Using Big Data To Reduce Inappropriate Medication Use
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Potentially inappropriate medication use both increases patient harm and wastes considerable health resources. However methods for measuring patterns of use are not well developed nor utilised in policy. This research will measure the scope, variation and burden of potentially inappropriate medication use in Australia. My unique combination of biostatistical, data and policy expertise will enable this research to create new actionable tools for evaluating the Australian healthcare system.
Lung disease is a major cause of death and disability world-wide. Tuberculosis was responsible for 1.4 million deaths in 2011. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been high priority diseases in Australia for many years. It was estimated that there were over 3 million deaths attributable to particulate air pollution in 2010. In this Fellowship I will undertake a series of projects designed to improve our understanding of these diseases and their causes.
LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF BEHAVIOUR AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$761,790.00
Summary
Families caring for young people with intellectual disabilities face major burdens of care if the young person also has serious behaviour problems. These behaviour problems are also costly for our community. This project is intended to assist young people and their carers by providing new information about the factors contributing to these behaviour problems and how they develop over time. The project makes use of an internationally unique follow up study which has followed a group of young peop ....Families caring for young people with intellectual disabilities face major burdens of care if the young person also has serious behaviour problems. These behaviour problems are also costly for our community. This project is intended to assist young people and their carers by providing new information about the factors contributing to these behaviour problems and how they develop over time. The project makes use of an internationally unique follow up study which has followed a group of young people aged 4-18 for the last eight years. The young people are now entering a critical age band facing many changes in their lives such as the possibility of independent living, work challenges, as well as a search for new social relationships and day activities in the post-school period. Also they face increased risk for mental health problems which most commonly emerge in this age group, particularly psychosis and depression. This project promises to determine how the young people cope with these challenges and what steps our community needs to make to assist them and their families to reach an optimal adjustment.Read moreRead less
A Longitudinal Study Of Psychopathology In People With Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$999,803.00
Summary
This project will further develop the research opportunities of an internationally unique 15 year follow up study of the mental health of young Australians with ID. We have shown that this group has 2-3 times the risk of suffering serious emotional and behavioural problems that are an added heavy burden on the individual, their family and carers and the community. These problems often are not recognised but are as common as schizophrenia in the community. The study will continue to use a combina ....This project will further develop the research opportunities of an internationally unique 15 year follow up study of the mental health of young Australians with ID. We have shown that this group has 2-3 times the risk of suffering serious emotional and behavioural problems that are an added heavy burden on the individual, their family and carers and the community. These problems often are not recognised but are as common as schizophrenia in the community. The study will continue to use a combination of questionnaire survey and in depth interviews of the young adults and their families or carers to track the course of their mental health. The study commenced in 1990 with nearly 1000 young people with ID aged 4-18 years and their progress has been reviewed every 2-3 years in over 75% of the original group. During the next 5 years we plan to follow their mental health during the critical stage of young adult life. During this time there is the greatest risk of mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia and the stresses of adjusting to new daily occupations, independent living or residential care and social contact away from the family. We will be able to study the specific emotional and behavioural problems faced by young adults with the main known causes of ID such as Down, Fragile X, Prader Willi and William Syndromes, as well as those who have autism. The great benefit of a long term follow up study is that it allows us to study the links between earlier family environmental, psychological and biological factors and subsequent mental health problems. We can also demonstrate the impact that mental illness in a young person with ID has on the family and parental mental health. The findings have implications for better diagnosis, improved care and management, early intervention and prevention of these common severe and under recognized mental health problems in this disadvantaged group of young Australians and their families and carers.Read moreRead less
Clinical Impact Of Clonal Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Cystic Fibrosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,238.00
Summary
In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), the normal defence mechanisms are compromised by an inherent genetic fault which results in an extremely sticky and dehydrated mucus. The respiratory system is unable to eradicate microbes (infection) from the lungs of patients with CF which begin to multiply and cause infection and inflammation. Recurring infections are treated with multiple courses of antibiotics and frequent hospitalisation and eventually result in premature death. This study focuses on ....In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), the normal defence mechanisms are compromised by an inherent genetic fault which results in an extremely sticky and dehydrated mucus. The respiratory system is unable to eradicate microbes (infection) from the lungs of patients with CF which begin to multiply and cause infection and inflammation. Recurring infections are treated with multiple courses of antibiotics and frequent hospitalisation and eventually result in premature death. This study focuses on the major bacterial problem, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Several studies from Australia and the UK, including our own have shown that about 30% to 45% of patients share the same strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa within a centre. We know that two dominant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are found in CF centres on the eastern board of Australia. This is unexpected as this bacterium is usually acquired from the environment. The emergence of these clonal strains is causing increasing anxiety in the CF community. This study is designed to provide vitally needed information on the clinical implications of being infected by an clonal strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the risk factors for the acquisition of an clonal strain. This new information will provide a rationale basis for the need for changes to infection control policies (including patient segregation), better outcome predictors for patients infected with clonal strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Read moreRead less
