Development Of Novel Antibacterial Compounds From Subtilosin A
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$490,724.00
Summary
We aim to overcome a problem that is not being addressed by pharmaceutical companies- i.e., there is an urgent need to develop new classes of antibacterial drugs because of the increasing prevalence of drug resistant bacteria. We will combine genetics, structural biology and chemistry to develop a new class of anti-bacterial drug based on a naturally occurring microbial molecule that is novel in structure and very stable- attributes that make it very different to existing therapeutic approaches.
Population Prevalence And Environmental-genetic Predictors Of Food Allergy In An Infant Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,642.00
Summary
This study will measure which children are at greatest risk of food allergy. We plan to recruit 5000 children to test for food allergies, as well as asking a range of questions on different lifestyle factors such as diet and history of allergies . If positive, participants will be invited to a hospital clinic for tests and treatment. This will allow us to describe the epidemiology of food allergy, and assist the development of better services for those with food allergy in the community.
�Percent Daily Intake� Versus �Equivalent Walking Time�: Making Sense Of The Kilojoules On Food And Drink Labels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$108,350.00
Summary
We have already established through a series of eight qualitative focus groups plus a pilot survey using a convenience sample that the Equivalent Walking Time (EWT) food label is considered more informative, useful, and difficult to ignore than other labelling systems. As such we now seek to test the EWT against other labelling systems in a more objective and robust fashion, using a much larger, representative sample.
Improving Medication Safety In Seniors: A Cross-Jurisdictional Linkage Project
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,717.00
Summary
The project will identify priorities for tackling the current epidemic of hospitalisation of Australians aged 65+ years due to side effects of their medications. Two different groups of medications will be investigated. The first will be the prescribed drugs most often recorded as causes of hospital stay, including those taken to stop blood clotting, for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, for rheumatism or strong pain relief, anti-cancer drugs and steroids. The study will exa ....The project will identify priorities for tackling the current epidemic of hospitalisation of Australians aged 65+ years due to side effects of their medications. Two different groups of medications will be investigated. The first will be the prescribed drugs most often recorded as causes of hospital stay, including those taken to stop blood clotting, for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, for rheumatism or strong pain relief, anti-cancer drugs and steroids. The study will examine which of these drugs taken under what circumstances has the highest risk, so prevention can be better targeted. The study will investigate if adequate laboratory monitoring of the anti- clotting drugs is taking place and whether the guidelines should be updated. The second group will be 68 medications that should be avoided in seniors according to an international expert panel. The research will see how often these 'inappropriate medications' are still prescribed in the Australian setting, and the size of their contributions to unplanned hospital stays. The researchers suspect that this problem is much larger than immediately apparent from routine statistics, because many of the side effects of inappropriate medications are non-specific, such as confusion, drowsiness or difficulty standing up, thus putting seniors at risk of falls and neglect of other aspects of their health. The study will use a unique and new Australian research facility, which has brought together health data on the entire population of WA from both the State and Commonwealth levels, including information on pharmaceuticals, Medicare use, hospital stays and deaths. The facility works in such a way as to preserve patient and GP privacy. A strong feature of this research will be the degree of involvement of a representative and voluntary group of older Australian patients who attend GP clinics, and the GPs themselves, in advising the researchers on what's important to consumers and GPs.Read moreRead less
Physical Activity Restores Energy Homeostasis In Obesity Through Hypothalamic Neurogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,053.00
Summary
The sensing of blood-borne signals by the brain is an important event in regulating appetite and energy expenditure. This sensing is blunted in obesity and contributes to over-eating. The aim of this research is to determine whether the sensing of these blood-borne signals can be restored in obesity by creating new cells in the key appetite controlling centres of the brain. The outcomes of this research will lead to a better understanding of how feeding behaviour can be modified to treat obesity ....The sensing of blood-borne signals by the brain is an important event in regulating appetite and energy expenditure. This sensing is blunted in obesity and contributes to over-eating. The aim of this research is to determine whether the sensing of these blood-borne signals can be restored in obesity by creating new cells in the key appetite controlling centres of the brain. The outcomes of this research will lead to a better understanding of how feeding behaviour can be modified to treat obesity.Read moreRead less
Tracking The Impact Of Drug Regulatory Actions: Consumer Health Outcomes, Risk-benefit Issues And Policy Framework.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,324.00
Summary
This study will explore what happens in the community when a medicine is withdrawn from the market or discredited due to safety concerns. It will examine the impacts of two recent cases of medicine withdrawal or serious long-term safety concern, on a large cohort of women with high utilisation rates who were monitored during the time the medicines were discredited. The study will be an important guide to future regulatory, media and provider responses when medicines are discredited.
A Multi-level Study Of Socioeconomic Status And Healthy Food Purchasing Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$173,492.00
Summary
Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase fo ....Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase foods which are important for long-term health. The reasons for this association, however, remain unclear. Research into the general determinants of food purchasing behaviour shows that food choices are influenced by the intra-personal characteristics of individuals (eg. knowledge and beliefs), interactions between individuals sharing the same context (eg. relations between parents and children), economic and material factors (eg. income, access to a car) and features of the wider physical environment (eg. availability of healthy food and public transport). What is clear from this evidence, is that food choice is influenced by factors which operate at multiple levels. This project aims to collect data simultaneously from each level, and determine whether (and to what extent) factors operating at each level differentially influence the food purchasing behaviours of socioeconomic groups. This study (i) will contribute to our understanding of why socioeconomic groups differ in their health status, (ii) is consistent with the goals and recommendations of numerous government reports, each of which calls for a a reduction in health inequalities, (iii) represents a methodological advance on previous research, and (iv) will generate the information necessary to develop innovative and appropriately targeted health promotion and health education campaigns.Read moreRead less
A Sham-controlled Study Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) As A Treatment For Depression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,154.00
Summary
This study tests the effectiveness and safety of a potential new treatment for depression, which involves mild stimulation of the brain, given through pads placed on the scalp. There is no anaesthetic or seizure and the treatment is painless. The treatment is given on an outpatient basis, three times per week, for 10 sessions, each session taking approximately half an hour. If found to be effective and safe, this new treatment could be an alternative to antidepressant medication.