TRI researcher Dr Jake Begun has been awarded a $50,000 Ferring Innovation Grant to research a novel way to deliver anti-inflammatory proteins to help sufferers of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). 
 
Dr Begun was awarded this funding to test the concept of placing an anti-inflammatory protein in a nano-particle that could be included within a pill. Currently these types of medications can only be administered by injection.
 
“There is currently there is no way for people who suffer from IBD to take this type of medicine orally to assist with inflammation, because it gets digested before they reach the gut,” he said.
 
“I am looking forward to researching this new way of drug delivery for people suffering the effects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease that would help avoid the need for injections and the related side effects.”
 
Research into this concept has already started, and Dr Begun will present his research to Ferring in mid-2015.
 
Dr Begun has also been awarded the Reginald Ferguson Fellowship in Gastroenterology to fund clinical research into adolescents with IBD and translational research into its causes. 
 
The Reginald Ferguson Fellowship was awarded by The University of Queensland for research exploring barriers of IBD care in adolescents and as well as for translational research establishing a Mater IBD Biobank to help explore the functional implications of individual genetic differences associated with the disease.
 
Dr Begun said that the fellowship will allow him to devote protected research time to complement the work he does in-hospital to treat patients with IBD.
 
“I’m particularly excited to be investigating innovative models of IBD care in adolescents because they are often treated as children or as adults, and do not have a devoted method of of care,” he said.