Researcher spotlight: Dr Guy Cameron

Changing the way we treat otitis media in children

Dr Guy Cameron, a proud Wailwan* man, is leading groundbreaking research to improve ear health outcomes for children, particularly those from Indigenous communities. As a researcher based at the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, his work targets one of the most common childhood conditions in Australia: otitis media.

“My work focuses on improving ear health, particularly for children affected by chronic and recurrent middle ear infections,” Dr Cameron says. “These infections lead to a condition called otitis media that causes pus to build up behind the eardrum, causing pain and deafness in kids.”

Otitis media is more commonly known as the disease that requires grommets to be inserted in children’s ears. It can cause deafness and lead to significant learning difficulties and social issues that continue throughout life.

“My passion lies in ensuring that all kids, particularly those from Indigenous backgrounds, have access to improved healthcare and treatments for diseases like otitis media, helping them reach their full potential.”

Life outside the lab

In his downtime, Dr Cameron leads an active lifestyle and remains engaged with his local community.

“I enjoy spending time being active at the gym or running, or with my family, including my two fur babies.”

He is involved in several initiatives such as the Wukul Yabang community panel and the Indigenous student engagement committee. These programs support excellence in Aboriginal health and research.

Overcoming research barriers thanks to HCRF

Thanks to generous funding from the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation (HCRF), Dr Cameron and his team are now overcoming a long-standing challenge in ear disease research: the lack of relevant, human-based models to study infection.

“Funding will help me to develop a cell model of the human middle ear,” he explains. “This model will be used to better understand how infections form in kid’s ears, how the ear cells respond to infections that cause disease, and why some kids experience severe, long-term illness. Ultimately, it will help develop and test better treatments.”

Until now, there has been a lack of human-relevant models to study how bacteria interact with the middle ear environment. Research has been done using non-human models or models that don’t fully replicate the unique biology of human cells in the middle ear environment.

“Thanks to HCRF, we can now establish this model using samples from local children, ensuring our research is directly relevant to the communities we serve.”

Supporting the next generation

This support has given Dr Cameron and his team the time and resources to focus on such an important project, particularly at a time when funding for early-stage ideas can be difficult to secure.

The pilot data from this project is expected to make the team more competitive for major national grants, including those from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), allowing the research to expand further.

This project also forms part of a broader research initiative, and Dr Cameron is passionate about using this opportunity to mentor scientists and clinicians early in their careers who are working in innovative ear disease research.

“This grant has allowed me to continue my work in kids ear disease, ensuring that we can build long-term solutions rather than just treating the symptoms of the problem. By better understanding the biology of otitis media, I hope to develop new, targeted treatments that reduce the need for repeated grommet surgeries and antibiotics, leading to healthier kids and families.”

Looking ahead

This important work will soon be showcased on the national and international stage, including presentations at the National Otitis Media Conference (OMOZ) and the International Society for Otitis Media (ISOM). Further strengthening Australia’s role in advancing global ear health research.

“Already we have made connections with renown clinician researchers from the US who are excited by our work and interested in mentoring us through their experience with related models and are very interested in learning from us about these new models which we are creating.”

Reflecting on the journey so far, one thing is certain:

“This is just the beginning, and I’m incredibly grateful to HCRF for believing in this project. Their support is helping us transform children’s ear disease research and improve health outcomes for generations to come.”

*The Wailwan nation is situated within New South Wales and encompasses the towns of Brewarrina, Coonabarabran and Coonamble