Angela McAvoy Research Scholarship
In recognition of the pioneering work of Angela McAvoy AM who founded Crohn’s & Colitis Australia (CCA), a Research Scholarship of $25,000 per year for 3 years is offered in 2019 with commencement in early 2020.
The purpose of this Scholarship is to foster the development of a health professional or scientist in clinical research into inflammatory bowel disease in Australia. Funds to support this scholarship were entirely raised by CCA through donations from people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) their family friends and public donors supporting them.
2019 Recipient
CCA is pleased to announce that the 2019 Angela McAvoy Research Scholarship has been awarded to Dr Chu Kion (CK) Yao, an experienced research dietitian from Monash University.
Despite growing research suggesting that diet plays a major role in causing ulcerative colitis and symptoms of pouchitis, there is very little research on how dietary strategies can be used effectively as treatment for patients.
This study will aim to determine if a whole diet approach using a 4-SURE (4-strategies for a Sulphide-Reducing) diet that we have designed and supplied to people with mildly flaring ulcerative colitis or pouchitis can: improve symptoms; reduce inflammation in the large bowel/pouch; effectively reduce bacterial sulphur gas production and be well tolerated compared to a control diet.
This study, if successful, could lead to a new treatment pathway for people with ulcerative colitis and pouchitis.
Previous Recipients
DR ANTONINA MIKOCKA-WALUS
CCA’s inaugural $150,000 Angela McAvoy AM Fellowship was awarded to Dr Antonina Mikocka-Walus in 2009 for her study into whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can improve the psychological and clinical outcomes in IBD.
Her research found that CBT was effective in reducing the number of people with poor coping with IBD at six and 12 months and increasing the number of people who are confident in actively managing the disease at 12 months.
IBD UNIT, MONASH MEDICAL CENTRE
In November 2012, CCA awarded the second Angela McAvoy Research Fellowship to the IBD Unit of Monash Medical Centre and Monash University to undertake a study entitled Mesenteric Fat, Adipocytokines and Sarcopenia in Crohn’s Disease, with Dr Gregory Moore as lead researcher.
With increasing numbers of overweight and obese individuals in the Crohn’s population, the study aims to identify the role that visceral fat and its metabolic and immunological effects have on Crohn’s disease and identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers to predict more severe disease.