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$9M funding to power mental health with AI
Youth mental health organisation Orygen and the University of Melbourne have secured A$14 million ($9 million) in funding from global charitable foundation Wellcome to develop an AI-enabled digital mental health platform for young people.
The project will upgrade Orygen's existing Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) platform into MOST-Nexus, incorporating AI-driven personalisation to tailor clinical support while continuing to combine evidence-based therapy, peer support, remote clinical care, and vocational support across participating services.
MOST is already integrated into more than 400 youth mental health services in Australia, and the project's second phase will adapt and evaluate MOST-Nexus in the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain as part of plans for international deployment.
First-in-human trial tests low-intensity ultrasound brain stimulation in Alzheimer's
University of Queensland researchers have reported that a scanning ultrasound approach for Alzheimer's disease was safe and well-tolerated in a first-in-human pilot study conducted in Australia.
The pilot involved 12 people with Alzheimer's disease receiving different levels of ultrasound stimulation using a purpose-built device developed by UQ Queensland Brain Institute researchers with design and engineering teams. The study focused on safety rather than efficacy.
The findings, published in Brain Communications, support plans for a larger follow-on clinical trial to further evaluate the technique after caregivers reported early behavioural changes in some participants.
Onco doc platform bags $17M Series B funding
Sydney-based radiation oncology software company Lumonus has raised A$25 million ($17 million) in a Series B funding round led by Aviron Investment Management, with continued participation from Oncology Ventures.
It said in a media release that the new funds will support expansion into the United States and client success efforts. It will also fund the development of its AI-powered platforms for oncologists and treatment planning, and investment in clinical informatics capabilities.
Lumonus claims that its AI platform is already being integrated into routine clinical care by health systems in the United States, Australia, and Europe.
