Dr Jessica Maclean has been awarded a Thrombosis and Haemostasis society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ) Scientific & Education Trust Grant to further investigate novel antiplatelet strategies to enhance stroke treatment.
Cardiovascular disease, which includes stroke, is a leading cause of death and disability in Australia and the world. Despite this, there is only one drug available to treat stroke caused by blood clots. This treatment, thrombolysis, has a range of side effects that means less than 15 per cent of stroke sufferers are eligible to receive it – leaving 85 per cent with limited options.
Dr Maclean’s research aims to address this significant unmet clinical need. Using a novel model of stroke she developed, Dr Maclean will investigate the use of current and novel antiplatelet targets in conjunction with existing treatments to safely remove blood clots and restore blood flow in stroke.
“The ultimate goal of this important research is to improve stroke therapy and make treatment available to all stroke sufferers,” says Dr Maclean.
On this global project, Dr Maclean works with the Thrombosis Group at HRI led by Professor Shaun Jackson and including Associate Professor Simone Schoenwaelder and Mr Ben Hofma, alongside Dr Xuyu Liu, a medicinal chemist leading the Cardiovascular-protective Signalling and Drug Discovery Unit at HRI and Professor Pierre Mangin of the University of Strasbourg, France.
“I am extremely grateful to the THANZ Society for their generous support of this exciting work,” says Dr Maclean.
“Funding like this is a fantastic boost for early career researchers, as it enables the exploration of creative new research ideas that could contribute to better treatments for cardiovascular disease.”
Dr Maclean was also recently awarded a NSW Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN) Professional Development Award to attend a Cert IV in Leadership and Management. This course will provide valuable training in leadership and mentorship, which Dr Maclean will apply to her research career.