A Phase III Randomised Placebo-controlled Trial Of Mirtazapine As A Pharmacotherapy For Methamphetamine (Ice) Dependence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,923,009.00
Summary
Crystalline methamphetamine ('ice') is a growing concern in Australia. There are no approved medications that can be used to treat dependence on this drug. This clinical trial will examine whether mirtazapine, a newly identified treatment agent for methamphetamine use, can be used safely and effectively in routine clinical care to manage methamphetamine dependence in Australia.
Combating Escalating Harms Associated With Pharmaceutical Opioid Use
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$925,767.00
Summary
Increases in opioid use have been accompanied by increased opioid harms. But there is a lack of population-level evidence about drivers of long-term prescribed opioid use, dependence, overdose and other harms. Using linked data, we will fill these gaps using a cohort of all people in NSW prescribed opioids since 2002, linked to datasets containing information on health, social and health service utilisation, that will permit a comprehensive assessment of the risks of all prescribed opioids.
Australian Longitudinal Study Of Heroin Dependence: An 18-20yr Prospective Cohort Study Of Mortality, Abstinence, And Psychiatric And Physical Health Comorbidity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,210,319.00
Summary
The burden associated with heroin dependence is undeniable. But little is known about the natural history and long-term course of heroin dependence; knowledge that is critical for informing the development of new treatment interventions, health care planning and service delivery. We propose to extend our study of 615 Australians with heroin dependence, recruited in 2001-2002, to 18-20 years follow-up to answer critical questions about the long-term impact of this condition.
Increasing Uptake Of Evidence-based Management Of Unhealthy Alcohol Use In Aboriginal Primary Health Care Services
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,252,322.00
Summary
Because of ongoing trauma, stress and disadvantage, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians face a greater risk of unhealthy drinking patterns and related harms than other Australians. Yet there is a shortage of specialist alcohol treatment services. This study examines an approach to supporting primary care services which target Indigenous Australians to identify and implement the best possible standard of diagnosis and treatment for unhealthy alcohol use.
An RCT Of Cannabinoid Replacement Therapy (Sativex®) For The Management Of Treatment-resistant Cannabis Dependent Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$788,133.00
Summary
This project is the first-ever outpatient RCT to test if the pharmaceutical cannabinoid Sativex can safely and cost-effectively deliver better treatment outcomes for patients seeking treatment for chronic cannabis dependence. Sativex is a mouth spray with equal parts THC and cannabidiol, and appears to have a safer pharmacological profile than illicit cannabis or synthetic THC alone. Thus Sativex may lead to lower rates of psychiatric adverse events and increased cannabis abstinence rates.
Alcohol And Other Drug Treatment Funding, Purchasing And Workforce: Empirical Analyses To Inform Policy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,865.00
Summary
Alcohol and drug treatment works: it improves health and reduces the social impact of alcohol and drug use. The treatment itself is not, however, the only variable that impacts on whether health outcomes are improved. The way in which governments fund, purchase and structure the treatment service system is also important. This study will empirically test the relationship between treatment outcome and the structures that governments put in place, providing new evidence to inform decision-making.
Australian Longitudinal Study Of Heroin Dependence: A 11 Year Prospective Cohort Study Of Mortality, Abstinence, Criminality And Psychiatric Comorbidity Among Heroin Users
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,295.00
Summary
To conduct the longest and most comprehensive prospective follow-up of Australian heroin users. A 11 year follow-up presents the unique opportunity to examine: Mortality rates, remission rates, criminal histories and levels of psychopathology ; Predictive factors of long term remission, mortality, criminality and the health service utilisation associated with heroin use careers.
Understanding and reversing the habitat shifts that have endangered the broad-headed snake. Extinction rates for vertebrate species are higher in southern Australia than almost anywhere else in the world, and saving endangered taxa is critical to biodiversity conservation. To do this effectively, researchers need to understand the processes that threaten wild populations, and to develop novel solutions to those problems in close collaboration with wildlife management authorities and other stake ....Understanding and reversing the habitat shifts that have endangered the broad-headed snake. Extinction rates for vertebrate species are higher in southern Australia than almost anywhere else in the world, and saving endangered taxa is critical to biodiversity conservation. To do this effectively, researchers need to understand the processes that threaten wild populations, and to develop novel solutions to those problems in close collaboration with wildlife management authorities and other stakeholders. This project will build such an understanding and collaboration, focusing on an endangered snake species. We propose ambitious landscape-scale field experiments that will simultaneously test hypotheses on threatening processes, and restore habitat quality to reverse population declines.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Secretion Of The Fungal Virulence Determinant, Phospholipase B
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$487,500.00
Summary
Serious systemic infections due to fungi have increased dramatically in the past few years, especially in people with poorly functioning immune systems. Treatment of these conditions is problematic because the few drugs which are available are not highly effective, and-or cause significant side-effects. Little is understood of how fungi cause disease, and this problem must be addressed if these infections are to be contained. We have discovered that the enzyme, phospholipase B (PLB), is secreted ....Serious systemic infections due to fungi have increased dramatically in the past few years, especially in people with poorly functioning immune systems. Treatment of these conditions is problematic because the few drugs which are available are not highly effective, and-or cause significant side-effects. Little is understood of how fungi cause disease, and this problem must be addressed if these infections are to be contained. We have discovered that the enzyme, phospholipase B (PLB), is secreted by the disease-causing fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans, and that it is important in enabling the fungus to invade the host's cells and spread around the body from the lungs to the brain, where it can cause meningoencephalitis. PLB is also produced by other disease-causing fungi. The mechanism of PLB secretion is completely unknown. In this project we aim to determine the pathways involved in PLB secretion with the intention of exploiting steps unique to pathogenic fungi, for the future design of new anti-fungal drugs.Read moreRead less
Predicting Biodiversity from Population Dynamics. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how changes to the environment, including those attributable to human activities, influence the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity. This understanding is of urgent importance, in light of the predicted changes in climate and habitat over the next century, because biodiversity is critical to the proper functioning of ecosystems that human societies depend ....Predicting Biodiversity from Population Dynamics. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how changes to the environment, including those attributable to human activities, influence the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity. This understanding is of urgent importance, in light of the predicted changes in climate and habitat over the next century, because biodiversity is critical to the proper functioning of ecosystems that human societies depend upon. The graduate student involved in this research will have the opportunity to receive in-depth training as part of a cross-disciplinary collaboration that combines mathematics, ecology, evolution, and paleontology.
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