The Australian Twin Registry (ATR) is a volunteer registry of over 30,000 twin pairs willing to consider participation in health research. This national resource was established in the 1980s with NHMRC support because twin studies play a unique, powerful role in research on the impact of genetic and environmental factors on health. Over 400 studies have benefited. The ATR seeks on-going funding to remain internationally competitive and meet increasing demand due to advances in genetic research.
Investigating The Association Between Incarceration While Pregnant And Maternal And Infant Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,500.00
Summary
The number of women incarcerated within Australian prisons has doubled over the last ten years. Prisons contain large numbers of women from Indigenous backgrounds, women with a mental illness, women with violent partners and women with substance abuse problems. As such they constitute one of the most disadvantaged groups within Australian society and their children are unlikely to experience a healthy start to life. At any one time around 5-10% of women inside Australian prisons are pregnant. Th ....The number of women incarcerated within Australian prisons has doubled over the last ten years. Prisons contain large numbers of women from Indigenous backgrounds, women with a mental illness, women with violent partners and women with substance abuse problems. As such they constitute one of the most disadvantaged groups within Australian society and their children are unlikely to experience a healthy start to life. At any one time around 5-10% of women inside Australian prisons are pregnant. There has been no Australian research into the effect incarceration has upon pregnant women or their babies. Some believe that women who are incarcerated during their pregnancy may have better outcomes as they are outside their normal milieu with restricted access to alcohol and illicit drugs and separated from abusive partners. Others argue that the stress of incarceration and separation from family and friends could result in poorer pregnancy outcomes. This study will investigate whether being imprisoned while pregnant results in better or worse pregnancy and birth outcomes for Australian women and their babies.Read moreRead less
Identification Of A Gene That Increases Risk Of MS Via A Pathway Involving UV Exposure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$111,000.00
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune disease of the central nervous system that affects over 10 000 Australians. It is a progressive debilitating disease that affects predominantly young adults and current therapies are expensive, only moderately effective and are associated with significant side effects. The biological processes leading to this disease are not well understood and there is a need to identify new ways of treating the disease or preventing it. One of the known factors associa ....Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune disease of the central nervous system that affects over 10 000 Australians. It is a progressive debilitating disease that affects predominantly young adults and current therapies are expensive, only moderately effective and are associated with significant side effects. The biological processes leading to this disease are not well understood and there is a need to identify new ways of treating the disease or preventing it. One of the known factors associated with MS is the striking association of increased MS incidence with cooler climates and reduced sun exposure. A study conduced by the Menzies Centre has recently provided evidence that increased childhood sun exposure is significantly associated with reduced risk of MS. This project aims to study those genes involved in the body's response to sun exposure as we propose that if sun exposure influences risk of MS then those genes may interact with sun exposure to modify risk of MS.Read moreRead less
Epidemiological Investigation Of The Role Of Early Life Environment In The Development Of Immune Function And Allergic And Autoimmune Disease: Knowledge Generation For Future Primary Prevention.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$664,584.00
Summary
Immune diseases, which include allergic and autoimmune diseases, are accounting for an increasing fraction of the disease burden in Australia. It is now increasingly recognised that early life changes to the immune system by environmental factors can impact on the risk of these diseases. The goal of this fellowship is the prevention of allergic and autoimmune disease.
Interfacing Epidemiology With Systems Biology For Disease Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,975.00
Summary
Over recent time, allergic and some autoimmune diseases have increased among modern children. The change has been too rapid to be due to genetic factors alone and my research program examines also the role of the changing environment. It also examines the health effects of new man-made exposures like plastic product chemicals.
Environmental Risk Factors For Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,118.00
Summary
Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) is a form of MS affecting 10% of people with the disease. PPMS has been less researched than the more common form of MS, Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS), and unlike RRMS, there are currently no effective treatments. This project will examine whether the established risk factors for RRMS also hold for PPMS, whether the magnitude of risk associated with these factors is the same for PPMS, and whether novel risk factors for PPMS can be identified.
Sun Exposure, Vitamin D And Photohealth Over The Lifetime
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$622,655.00
Summary
Australia is a sunny country with a diverse population. Inappropriate sun exposure for skin type leads to skin cancer (mainly in the fair-skinned) and vitamin D deficiency (particularly in the darker-skinned). Potential benefits of sun exposure are broader than vitamin D production, but remain ill-defined. There are few data on appropriate sun exposure for children. This research fellowship builds the evidence to guide sun exposure messages.
I am an epidemiologist using record linkage to investigate the causes and consequences of developmental disabilities such as birth defects, intellectual disability and autism and to identify possibilities for their prevention and amelioration.