Dr Chew studies the nematode - or C.elegans - worm in her research, in order to better understand what causes chronic pain in humans and further, how it can best be managed and treated.

"With chronic pain there's a really critical biological process that happens that leads to the sensitisation of pain-sensing cells in our brain," she said.

"When those cells become more sensitive, every time we feel a painful sensation it feels a little more painful so a person's threshold for sensing pain changes, ultimately leading to the development of chronic pain.

"To understand why that happens, we need to look at how specific cells of the brain talk to each other. To do that we need to look at a model that has a small and easily accessible number of brain cells.

"Humans have 100 billion brain cells; a mouse has 100 million; a worm has 302 brain cells. So to answer a complex problem in a complex brain, we first have to ask questions in a simple brain where the answers are accessible."

Dr Chew, aka Dr Worm, has worked intensively on this project since 2015 - first at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, and now at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute and Molecular Horizons Research Institute at the University of Wollongong.

She was one of four IHMRI and UOW researchers to share in $4.8 million in funding through the newly established National Health and Research Council Investigator Grant scheme.

"My previous research identified that particular neurochemicals called neuropeptides are required for sensitisation of pain-sensing cells," she said.

"This new grant (of $639,750) will help me further tease out the specific signals, giving insight into the best strategies for the management and treatment of chronic pain.

"Current therapeutics have limited effectiveness and some, such as opioids, can lead to unpleasant side effects and addiction."

Dr Chew said with three million Australians suffering with chronic pain, such research was vital to gain more knowledge around the onset and duration of persistent pain.

Also successful in the first round of the NHMRC Investigator Grants was Professor Tony Okely, director of research at the University of Wollongong's Early Start. Prof Okley was awarded $2 million for a project to promote physical activity - and reduce sedentary behaviour - in children.

Meantime Professor Xu-Feng Huang, from the School of Medicine, will use a $1.5 million grant to further investigate the cause of schizophrenia, and find better treatment options.

And lifestyle and health researcher Dr Monique Francois - also from the School of Medicine - secured $639,750 for her work which aims to prevent diabetes in pregnant women.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt last week announced the funding, part of the government's $440 million investment in world-leading health and medical research projects.

Mr Hunt said the funding would give researchers the flexibility to undertake groundbreaking research, that would lead to significant advances in the health of all Australians.