Centre Of Research Excellence In Medicines Intelligence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence is a co-ordinated research program that will accelerate the development and translation of evidence on prescribed medicines use and outcomes for regulators and payers. The CRE is perfectly placed to embrace the national ‘call to action’ from the Health Minister's recent announcement to establish Quality Use of Medicine Safety as a National Health Priority.
Activation Of BMP4 Signalling To Inhibit Breast Cancer Metastasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$748,742.00
Summary
The spread of cancer cells to other organs is a common cause of breast cancer-related death in women. Current therapies for advanced breast cancer are often palliative since the secondary tumours become resistant to the chemotherapy. Here, we are using preclinical models of advanced breast cancer to develop a treatment that should be effective in patients with secondary tumours and should reduce the risk of dying of this disease.
Policy frameworks and market/non-market activity of young and older adults . The project intends to compare the social and economic participation of young adults and older people across nations to reveal best practice policy in engaging both ends of the age spectrum in productive activity. Population ageing has implications for the wellbeing and prosperity of both the older and younger generations. This project intends to investigate how contemporary young adults and older people spend their tim ....Policy frameworks and market/non-market activity of young and older adults . The project intends to compare the social and economic participation of young adults and older people across nations to reveal best practice policy in engaging both ends of the age spectrum in productive activity. Population ageing has implications for the wellbeing and prosperity of both the older and younger generations. This project intends to investigate how contemporary young adults and older people spend their time in productive activities across countries with contrasting policy frameworks. This may yield important policy-relevant information for Australia on how to both protect the old and invest in the young, while balancing financial sustainability and the principles of social justice and fairness.Read moreRead less
Creating and sustaining a strong future for volunteering in Australia. This project seeks to answer the question of how to increase social participation by converting non-volunteers to the benefits of volunteering. In Australia today, communities and governments are increasingly dependent on volunteers to build social capital and deliver an increasing range of services. A world first, this project aims to create new theory by examining three levels of analysis: the micro level of the individual ....Creating and sustaining a strong future for volunteering in Australia. This project seeks to answer the question of how to increase social participation by converting non-volunteers to the benefits of volunteering. In Australia today, communities and governments are increasingly dependent on volunteers to build social capital and deliver an increasing range of services. A world first, this project aims to create new theory by examining three levels of analysis: the micro level of the individual volunteer or non-volunteer; the mezzo level of the volunteer-involving organisation; and the macro level of society. This innovative approach aims to identify, analyse and develop a tool to help organisations build Australia’s civil society and develop policy to create a sustainable volunteer sector into the future.Read moreRead less
Transitions of mobility and parking. Transitions of mobility and parking. This project aims to understand the role of parking in mobility, urban consolidation and transit-oriented development. Does parking supply affect travel demand, car ownership, and ultimately urban quality of life? New transitions and trends in land-use and transport, including car-sharing and automated vehicles, and the revival of urban living, raise important questions about the redesign and reuse of urban space. This pro ....Transitions of mobility and parking. Transitions of mobility and parking. This project aims to understand the role of parking in mobility, urban consolidation and transit-oriented development. Does parking supply affect travel demand, car ownership, and ultimately urban quality of life? New transitions and trends in land-use and transport, including car-sharing and automated vehicles, and the revival of urban living, raise important questions about the redesign and reuse of urban space. This project aims to give policy-makers an evidence base and toolkit to determine how best to repurpose the space currently accommodating private cars. This project is expected to make cities more attractive, efficient and liveable, improving a disproportionately large number of Australian lives.Read moreRead less
Monitoring organic matter in drinking water systems using fluorescence spectroscopy: improved early warning, process optimisation and water quality. Climate change is contributing to elevated organic matter (OM) concentrations in drinking water supplies. If insufficiently treated, OM can lead to unacceptable concentrations of disinfection by-products, considered to be potential carcinogens, as well as taste and odour problems and bacterial re-growth in the distribution system. Currently availabl ....Monitoring organic matter in drinking water systems using fluorescence spectroscopy: improved early warning, process optimisation and water quality. Climate change is contributing to elevated organic matter (OM) concentrations in drinking water supplies. If insufficiently treated, OM can lead to unacceptable concentrations of disinfection by-products, considered to be potential carcinogens, as well as taste and odour problems and bacterial re-growth in the distribution system. Currently available on-line monitoring techniques give limited information regarding the nature of OM; however, fluorescence spectroscopy has shown promise in this regard. Hence, this project aims to provide an on-line monitoring protocol utilising fluorescence to aid utilities in their provision of safe drinking water, thus addressing the National Research Priority goal water – a critical resource.Read moreRead less
Multidrug Resistance Protein 1 Inhibitors To Sensitise Cancers To Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$840,166.00
Summary
Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) is often present at high levels in cancer cells, where it pumps chemotherapy drugs back out, causing drug resistance. Inhibitors that block MRP1 would increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. We have developed MRP1 inhibitors with promising activity in cancer cells and mouse tumours and will now develop these inhibitors for clinical application and commercialisation.
