Better Outcomes Through Innovations In Clinical Trials: From Personalised Medicine To Population Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$12,215,475.00
Summary
This program aims to develop better health care though advances in clinical trials research and better methods for integrating trial evidence. The team comprises clinician researchers and trialists, biostatisticians, health economists and collaborative networks of clinical investigators. It aims to tackle major health care questions in priority health areas, in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, where advances will have substantial impact on reducing death and serious disability.
Moving Research Into Practice – Using Process Evaluations Of Treatment Mechanisms To Inform The Implementation Of Evidence-based Healthcare
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Effective treatments must be integrated into clinical practice. But this process isn’t always efficient. One reason for this is a lack of understanding for how treatments work. My research will identify treatment mechanisms for chronic back pain (leading cause of disability world-wide) and use this information to integrate effective reatments into practice. I will work with experts from the Oxford Clinical Trials Unit, UK and apply this research to clinical health service units in Australia.
Improving The Treatment Of Breathlessness – A Phase III Randomised, Controlled Trial Of Sustained Release Morphine For The Symptomatic Treatment Of Chronic Refractory Breathlessness. A Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$902,732.00
Summary
More than 300000 Australians are chronically short of breath at rest or on minimal exertion despite optimal treatment of the underlying causes of their breathlessness, of whom 70000 cannot leave home. No medication in the world is registered to treat this. There is evidence that regular, low dose morphine safely helps breathlessness. This study will help clinicians adjust doses more effectively and understand whether using an additional medication to reduce anxiety helps relieve breathlessness.
Is Low Dose Amitriptyline More Effective Than Placebo In The Management Of Chronic, Neuropathic Low Back Pain? A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial With An Economic Evaluation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,889.00
Summary
Chronic low back pain is a major public health problem in Australia. Antidepressants are a common treatment for low back pain, with physicians often prescribing them at low doses for the treatment of pain. However, the use of antidepressants for low back pain is unproven. We aim to perform a clinical trial to examine whether antidepressants are more effective than placebo in reducing pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain.
Spinal Pain And Lifestyle-related Health Risk Factors; Disentangling The Relationship And Evaluating Better Management Strategies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
Spinal pain and lifestyle health factors such as overweight, smoking and lack of physical activity are major problems in Australia. They cause huge personal suffering and enormous cost to the healthcare system. Despite the fact that spinal pain and lifestyle factors are often linked, their prevention and treatment are typically separate. This program of research aims to understand how spinal pain and lifestyle risk factors interact, to help make prevention and treatment for both more effective.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increasing in prevalence due to the ageing and increasing overweight and obesity of populations worldwide. This Fellowship will 1. Find new, cost-effective strategies to prevent and diagnose OSA; 2. Lead to a deeper understanding of the cardiovascular and neuro-behavioural consequences of OSA and the likely benefits of OSA treatment; and 3. Discover more effective and cost-effective therapies that are targeted toward a patient’s specific type of OSA.
The First Randomised Placebo Controlled Trial Of Paracetamol For Acute Low Back Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$73,852.00
Summary
Low back pain is a considerable burden for individuals and society. While clinical guidelines recommend simple treatments such as paracetamol for new low back pain, most people receive costly and potentially harmful treatments. This may be due to limited direct evidence supporting the recommended treatments. A placebo controlled clinical trial of 1650 patients with recent onset low back pain will be conducted to determine the effect that paracetamol has on improving the time to recovery.