Milk protein profiling powered by multiplexed single molecule assay. This project aims to develop a novel device, comprising advanced single molecule imaging, microfluidics and immunoassay technologies, for quantification of milk protein variants. Milk quality is central to dairying and variants of proteins in milk affect its market value. No current milk protein detection technologies are readily applied in milk production quality control. This project aims to produce a device that can be used ....Milk protein profiling powered by multiplexed single molecule assay. This project aims to develop a novel device, comprising advanced single molecule imaging, microfluidics and immunoassay technologies, for quantification of milk protein variants. Milk quality is central to dairying and variants of proteins in milk affect its market value. No current milk protein detection technologies are readily applied in milk production quality control. This project aims to produce a device that can be used by milk producers and farms to profile protein variants with high sensitivity in a single test in an hour and screen unwanted protein contamination. The platform also has great potential for detecting other complex and low content analytes. It builds on innovations in nanoparticles and recent industry collaboration.Read moreRead less
Mathematical Modelling For Improved Planning Of Infectious Diseases Control Policy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,750,000.00
Summary
We will develop high-level technical capacity in mathematical modeling of infectious disease transmission and control in Australia, with a focus on research that informs health policy. The aim is to assist Australia to have efficient and effective control strategies and help to prepare us against the threat of emerging infections. Priority areas are vaccination programs, HIV-AIDS, emerging infections and bio-terrorism. Six talented young researchers will be trained by the lead applicant team. To ....We will develop high-level technical capacity in mathematical modeling of infectious disease transmission and control in Australia, with a focus on research that informs health policy. The aim is to assist Australia to have efficient and effective control strategies and help to prepare us against the threat of emerging infections. Priority areas are vaccination programs, HIV-AIDS, emerging infections and bio-terrorism. Six talented young researchers will be trained by the lead applicant team. Together, we will develop a prominent and experienced research team capable of sustaining international quality research into the future. Their work will meet immediate, existing policy needs at state, national and global levels. The program includes the establishment of a Network of Infectious Diseases Modellers of Australia (NIDMA) as a research resource of national expertise, peer support and a means of ongoing communication and collaboration in infectious diseases control. The critical mass of modeling expertise that we create will be sustainable long-term, and will expand to support research concerned with chronic and other non-infectious diseases after the lifetime of the grant.Read moreRead less
Integrated Nanoplatform for Multiomics Analysis of Cell-to-Cell Interaction. This project aims to develop an integrated nanoplatform for analysis of exosomes produced by host-pathogen interaction at the single cell level. This will be accomplished by engineering an innovative device involving plasmonic nanoparticles to probe exosomes molecular profiles over time. The intended outcome is a generic and robust platform for detailed molecular analysis of the consequences of cell-to-cell interactions ....Integrated Nanoplatform for Multiomics Analysis of Cell-to-Cell Interaction. This project aims to develop an integrated nanoplatform for analysis of exosomes produced by host-pathogen interaction at the single cell level. This will be accomplished by engineering an innovative device involving plasmonic nanoparticles to probe exosomes molecular profiles over time. The intended outcome is a generic and robust platform for detailed molecular analysis of the consequences of cell-to-cell interactions. Single cell scale will greatly improve detection accuracy for heterogeneous cell populations. Benefits will include new knowledge of cell-to-cell communication and intellectual property in manufacturing, which will foster collaborations across institutions and Australian industry by providing new technological solutions.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC220100035
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,958,927.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies . The toughest analytical science challenges typically require advanced analytical technologies to acquire the desired solutions. In the field of separation science this inevitably involves hyphenated separation technologies, specifically the combination of chromatography and mass spectrometry. Advancing this technology to its full capability requires the collaborative strength of academic, industry and end-user partnerships, ....ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies . The toughest analytical science challenges typically require advanced analytical technologies to acquire the desired solutions. In the field of separation science this inevitably involves hyphenated separation technologies, specifically the combination of chromatography and mass spectrometry. Advancing this technology to its full capability requires the collaborative strength of academic, industry and end-user partnerships, providing the materials and inspiration for young researchers to apply novel hyphenated methods to complex environmental and industrial systems. This Centre will deliver fundamental developments in hyphenated technologies, new analytical capability, and applied outcomes across multiple end-user groups and interests. Read moreRead less
Creating A Culture Of Safety And Respect: A Controlled, Mixed Methods Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Behavioural Accountability Intervention To Reduce Unprofessional Behaviours
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$875,978.00
Summary
Unprofessional behaviours among health professionals are common and are associated with increased patient dissatisfaction and medicolegal risk. Addressing these behaviours is a national issue. Ethos is a structured accountability system involving a process of early, non-punitive and tiered intervention and will be introduced across four Australian hospitals. This research will be the first controlled study to assess the effectiveness of the Ethos program to improve patient safety in Australia.