Uptake, Sustainability And Impact Of Scaling Up Point-of-care Testing For Sexually Transmissible Infections In Remote And Regional Aboriginal Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,461,788.00
Summary
Aboriginal youth experience unacceptably high rates of curable sexually transmissible infections (STI). Coverage of testing and treatment is insufficient for disease control but could be enhanced via point-of-care (POC) testing. We have been trialling a highly accurate STI/POC diagnostic in the TTANGO (Test, Treat ANd GO) trial. The TTANGO2 partnership will assess the long-term uptake, sustainability and impact of POC testing in 20 Aboriginal health services in regional/remote WA over 5 years.
Enhanced Prevention And Control Of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$782,370.00
Summary
The entire developed world is witnessing dramatic increases in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the likes of which have not been seen since prior to the emergence of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s. My vision is to reduce the burden of STIs by identifying innovative, cost-effective approaches to STI prevention and management that are acceptable to the populations affected (including healthcare workers and people are risk of STIs) and able to be implemented on a broad scale.
Should Australia Introduce A National Chlamydia Testing Program? Evaluation Of A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$518,510.00
Summary
Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmissible infection that can lead to infertility in women. About 4% of young adults have it, yet most are unaware they have it. Chlamydia is easy to diagnose and treat, but it is not known whether annual testing can reduce its spread. Over1 million tests are conducted each year in general practice, costing the government $30 million. This evaluation of a well-established trial of chlamydia testing in young adults will resolve the debate of whether annual t ....Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmissible infection that can lead to infertility in women. About 4% of young adults have it, yet most are unaware they have it. Chlamydia is easy to diagnose and treat, but it is not known whether annual testing can reduce its spread. Over1 million tests are conducted each year in general practice, costing the government $30 million. This evaluation of a well-established trial of chlamydia testing in young adults will resolve the debate of whether annual testing works and is a good use of money.Read moreRead less
The Prevention And Control Of Sexually Transmitted Infections In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,785.00
Summary
The increasing sexually transmitted infection diagnoses in Australia have considerable public health implications and there are still many questions about the most effective way to prevent and control their transmission. The goal of my fellowship is to build on my existing program of research and generate new evidence to further our understanding of the epidemiology of these infections and identify the most effective ways for their prevention and control.
Prevention Of Sexually Transmissible Infections In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,218.00
Summary
Australians experience a substantial burden of health and social consequences related to sexually transmissible infections (STIs). The Career Development Fellowship will enable me to conduct research to improve sexual health of people at risk of STIs, through evaluating new strategies that increase the accessibility of STI testing; information technology to improve the efficiency of health services; and a better understanding of the impact of social media on young people’s sexual health.
An Epidemic Of Vulvar Cancer In Young Women: Investigating The Role Of Human Papillomavirus And Genetic Susceptibility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,706.00
Summary
Vulvar cancer is a rare disease; in 1993-1997 the age-adjusted incidence rate in Australia was 1.4 per 100,000 women (average 207 cases per year), similar to the incidence in most other countries. An epidemic of cases of vulvar cancer has been identified in younger Indigenous women living in remote communities in the Northern Territory (NT). Vulvar cancer is over fifty times more common in women aged less than 50 years in these communities than in the total Australian population. Women in these ....Vulvar cancer is a rare disease; in 1993-1997 the age-adjusted incidence rate in Australia was 1.4 per 100,000 women (average 207 cases per year), similar to the incidence in most other countries. An epidemic of cases of vulvar cancer has been identified in younger Indigenous women living in remote communities in the Northern Territory (NT). Vulvar cancer is over fifty times more common in women aged less than 50 years in these communities than in the total Australian population. Women in these communities also experience higher rates of high-grade Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia (a pre-cursor to vulvar cancer), than elsewhere in the NT. Vulvar cancer is usually much more common in older women than younger women. In young women vulvar cancer and VIN are thought to be caused by infection with cancer causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly the strain known as HPV16. In older women, vulvar cancer is not caused by HPV. In the remote communities in the NT, vulvar cancer is occurring