Assessment Of The Impact Of Climate Variability On The Transmission Of Ross River Virus Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$168,125.00
Summary
It is a significant scientific and public health issue to assess the potential impact of climate change on population health. As human-induced global climate change continues, questions about its possible consequences command increasing attention. Australia has a great level of climate variability. Climate zones extend from temperate areas into the tropics and the climate fluctuates over time. Also, it is predicted that Australia lies in the region where the climate pattern will be affected most ....It is a significant scientific and public health issue to assess the potential impact of climate change on population health. As human-induced global climate change continues, questions about its possible consequences command increasing attention. Australia has a great level of climate variability. Climate zones extend from temperate areas into the tropics and the climate fluctuates over time. Also, it is predicted that Australia lies in the region where the climate pattern will be affected most in the 21th century. However, little research has to date been conducted on the potential public health impact of climate variability and change in Australia. This project aims to assess the effect of climate variability on the transmission of Ross River virus infection and other vector-borne diseases which may yield important insights into the potential public health consequences of climate change.Read moreRead less
Building Australia's Capacity To Study Preventable Causes Of Common Diseases Through Epidemiological Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
This program of work will build Australia's capacity to study the preventable causes of common disease. Researchers will be trained to investigate the impact of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors on disease in large samples of people. The diseases will include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone and joint conditions, some common cancers such as skin and prostate cancer, and diseases affecting the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis.
GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF MAMMOGRAPHIC DENSITY: A TWINS AND SISTERS STUDY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$703,100.00
Summary
Breast cancer is a major cause of early death and disability in Australian women. Breast density, a characteristic of women's breast that can be mesured by mammograms such as those conducted by BreastScreen, has been shown by a number of large studies to be a major risk factor for breast cancer. It is a characteristic that cannot be measured by breast examination, but is very well measured by a breast scan. Although breast density decreases with age at and after menopause, there is a large diffe ....Breast cancer is a major cause of early death and disability in Australian women. Breast density, a characteristic of women's breast that can be mesured by mammograms such as those conducted by BreastScreen, has been shown by a number of large studies to be a major risk factor for breast cancer. It is a characteristic that cannot be measured by breast examination, but is very well measured by a breast scan. Although breast density decreases with age at and after menopause, there is a large difference in breast density across women of the same age. Identifying the reasons why women of the same age differ so much in breast density will lead to a better understanding of the causes of breast cancer and have implications for prevention. We have conducted a large twin study, in collaboration with Dr Norman Boyd in Toronto, Canada, that has shown that most of this large variation in breast density could be due to as yet undiscovered genetic factors. The genes involved are not BRCA1 and BRCA2, the currently known breast cancer susceptibility genes. We have also found that lifestyle factors, such as number of children, also influences breast density. In this larger study of twins and sister pairs, we shall test whether specific hormone genes, such as those involved with estrogen and progesterone, explain part of the genetic effects. We will also study more closely the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on breast density, especially how their effects interact with those of any genetic factors we identify, by comparing twins and sister of the same or similar age. By studying women who have had endometriosis, we will be able to find out if their small increased risk of breast cancer is reflected in their breast density. By collecting a blood sample from all participants we will build a large resource that will be used for future genome scan studies, trying to discover new genes that influence breast density, and by implication, risk of breast cancer.Read moreRead less