La Trobe University Leads โฃResearchโ into Post-Viral Illnesses, Starting with Long COVID
A collaborative research team led โby โDistinguished Professor Stephanie gras, Deputy Director of the Trobeโ Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) atโ La Trobe University, is investigating the underlying mechanisms โof post-viral diseases with the aim of developing newโ therapeutic treatments. The research will initially focus on Long โคCOVID, but findings are expected to beโฃ applicable to conditionsโ like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndromeโ (ME/CFS) adn Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
The project is driven โฃby the notable impact ofโ post-viral illnesses in Australia: an estimated one inโ ten Australians who contracted COVID-19 now experience Long COVID, and approximately 250,000 Australians liveโ with ME/CFS.Professor Gras believes that Long COVID presents a unique prospect forโ research due to the detailed data available – includingโฃ infection dates, symptom timelines, vaccination status, and treatment histories – meticulously recorded by those affected.
A โkey component of the researchโค is the direct involvement of individuals with lived experienceโ of Long COVID, ME/CFS, and MS, ensuring the study โคconsiders โฃthe nuances of each conditionโ and โpotential shared characteristics. Professor Gras โฃhighlighted the potential forโ transferable knowledge, โฃstating, “As the symptomsโข are similar between multiple post-viral infection diseases, ther’s โa good chance that some mechanisms are also shared. What we learn with Long COVID shouldโ be transferable to other diseases.”
The โคresearch aims to identify biomarkers for theseโฃ diseases and test potentialโ treatments, ultimately seeking to improve health outcomes for individuals experiencing debilitating symptomsโ ranging from โpersistent coughs toโค severe mobilityโ limitations.La Trobe’s deputy Vice-Chancellor Research โคandโฃ innovation,โ Professor Chris Pakes, praised the work โฃas aโข prime example of the university’s โcommitment to โคcutting-edgeโ medical research.โข He stated โฃtheโ Center of Research Excellence (CRE) has the potential to โ”improve โฃhealth outcomes acrossโค the globe.”
The CRE is a partnership between La Trobe University, University of Queensland,โ Monash University, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Walterโข and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Murdoch University, Griffith โฃUniversity and Deakin University, and is supportedโ by the NHMRC Centres of โResearch Excellence scheme.
Professor Gras is also the Convenor of the Long COVID 2025 conference, a virtual event taking place on September 12th. Further details can be found at http://www.longcovid2025.com.
Media Enquiries: media@latrobe.edu.au