University of Newcastle Expands Child Nutrition Program and Advances Spinal Cord Pain Research

newy.com.au – The University of Newcastle is set to broaden its impact on public health through two major research initiatives: an international expansion of its Parents Informing Child Nutrition in Community (PICNIC) program, and a groundbreaking study into spinal cord cells’ role in chronic pain.

Expansion of the PICNIC Child Nutrition Program

The University has secured a $417,000 grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in collaboration with the e-ASIA Joint Research Program to expand the PICNIC project.

Originally implemented in regions such as the Mid North Coast, Central Coast, and Western New South Wales, PICNIC provides free, evidence-based feeding programs to parents and carers of children aged 0-6 years. The initiative offers online group sessions with dietitians, one-on-one support, and an array of website and social media resources.

With this new funding, ten self-directed learning modules will be developed to educate parents on responsive child feeding techniques. While the initial rollout will focus on additional areas within Australia, the program will later extend internationally to Cambodia and Laos.

The expansion involves key collaborations with Helen Keller International in Cambodia and Catholic Relief Services in Laos, with the aim of addressing child malnutrition, reducing nutrient deficiencies, and increasing dietary diversity.

Dr Kerith Duncanson, Senior Research Fellow at the Hunter Medical Research Institute’s (HMRI) Immune Health program, and Mr Richard Ball, founder and manager of PICNIC, are leading the expansion. Dr Duncanson emphasised that cultural adaptation of the modules will be a priority to ensure effectiveness in different regions.

Newcastle University’s Research into Spinal Cord Pain Signals

In a separate research breakthrough, a University of Newcastle research team has secured a $940,000 NHMRC Ideas Grant to investigate how spinal cord cells process and transmit pain signals, a study that could revolutionise chronic pain treatment.

Led by Professor Brett Graham of the Hunter Medical Research Institute’s Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, the research focuses on a specific population of nerve cells located in the spinal dorsal horn—a region at the back of the spinal cord responsible for receiving sensory signals.

By using advanced animal-model genetics and cutting-edge neuroscience techniques, the team aims to determine whether these cells trigger widespread pain sensations. The study’s findings could be a critical step toward developing new pain management therapies, offering hope for millions of people suffering from chronic pain worldwide.

Professor Graham highlighted the significance of this work, noting that despite decades of research, chronic pain treatment remains one of the most significant unmet needs in healthcare. By understanding the mechanisms behind pain processing in the spinal cord, this study aims to pave the way for targeted treatments that could significantly improve patients’ quality of life.