A Randomised Placebo-controlled Trial Of Antibiotics To Prevent Urinary Tract Infection In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$735,000.00
Summary
This study is needed to determine whether a common clinical practice long-term antibiotic treatment for children following urinary tract infection (UTI) - is safe and effective in preventing further UTI and if so, whether all appropriate children are being treated. UTI will affect about 10% of Australian children by high school age (88,000 children per year). Because UTI may damage the kidneys, the management priority for children with UTI has been prevention of further infection. Currently this ....This study is needed to determine whether a common clinical practice long-term antibiotic treatment for children following urinary tract infection (UTI) - is safe and effective in preventing further UTI and if so, whether all appropriate children are being treated. UTI will affect about 10% of Australian children by high school age (88,000 children per year). Because UTI may damage the kidneys, the management priority for children with UTI has been prevention of further infection. Currently this means the identification of children thought to be most at risk of recurrent UTI by renal tract imaging. Those found to have reflux of urine from the bladder to the kidney (present in about 30% of those with UTI) are then placed on antibiotics fro 2-5 years. Unfortunately there has never been a properly designed trial to test whether antibiotics do really prevent UTI and if so, whether children with reflux are the appropriate and only group requiring treatment. Long term antibiotics may in fact do more harm than good because of side effects like skin, bowel and blood problems and because resistant bacteria may develop. The design of this study involves the random allocation of placebo or antibiotic (cotrimoxazole, the usual antibiotic given in this case) to about 800 children after their first symptomatic UTI. These children are treated and followed for one year to determine the rate of futher UTI in both groups. Any difference in outcome between the two groups of children will be because of the antibiotic treatment. This study may prove long-term antibiotics are ineffective and therefore should not be routinely used. In this case investigation of children to detect vesicoureteric reflux would serve little purpose and should be abandoned. Alternatively antibiotic treatment may be shown as effective treatment for preventing further UTI and in this case the study will clearly identify those children who will benefit.Read moreRead less
Regulating Autologous Stem Cell Therapies in Australia. This project aims to develop an ethical and regulatory framework for the use of autologous adult stem cell therapies in Australia. These therapies are increasingly being offered to patients for diseases and conditions that lack scientific evidence of safety and efficacy. This study aims to address this problem using a mixed methods approach to generate empirical data and theoretical, ethical and legal insights that will guide the responsibl ....Regulating Autologous Stem Cell Therapies in Australia. This project aims to develop an ethical and regulatory framework for the use of autologous adult stem cell therapies in Australia. These therapies are increasingly being offered to patients for diseases and conditions that lack scientific evidence of safety and efficacy. This study aims to address this problem using a mixed methods approach to generate empirical data and theoretical, ethical and legal insights that will guide the responsible development, translation and regulation of innovative stem cell therapies in Australia and internationally. Anticipated outcomes will improve patient advocacy and public knowledge about adult stem cell therapies, and facilitate better relationships between patients, researchers and clinicians.Read moreRead less
Shadow care infrastructures: sustaining life in the post-welfare city. Mounting evidence points to difficulties faced by Australians reliant on government income support in meeting market costs of essential needs. This project investigates whether and how ‘shadow care infrastructures’ – a wide range of formal and informal material and social supports – enable the survival, well-being and flourishing of income support recipients. Focusing on people with disabilities, unemployed and asylum seekers ....Shadow care infrastructures: sustaining life in the post-welfare city. Mounting evidence points to difficulties faced by Australians reliant on government income support in meeting market costs of essential needs. This project investigates whether and how ‘shadow care infrastructures’ – a wide range of formal and informal material and social supports – enable the survival, well-being and flourishing of income support recipients. Focusing on people with disabilities, unemployed and asylum seekers, the study evaluates the benefits and harms such infrastructures produce for those receiving and providing care, and the wider community. It examines risks and opportunities to scale up emerging care infrastructures identified as critical to making ends meet for income support recipients in contemporary cities.Read moreRead less