As a person who has multiple sclerosis and one of the few dietetic-trained MS experts globally, Associate Professor Yasmine Probst knows the importance of diet in managing the disease.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's why Professor Probst rejoiced when she heard University of Wollongong MS researchers had been awarded MS Australia grants totalling more than $400,000.
The bulk of the funding, $390,000 over three years, will fund a Senior Fellowship to Prof Probst from the School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences and the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI).
Prof Probst says she wants to develop evidence-based nutrition resources to share with health professionals, as well as people diagnosed with MS.
"My vision is that people with MS will be able to self-manage their disease safely with changes to their eating that are informed by evidence-based information......I know that the current evidence for nutrition, a recognised lifestyle factor in MS, has limited consistency and quality," she said.
Over the next three years, the grant will help Prof Probst and her team to assist people with MS to self-manage their disease safely with progressive changes to their lifestyle, which are informed by evidence-based information supported by their healthcare team.
One of the tools to be developed will be a dietary tracker for people with MS using images of food to monitor their diet.
Prof Probst is also part of Dr Vivienne Guan's team to be awarded an incubator grant of $24,790, to develop a dietary tracking tool using machine learning.
Dr Guan said tracking of a person's intake at eating occasions is important when formulating tailored dietary advice.
"The symptoms of MS - including fatigue, pain, cognitive decline and mobility restrictions - could make tracking diet a challenge," she said.
"This project will focus on combining various novel models of machine learning with over 17 years of dietetic practice from our research team to develop a state-of-the-art dietary tracking tool."
About 25,600 Australians live with MS, a chronic and debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system.
MS Australia marked its 50th anniversary by awarding $6.9m funding into new research.
"We are at a critical point where we need to supercharge our research efforts.
"By supporting Australian researchers such as the University of Wollongong's Associate Professor Probst and Dr Guan, and their work towards diet and nutrition for both people with MS and healthcare professionals, we have a much greater opportunity to make the big gains in MS that are still so desperately needed," MS Australia CEO Rohan Greenland said.
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Sign up for breaking news emails below ...