at HMRI, are about to undertake their biggest joint project: parenthood.

HMRI researchers Dr Jonathan Paul and Dr Marina Paul, who met and married while working at HMRI, are about to undertake their biggest joint project: parenthood.

The couple is days away from welcoming their first child, a boy who will be named Winter.

This comes hot on the heels of Dr Jonathan Paul being awarded a $2.59 million NHMRC Investigator grant to leverage uterine-targeted nanoparticles for preventing preterm birth.

The timing of the funding announcement couldn’t have been better.

Jonathan says it gives him five years of a secure salary to continue his work, as well as $400,000 per annum to cover research costs as well as two PhD stipends.

“It’s the Holy Grail,” he says,

Dr Marina Paul says that because of their shared expertise in preterm birth, the couple was very mindful of all the things that could go wrong with the pregnancy.

“Jonathan would sit me down every week and take my blood pressure to check for pre-eclampsia,” says Marina.

“We’re researchers so we research everything. I’ve spent a lot of time reading PubMed articles to find the best data on everything from formula to birthing practices,” she says.

Jonathan says that while the NHMRC funding is a huge boon to his work, he wants to specifically acknowledge the support of Sarah Longes and Dean Mumm from BorneHMRI.

“It was their donation that kept the nanoparticle work going. It funded the microfluidics equipment and helped keep our heads above water.”

“Without them, I would never have made it this far,” says Jonathan.

Sarah and Dean founded BorneHMRI because they tragically lost four babies to preterm birth. They are now active ambassadors and fundraisers for this cause.

Beyond the immense support of BorneHMRI, Jonathan also credits HMRI’s philanthropy team, a Gene and Cell Therapy Early-Mid Career Research Grant and a PhD Scholarship Grant from the NSW Ministry of Health, and an NHMRC Ideas grant for supporting his research, as well as his mentors, Distinguished Laureate Professor Roger Smith and Professor Tamas Zakar.

“I want to reassure mothers who have been affected by preterm birth that we know how devastating it is, and that we are working hard on finding a solution,” says Jonathan.