Southern Cross University researcher Dr Alana Gall has been awarded an Investigator Grant of more than $640,000 to lead a research program focused on First Peoples' Cultural Medicines (also called bush medicine) in Australian healthcare.

The latest round of the prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Investigator Grants scheme, funded by the Federal government, is worth $422 million.

Dr Gall’s project spans two key areas. The first is embedding Cultural Medicines into Australian health policies to improve cultural safety, health and wellbeing. The second is to protect Cultural Medicine knowledge through research that informs research and development in drug discovery, regulation and intellectual property, to realise the self-determination of First Peoples and their communities.

“Despite initiatives, including Closing the Gap, disparities persist in health outcomes for First Nations peoples. We need to focus on community-driven solutions that align with First Peoples’ ways of knowing, being and doing,” said Dr Gall.

“This encompasses plant medicines, native foods, healing ceremonies, spiritual medicine, Traditional Healers, and both the tangible and intangible healing aspects of Country.”

With the boom in recent years of products based on native Australian plants and traditional knowledge, Cultural Medicines face the double dilemma of misleadingly being regulated as a food or appropriated for commercial profit with minimal or no benefits returned to the community.

“We need to make sure Cultural Medicines are appropriately regulated for the health and safety of all Australians and that First Nations Intellectual Property is protected from biopiracy,” said Dr Gall.

Dr Gall’s project has the backing of three major partners: the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).

About the Investigator Grant Scheme

The Investigator Grant is NHMRC’s largest funding scheme and plays a critical role in supporting the Australian health and medical research sector by providing a salary (if required) and a significant research support package.

It’s the third time in the history of the scheme that women researchers will receive more funding overall.

NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh congratulated all researchers who were successful in the 2025 funding round.

“NHMRC funds investigator-led research where Australia’s highest performing health and medical researchers set out to achieve ambitious goals of improving the health and wellbeing of the Australian community,” he said.