New collaboration with the Bennelong Foundation
In 2005, the Gutsy Group received the commissioned study of the impact of colitis and Crohn’s disease in Australia from leading health economist at Melbourne University, Associate Professor Rob Carter. That very detailed report identified large gaps in our current knowledge about how common both illnesses are in Australia and about the economic and social impact of the illnesses on sufferers. On the advice of its Scientific Advisory Committee, the Board of the Gutsy Group therefore decided that it should commission further research to fill these gaps in our knowledge.
As the research funds available were limited, we made a formal submission to another charitable foundation, the Bennelong Foundation and that application has been successful. As a result, the Bennelong Foundation has awarded $40,000 spread over two years to a group of researchers based at Melbourne University (A/Prof Rob Carter), Monash University (Prof John McNeill) and St Vincent’s Hospital (Dr Bill Connell). The group will employ a clinically trained research fellow to work closely with gastroenterologists in the Geelong area to undertake a prospective study of how commonly new instances of colitis and Crohn’s disease are occurring in that population. The research will also study the economic and social costs of the illnesses in a large group of sufferers attending the IBD Clinic at St Vincent’s Hospital.
As part of the submission to the Bennelong Foundation, the Gutsy Group has agreed to match the Bennelong research funds dollar for dollar for the same two years.
Click here to visit the Bennelong Foundation website.
