Understanding The Contribution Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Culture And Wellbeing To Health: Implementation Of The What Matters 2 Adults Wellbeing Measure
The Centre will enhance Australian clinical immunisation research and training, focussing upon clinical questions with translatable outcomes not easily addressed by industry. Optimal immunisation and interventions to maximise uptake of existing and new vaccines in high risk patient groups, such as children with cancer, immigrants, children with chronic diseases and adolescents will be studied. New vaccine trials, innovative use of existing vaccines, systematic collection of vaccine failure data, ....The Centre will enhance Australian clinical immunisation research and training, focussing upon clinical questions with translatable outcomes not easily addressed by industry. Optimal immunisation and interventions to maximise uptake of existing and new vaccines in high risk patient groups, such as children with cancer, immigrants, children with chronic diseases and adolescents will be studied. New vaccine trials, innovative use of existing vaccines, systematic collection of vaccine failure data, and targeted epidemiology and disease modelling vaccine preventable disease will also allow a broad program of research, enabling training and mentoring of young clinical nurse and physician researchers. Collaborations with existing national immunisation, infectious diseases and research institutions will allow maximal effectiveness of clinical studies.Read moreRead less
Centre Of Research Excellence On Sitting Time And Chronic Disease Prevention – Mechanisms, Measurement And Interventions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,657,874.00
Summary
Australian research has identified serious health consequences arising from the 7 to 10 hours of daily sitting that most people do, especially in relation to ‘diseases of inactivity’ – type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and breast and colon cancer – that are an unwelcome burden on individuals, families and health systems. This new research examines the practical feasibility and the preventive-health benefits of changing children’s and adults’ sitting time in schools, workplaces and the home ....Australian research has identified serious health consequences arising from the 7 to 10 hours of daily sitting that most people do, especially in relation to ‘diseases of inactivity’ – type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and breast and colon cancer – that are an unwelcome burden on individuals, families and health systems. This new research examines the practical feasibility and the preventive-health benefits of changing children’s and adults’ sitting time in schools, workplaces and the home environment.Read moreRead less
Generation Of Protective Immunity Against Severe Influenza Disease In Indigenous Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,630,970.00
Summary
Hospitalisation and death rates from influenza are high in the Indigenous population, especially when a new virus emerges. There is an urgent need for a vaccine that protects against all influenza strains. T cells recognising conserved viral regions elicit such protection. As T cells are restricted by proteins called HLAs, which vary across ethnicities, we will define T cell regions for HLAs prominent in Indigenous Australians and define how to generate protective immunity against influenza.
Reducing Prolonged Workplace Sitting Time In Office Workers: A Cluster-randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,613.00
Summary
Groundbreaking Australian research shows that sitting for too long, which is routine for most office workers, contributes to overweight and to a greater risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. In over 300 desk-bound office workers, this world-first study will assess the effectiveness of an innovative workplace program aimed at reducing and breaking up sitting time. It will identify practical ways for Australian office workers to minimise unhealthy effects of sitting too much at work.
Can Skin Infection With Group A Streptococcus Cause Acute Rheumatic Fever?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,450.00
Summary
It is traditionally taught that the cause of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is always infection of the throat with the bacterium group A streptococcus (GAS). However, in Aboriginal communities of the Top End of the Northern Territory the incidence of ARF is the highest reported in the world, yet GAS is uncommonly isolated from the throat. There is further information to suggest that GAS skin sores may underlie many cases of ARF. If this were proven, it would completely alter the traditional view of ....It is traditionally taught that the cause of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is always infection of the throat with the bacterium group A streptococcus (GAS). However, in Aboriginal communities of the Top End of the Northern Territory the incidence of ARF is the highest reported in the world, yet GAS is uncommonly isolated from the throat. There is further information to suggest that GAS skin sores may underlie many cases of ARF. If this were proven, it would completely alter the traditional view of the cause of ARF, and have important implications for prevention of ARF around the world. Presently, these approaches focus on diagnosing and treating sore throat, but no country has proven that such a program can be successful in substantially reducing new cases of ARF. If it was known that skin infection could lead to ARF, then countries (including Australia) could emphasise the importance of skin health programs. A further benefit of this knowledge would be to influence GAS vaccine development, which presently is largely focused on the prevention of sore throat. A different possibility has recently been raised - that the cause of ARF may not always be GAS, but instead that the related bacteria GCS and GGS may have the potential to cause this disease. Proof of this hypothesis would even more dramatically alter our understanding of disease causation, prevention, and vaccine development. We propose to determine the cause of ARF in Aboriginal communities by regularly swabbing families of people with a history of ARF, and using genetic fingerprinting of the bacteria from the skin and throat swabs. When cases of ARF occur, we will be able to determine the site and type of infection that precipitated the attack. We will conduct a related study in more communities, in which we will swab family members of people with ARF and of control families (without ARF) to determine the bacteria most commonly isolated from ARF families.Read moreRead less
Improving Health Outcomes In Atrial Fibrillation Via Optimal Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF; the most common irregular heart beat seen in medical practice) is becoming increasingly more common, costly and deadly in Australia and worldwide, particularly due to population ageing. The goal of this research is to develop 3 patient assessment tools focussing specifically on AF and improving a patient’s ability to care for themself. Overall, the goal is to make patient care more AF focussed and individual and more likely to result in better long-term health benefits.