Depression, the most common mental illness worldwide, is a significant and growing public health issue causing a high economic burden for society. Depression is further associated with a high risk of suicide and suicidal ideation.
Dr Aleksandra Miljevic, a postdoctoral researcher at WA’s Perron Institute, has received funding from the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund to identify and implement a personalised mental health model of care for young people with suicide ideation and depressive disorders.
The FHRI Fund Translation Fellowships – Burden of Disease and Genomics program granted Dr Miljevic a three-year fellowship valued at almost $600,00 to build an evidence base for non-pharmacological treatments.
Dr Miljevic’s work will involve innovative, translational research in individuals with suicide ideation and depression, investigating the relationship between changes in the brain, symptom presence and treatment response using non-invasive brain stimulation known as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The research will also use genetic screening in the hopes of identifying key genetic markers to better predict treatment outcomes.
“In my role at the Perron Institute, I am privileged to work with and learn from experts in preclinical, clinical, and pharmacogenetic research in this and related fields.
“The focus of this funding is on increasing access to and establishing efficacy of other treatment options for youth, especially given the association between increased suicide ideation and medication.
“Recognising the variance in response to therapies, the aim is to improve the time it takes to reach an appropriate treatment for depression by erasing the trial-and-error process often involved in care.
“The approach envisaged involves pre-prescription genetic screening which could, in turn, reduce the personal and economic cost of treatment,” Dr Miljevic explained.
Other researchers part of the team are Professor Jenny Rodger (Perron Institute and UWA), Professor Anthony Akkari (Perron Institute and Personalised Medicine Centre at Murdoch University) and Professor Paul Croarkin (Mayo Clinic).
The Future Health Research and Innovation Fund is a WA Government initiative to provide a secure source of funding to drive health and medical research, innovation and commercialisation and through these activities, improve the health and prosperity of all Western Australians.
L-R Dr Aleksandra Miljevic and Dr Jamie Beros with the TMS machine in the Perron Institute Clinic