From Seed Funding to National Impact

What began as a Clifford Craig Health Foundation-funded research project in Northern Tasmania has grown into a nationally significant initiative that could transform surgical care across Australia.

Dr Ianthe Boden, Dr Marlena Klaic, Dr Jamie Waterland and Professor Linda Denehy have been awarded $4.8 million through the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Rapid Applied Research Translation Program for the BREATH project.

The funding marks the culmination of more than a decade of research that began in 2012 when Dr Boden received support from the Foundation for the LIPPSMAck POP trial, investigating whether physiotherapy education before surgery could reduce postoperative lung complications.

Since then, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated the benefits of respiratory prehabilitation, helping patients improve their respiratory health before surgery, reducing complications and supporting faster recovery.

The BREATH Study will now take the next step, working to embed respiratory prehabilitation into routine hospital care across Australia.

 The project aims to ensure more patients, including those in rural and regional communities, can access evidence-based care before surgery.

Reflecting on the journey, Dr Boden acknowledges the vital role of early philanthropic support.

"The Clifford Craig Health Foundation's investment helped establish the evidence and momentum that ultimately led to this nationally funded project. We are incredibly grateful to the Foundation and its donors whose support of innovative research continues to create lasting benefits for patients."

This achievement is a powerful example of how donor-funded seed grants can grow into nationally recognised research programs with the potential to improve healthcare outcomes for generations to come.