Fellowships support important perioperative clinical trials
The ANZCA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) congratulates Dr Doug Campbell and Professor Paul Myles on receiving prestigious research fellowships supporting major programs of perioperative and stroke research.
The fellowships provide protected research time and support to advance important clinical trials aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Dr Doug Campbell
Dr Doug Campbell has been appointed as the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Senior Clinical Research Fellow for the next five years.
The fellowship will support Dr Campbell to advance a program of research translating promising neuroprotective strategies and treatment adjuncts into Phase one, two and three clinical trials for patients with ischaemic stroke.
A Phase 2b trial investigating localised head cooling is currently recruiting, while a follow-up study to the recently completed MASTERSTROKE trial is expected to commence later in 2026.
A key focus of the research program is identifying simple, effective treatments that can be administered very early in the ischaemic period. This is particularly important for patients in regional and remote areas of Australia and New Zealand, who may face prolonged interhospital transfers before reaching centres that provide reperfusion treatments.
Professor Paul Myles
Professor Paul Myles has received a Level 3 NHMRC Investigator Grant of $A3,035,320 over five years for his research program, Leading Global High-Impact Perioperative Clinical Trials.
A major focus of the fellowship will be building a world-first perioperative adaptive Bayesian platform trial (PROMPT). The first domain is a pragmatic randomised trial comparing high (80 per cent) versus lower (30 per cent) intraoperative inspired oxygen concentrations in 7,800 patients undergoing major surgery, with the aim of reducing serious infections and other major postoperative complications.
The platform is designed to provide an ongoing trial infrastructure into which future domains and treatment comparisons can be seamlessly incorporated, enabling multiple important perioperative research questions to be investigated efficiently over time.
The NHMRC Investigator Grant scheme is its flagship investigator-led funding scheme, providing outstanding researchers with salary support, where required, and research support over five years. The scheme is designed to give investigators flexibility to pursue important new research directions, develop collaborations and undertake innovative research programs.
The CTN congratulates Doug and Paul on these significant achievements and looks forward to following the progress and impact of their research.
