A Large-scale Clinical Effectiveness (health Services) Trial To Determine Whether Personalised Health Care Packages, Combined With Digitally-supported Measurement-based Care, Improve Functional Outcomes In Young People With Mood Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,434,588.00
Summary
One of our greatest current health challenges is to develop highly-personalised interventions for teenagers and young adults with emerging mood disorders. This research will combine our national expertise to develop and implement care packages utilising digital technologies, personalised assessment techniques, targeted treatment choices, and long-term outcome tracking. In a clinical trial we will assess the clinical effectiveness of these innovative healthcare packages.
Circulating Tumour DNA To Monitor Treatment Response And Resistance In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,950.00
Summary
Many cancers shed small amounts of DNA (ctDNA) into the patient’s bloodstream and recent advances in genomic technologies now allow levels of ctDNA to be accurately measured in the blood. Changes in ctDNA levels have potential to be used as specific markers of disease progression and/or response to cancer therapy. This project will evaluate if ctDNA can be used to monitor treatment responses and individualise treatment decisions in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
I-HEART - Implementation Of HEArt Failure Guidelines In Regional AusTralia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,266,173.00
Summary
Heart failure (HF) is a common disease of the heart with a high rehospitalisation and mortality rate. Regional HF patients rarely receive the full benefits of evidence-based care simply due to inaccessibility to a HF specialist team. This translational project will implement key recommendations from clinical guidelines in regional health services and improve access to specialist services. It has the potential to keep patients out of hospital and save lives.
Centre For Research Excellence In Implementation Science In Oncology (CRE-ISO)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,495,783.00
Summary
One of the key issues in delivering care to cancer patients is to ensure that the treatment provided is evidence-based. We need a concerted effort and training for the next generation of researchers and clinicians to translate what we know into improved practices. This Centre for Research Excellence harnesses new ideas in implementation science to make improvements. Researchers will work side-by-side with clinicians, policymakers, and patients in achieving higher levels of evidence-based care.
Mechanisms Of Oxidised Protein Accumulation In Ageing Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,000.00
Summary
Australia has one of the world's most rapidly ageing populations. It is estimated that in 30 years time over 30% of the population will be over 65; many will suffer from a debilitating, age-related disease. The diseases of ageing represent one of the major health challenges this century. Despite their increasing incidence, our understanding of the underlying causes is limited. A common feature is the accumulation of damaged proteins in cells and tissues. Damaged proteins are usually broken down ....Australia has one of the world's most rapidly ageing populations. It is estimated that in 30 years time over 30% of the population will be over 65; many will suffer from a debilitating, age-related disease. The diseases of ageing represent one of the major health challenges this century. Despite their increasing incidence, our understanding of the underlying causes is limited. A common feature is the accumulation of damaged proteins in cells and tissues. Damaged proteins are usually broken down by the cells and replaced, but in many age-related diseases this process fails. The most common source of protein damage is attack by oxygen-derived free radicals. These are by-products of our body's need for oxygen and can originate from atmospheric pollutants. Oxygen rusts metal, makes fat go rancid and can cause irreparable damage to proteins and other biological molecules. Free radical damage contributes to the development of many age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The accumulation of damaged proteins can cause cell death. Our knowledge of the mechanisms by which cells remove proteins damaged by oxygen and the reasons for their accumulation is limited. In this project we will use a novel technique we have developed to generate oxidised proteins in ageing cells. We will identify cellular mechanisms required for the efficient removal of damaged proteins and those mechanisms which fail in ageing cells. We will focus on a group of proteins which protect damaged proteins from aggregating and accumulating and we will examine how we can prevent the accumulation of oxidised proteins by stimulating the body s defence mechanisms. Since the population of Australia is ageing, diseases of ageing are going to consume an increasing amount of the national health budget. A better knowledge of these cellular mechanisms will allow us to design effective prevention and treatment strategies which are at present lacking.Read moreRead less
Scalability Of The Transform-Us! Program To Promote Children's Physical Activity And Reduce Prolonged Sitting In Victorian Primary Schools
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,823.00
Summary
Transform-Us! is an innovative primary school program that has been found to substantially increase children’s physical activity levels, reduce sitting time and benefit health. With simple changes to the school and classroom environments and teaching practices (eg, standing lessons) we will work with partners in the education and health systems to translate this program across Victorian primary schools to determine the real-world implementation and impact of this program over 5 years.
Therapeutic Targeting Of Cell Cycle Checkpoint Aberrations In Pancreatic Cancer: Personalised Medicine In Action
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$634,354.00
Summary
Less than 5% of people with pancreatic cancer (PC) survive 5 years, and the odds of patients beating this disease have remained unchanged for 50 years. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop novel treatment approaches for this highly aggressive cancer. Our study aims to define novel therapeutic strategies for PC utilising specific anti-proliferative therapies and a personalised “companion biomarker” directed strategy.
Improving Linkages For Chronic Disease Prevention In Indigenous Communities: A Quality Improvement Approach.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Primary health care and public health are often conceived as two entities providing complementary services within the health system. This research aims to better understand how to link these complementary services by using quality improvement methods and to identify successful interventions that facilitate these linkages in the prevention of chronic disease in Indigenous communities.
Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL). This project aims to develop a novel method for markedly accelerating production of genetically modified mice, which are a key 'tool' for studying biological processes and diseases. The work plans to take CRISPR, the latest gene-editing technique, to the next level by developing a novel CRISPR-based method to generate different mouse strains with distinct variations of the same gene sequences, at a fraction of the present cost a ....Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL). This project aims to develop a novel method for markedly accelerating production of genetically modified mice, which are a key 'tool' for studying biological processes and diseases. The work plans to take CRISPR, the latest gene-editing technique, to the next level by developing a novel CRISPR-based method to generate different mouse strains with distinct variations of the same gene sequences, at a fraction of the present cost and time. This project should overcome a major barrier to studying gene function with unprecedented detail, thereby opening new avenues for future research into biological processes. Thus, the outcomes from this project should impact on the entire field of biomedical research, and advance Australia's biotech industry.Read moreRead less