Impact Of Sleep In Pregnancy On Maternal And Child Weight-related Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
The project aims to reduce obesity in future generations by understanding the link between sleep in pregnancy and weight-related health outcomes (diet, weight gain, body composition, glucose tolerance). Results will enable the development of sleep guidelines for pregnancy and an intervention to optimise health. This will inform pregnant women, health professionals and future obesity prevention policies on the effects of poor sleep on diet, metabolism and adiposity during pregnancy and beyond.
A Multiple Health Behaviour Approach To Prevent Common And Emerging Risk Factors For Chronic Disease: Development And Evaluation Of A Novel Online Intervention For Australian Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Chronic disease is the major cause of death in Australia. This fellowship will develop and evaluate the first online program to simultaneously target the “Big 6” risk factors for chronic disease: smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol use, poor diet, sedentary behaviour and unhealthy sleep among adolescents. This program not only has the potential to improve the health of young Australians, but also to make a substantial public health impact by reducing the incidence of chronic disease.
Healthy Lifestyle Profiles: An Integrated Approach To Improving Population Health In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
The proposed study will examine the clustering of health-related behaviours (e.g. smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity) among Australians. Through this integrated and sequenced program of research I will develop methodologies for quantifying profiles of health behaviours; examine distributions and temporal trends of behavioural profiles by socio-demographic characteristics, geographic locations, and environmental attributes; and examine the long-term health outcomes of lifestyle profiles.
Prevalence Of Genital HPV Infection In Males Following Introduction Of Universal Male HPV Vaccination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,891.00
Summary
As Australia is the first and only country to implement a free universal school based male human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program (in 2013), this project has the unique opportunity to be first to study to assess the effectiveness of the male HPV vaccination program in Australia by measuring a change in the prevalence of HPV among young (aged 17-20) heterosexual and homosexual men following the implementation of the vaccination program.
Targeting Depression For The Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): The Role Of Diet In Risk Reduction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,860.00
Summary
Traditionally, efforts to prevent people from developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) like heart disease have focused on reducing smoking and alcohol intake and improving physical activity and diet. There is now evidence that having depression might also lead to CVD and that unhealthy eating might contribute to this relationship. This research will determine whether targeting people with depression and improving their mood through healthy eating ultimately reduces their CVD risk.
Population Level Approaches To Addressing Chronic Disease Risk Behaviours Among People With Mental Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
This Fellowship will explore large scale population approaches to addressing chronic disease health behaviour risks among people with a mental illness. The program will identify: the effectiveness of approaches to increase the provision of chronic disease prevention care in mental health services, and strategies to improve the effectiveness of existing population based telephone behaviour change services for people with a mental illness.
Generating Credible Evidence For Health Care Decision Making: Advancing Methods For Evidence Synthesis And Meta-analysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,476.00
Summary
Systematic reviews often underpin recommendations in guidelines and are therefore critical to the translation of research evidence into practice. However, weaknesses in the conduct of reviews can yield biased results, which may lead to patients receiving ineffective or harmful treatments. During my fellowship I will develop and evaluate novel methods to assess and adjust for bias in reviews, to improve the credibility of evidence needed to make well-informed choices about health care.
Better Use Of Established Medications For The Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,768.00
Summary
My PhD research showed that placing several heart protection drugs into one pill helped many more people take these drugs. I am now looking at the best way to use ‘polypills’ in ‘real-life’. I will identify what is preventing use of polypills, in a country where they are currently available. I will examine new strategies that promote identifying patients who are eligible for polypills. I will also investigate whether the same concept can be used to improve blood pressure control.
Applied Research In The Prevention And Control Of Infections In The Hospital Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$174,434.00
Summary
Hospital infections result in increased: (1) length of stay; (2) costs to the healthcare system and individual and (3) morbidity/mortality. Vaccination and hand hygiene are both proven infection control practices. However, compliance rates are still less than ideal. I will study how a new innovative method impacts on uptake of both. Barriers to masks as an infection control strategy will also be examined, as they are one of the few strategies that can be guaranteed to be available in a pandemic.
Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Future Tobacco Control Strategies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,112.00
Summary
This research will evaluate promising new strategies to reduce the harm caused by tobacco, the leading preventable cause of premature death in Australia. This includes evaluation of general population-based strategies, such as public smoking bans, and interventions to help smokers quit smoking, such as new cessation aids and long-term maintenance on pharmaceutical nicotine or low-nitrosamine smokeless tobacco.