almost entirely in young women, the amount of cancer occurring in older women in these communities is similar to the amount expected in the total Australian population. This project will investigate the cause of this epidemic of vulvar cancer and high-grade VIN. It will investigate whether HPV16 is more prevalent in these communities than elsewhere in Australia; whether there is a variant strain of HPV16 in these communites that is more virulent at causing cancer, and whether the disease occurs more commonly in families, which would mean that women in these communities inherit an increased susceptibility to vulvar cancer and VIN. This project will help to increase our understanding of vulvar cancer and VIN, help to control this epidemic, and inform whether the new HPV vaccines may be effective in preventing vulvar cancer in these communities.Read moreRead less
TEXTMEDS – TEXT Messages To Improve MEDication Adherence And Secondary Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,406,875.00
Summary
TEXTMEDS will evaluate a highly innovative strategy to improve cardiovascular disease secondary prevention using cheap and widely available mobile phone technology. TEXTMEDS is a randomised controlled trial of 1400 patients with acute coronary syndrome that will examine the effect of a semi-personalised secondary prevention support program sent via mobile phone text message on the proportion taking appropriate medications for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and on cardiovascul ....TEXTMEDS will evaluate a highly innovative strategy to improve cardiovascular disease secondary prevention using cheap and widely available mobile phone technology. TEXTMEDS is a randomised controlled trial of 1400 patients with acute coronary syndrome that will examine the effect of a semi-personalised secondary prevention support program sent via mobile phone text message on the proportion taking appropriate medications for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and on cardiovascular risk factors levels (e.g. cholesterol).Read moreRead less
Understanding The Unique Contribution Of Sedentary Behaviour To The Cardio Metabolic Health Of Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,149.00
Summary
The risk of heart disease for women increases significantly with the menopause. New evidence suggests that sedentary behaviour (too much sitting as distinct from too little exercise) is also related to heart disease risk. Ms Howard's PhD research will identify whether TV time and other prolonged sitting pose a particular risk for women during and after the menopause. Her studies will identify whether there is a need for women's health recommendations on reducing sitting time.
Accurate Prediction Of Individual Risk To Disease From Genome-wide Association Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$269,371.00
Summary
Risk for many complex diseases (such as psychiatric disorders or heart disease) has a substantial genetic component, however few specific high risk variants have been identified. Evidence is mounting that there are likely to be hundreds of risk loci each individually conferring a very low increase in relative risk for disease. We aim to develop methods that utilise information from multiple genetic risk variants simultaneously to create a 'genomic profile' of risk.
A Longitudinal Investigation Of The Efficacy Of Pharmacological Smoking Cessation Aids In Real-life Settings
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$592,837.00
Summary
Currently around 3 million Australians, or 17% of people aged 14 years and over, smoke tobacco daily. These smokers are at major risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and a variety of cancers, including lung, laryngeal, oral, kidney, bladder, breast, pancreas and colon cancers. At any one time almost half of Australian smokers intend to quit smoking or have already set a date to do so but few (around 10%) succeed on each attempt. Clinical trials of quitt ....Currently around 3 million Australians, or 17% of people aged 14 years and over, smoke tobacco daily. These smokers are at major risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and a variety of cancers, including lung, laryngeal, oral, kidney, bladder, breast, pancreas and colon cancers. At any one time almost half of Australian smokers intend to quit smoking or have already set a date to do so but few (around 10%) succeed on each attempt. Clinical trials of quitting aids, such as nicotine patches, gum and Zyban, suggest that smokers are around twice as likely to quit if using these. However clinical trials are conducted in artificial environments and these quitting aids appear to have a far smaller impact on successful quitting rates in the 'real world'. Pharmaceutical quitting aids are heavily advertised by drug companies and widely used in Australia. Futhermore the Commonwealth Government has invested over $133 million dollars subsidising such aids to Australian smokers in the past four years. However it is not known to what extent these quitting aids have made a difference to Australian smoking rates. Sales volumes of pharmaceutical quitting aids appear not to have translated into expected increases in numbers of smokers successfully quitting, suggesting they are less effective than clinical trials suggest. The present study aims to investigate whether pharmaceutical quitting aids actually are less effective in the 'real world', and if so, why.Read moreRead less