11/06/2026
A/Prof Kathy Zhu was a Discovery Grant Award Winner in 2025, receiving $30,000 from Charlies Foundation for Research towards her project on how to improve bone loss predictions in those at risk of Osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a common, chronic condition where bones become less dense, lose minerals like calcium and become more fragile, putting people with osteoporosis at risk of breaking bones more easily. Symptoms of osteoporosis are often absent until a fracture appears, making understanding of fracture risk crucial.
Kathy’s research involves using data from dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA) reports to build a program that extracts and compiles information into a structured database.
DXA reports are essential in both diagnosing and managing osteoporosis, providing an accurate assessment of bone mineral density at multiple sites.
"We then analyse how individual and combined clinical risk factors influence the rate of bone mineral density decline, therefore advancing understanding of fracture risk," she said.
"These findings will help clinicians to identify patients with clusters of risk factors linked to faster bone loss. Ultimately, the tools developed could be integrated into clinical workflows to support more proactive osteoporosis care," Kathy said.
The findings will enable earlier intervention, more targeted monitoring and personalised treatment strategies, with research set to help identify high-risk patients, helping prevent fractures and preserve independence and quality of life.
"At a system-wide level, it will reduce hospitalisations, long-term care needs and healthcare costs," Kathy said.
The Charlies Foundation for Research team wish Kathy all the best with her ongoing research and are extremely grateful on behalf of Western Australian’s who will benefit from this research in such a vital area of health care.
North Metropolitan Health Service
