Dr Hayley Stannard and Associate Professor Joanne Connolly $650,000. Application led by Associate Professor Susan Hua at University of Newcastle.
Investigating veterinary nanotechnology to treat sarcoptic mange in wombats. This project aims to develop improved antiparasitic formulations to treat wombats with sarcoptic mange. Sarcoptic mange is a major parasitic disease of Australian wildlife that has particularly devastated the wombat population. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of veterinary medicine and pharmacology using innovative pharmaceutical approaches. Expected outcomes of this project are improved antiparasitic formulations that can effectively treat sarcoptic mange infected wombats, without the need to capture or handle the animals. This should provide significant benefits for wildlife conservation and animal health at a national and global scale and may be adapted for the treatment of other infectious diseases.