Developing Evidence Based Strategies For Addressing Childhood Vaccination Rejection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,927.00
Summary
Parental rejection of vaccines is a global concern that threatens to undermine disease control. A lack of evidence hampers the responses to this complex and persistent problem. We will interview parents who don’t vaccinate their children to learn what influences their decisions. We will then hold community juries and a public engagement process to refine strategies for responding to vaccination rejection that are acceptable to a well informed citizenry, practical and ethically justified.
Risk Of Hepatitis C Reinfection Among People With Current Injecting Drug Use Following Successful HCV Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,245,228.00
Summary
In Australia, hepatitis C (HCV)-related morbidity and mortality are rising. One of the most important recent breakthroughs in clinical medicine is the approval of safe, simple, interferon-free HCV therapies with cure rates >95%. Although people who inject drugs account for the majority of new and existing cases of HCV, reinfection following treatment can occur. The goal of this Project Grant is to examine HCV treatment and reinfection following successful therapy among people who inject drugs ....In Australia, hepatitis C (HCV)-related morbidity and mortality are rising. One of the most important recent breakthroughs in clinical medicine is the approval of safe, simple, interferon-free HCV therapies with cure rates >95%. Although people who inject drugs account for the majority of new and existing cases of HCV, reinfection following treatment can occur. The goal of this Project Grant is to examine HCV treatment and reinfection following successful therapy among people who inject drugs.Read moreRead less
Training Health Professionals In Tobacco Cessation And Evidence Translation For Aboriginal Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$832,723.00
Summary
Our published pilot investigations have shown that smoking cessation programs among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians are profoundly lacking, with current tobacco prevalence estimates still at 45%. Through a cluster randomised delayed intervention controlled trial design, our proposal includes a opportunistic approach to training existing health professionals in tobacco cessation with a number of methods to reduce tobacco prevalence amongst Indigenous Australians.
Information Encoding By Temporal Structure Of Afferent Spike Trains
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$231,175.00
Summary
Our ability to sense, discriminate and interpret touch stimuli underpins some of the most crucial functions of the human hand that relate to object exploration and manipulation. The fundamental mechanism of how nerve impulses generated by tactile receptors are interpreted by the nervous system is not understood. Only by discovering the underlying neural encoding mechanisms can we appreciate the functional impairments in patients and learn to identify them before they become widespread and irreve ....Our ability to sense, discriminate and interpret touch stimuli underpins some of the most crucial functions of the human hand that relate to object exploration and manipulation. The fundamental mechanism of how nerve impulses generated by tactile receptors are interpreted by the nervous system is not understood. Only by discovering the underlying neural encoding mechanisms can we appreciate the functional impairments in patients and learn to identify them before they become widespread and irreversible.Read moreRead less
Anxiety and depression are common during early- to mid-adulthood and a major cause of disability. Few studies track individuals over this age range or assess how their experience of anxiety/depression affects them at midlife when many of life’s work, family and personal achievements coalesce. The PATH to Midlife project extends an existing community survey to understand the patterns of anxiety and depression from early to mid-adulthood and identify the personal, social and economic consequences.
Closing The Gap: Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting For Families Of Aboriginal Infants In An Urban Community
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,244,402.00
Summary
The study aims to determine whether a sustained structured nurse home visiting (SSNVH) program is effective for Aboriginal families. In the context of increased government investment in home visiting programs for Indigenous children, this study will help to answer three critical questions: (1) Does SSNHV result in improved outcomes for Aboriginal infants? (2) Is SSNHV equally effective for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants?(3) What are the issues in adaptation and implementation?
Evidence For Action To Improve The Health Of Urban Aboriginal Children And Adolescents: The SEARCH Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,877,467.00
Summary
The proposed project builds on the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH), a cohort study of >1600 children and their families based on a long-standing Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector and research partnership. The project aims to improve urban Aboriginal child and adolescent health by using data from participants to identify opportunities for intervention and developing data-driven multicomponent interventions to improve health services.
Longitudinal Investigation Of Health Outcomes In Urban Aboriginal Children: SEARCH Follow-up
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,675,557.00
Summary
The government is committed to reducing the gap in Aboriginal health. SEARCH is Australia’s largest prospective longitudinal study of urban Aboriginal children and will provide, for the first time, comprehensive information on the causes of health and illness in a large group of urban Aboriginal children. SEARCH is a partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. SEARCH will identify the factors that can be changed in early childhood to prevent later disease.
Improving Outcomes For Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy Through A Shared Care Pathway Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,887.00
Summary
Many cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment continue to experience serious side effects at home, where they struggle to self-manage and often go to hospital after symptoms have worsened. We have developed an innovative clinical pathway involving the provision of home-based assessment, clinical care and advice by community nurses, which aims to help patients without creating new health service positions. Our study will test if the pathway decreases unplanned hospital visits, improves pa ....Many cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment continue to experience serious side effects at home, where they struggle to self-manage and often go to hospital after symptoms have worsened. We have developed an innovative clinical pathway involving the provision of home-based assessment, clinical care and advice by community nurses, which aims to help patients without creating new health service positions. Our study will test if the pathway decreases unplanned hospital visits, improves patient well-being and is cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Origins Of Diabetes And Kidney Disease In Aboriginal Children And Their Mothers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,784,613.00
Summary
Aboriginal people experience increased rates of diabetes and kidney disease than non-Aboriginal Australians. This project seeks to understand the role played by the intrauterine events, maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and early growth in the development of diabetes and kidney failure in both Aboriginal mothers and their children.