The Centre will enhance Australian clinical immunisation research and training, focussing upon clinical questions with translatable outcomes not easily addressed by industry. Optimal immunisation and interventions to maximise uptake of existing and new vaccines in high risk patient groups, such as children with cancer, immigrants, children with chronic diseases and adolescents will be studied. New vaccine trials, innovative use of existing vaccines, systematic collection of vaccine failure data, ....The Centre will enhance Australian clinical immunisation research and training, focussing upon clinical questions with translatable outcomes not easily addressed by industry. Optimal immunisation and interventions to maximise uptake of existing and new vaccines in high risk patient groups, such as children with cancer, immigrants, children with chronic diseases and adolescents will be studied. New vaccine trials, innovative use of existing vaccines, systematic collection of vaccine failure data, and targeted epidemiology and disease modelling vaccine preventable disease will also allow a broad program of research, enabling training and mentoring of young clinical nurse and physician researchers. Collaborations with existing national immunisation, infectious diseases and research institutions will allow maximal effectiveness of clinical studies.Read moreRead less
Immunisation Practice And Policy Development In Australia: Responding To Urgent Priorities In Prevention Of Endemic And Epidemic Infectious Diseases In Children.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,361.00
Summary
Despite high immunisation coverage rates in Australia deaths still occur in young infants from vaccine preventable diseases such as whooping cough, meningitis and influenza. My research in vaccines and immunisation involves trialing new vaccines such as meningococcal B and H1N1 vaccine to ensure their safety and effectiveness in children and investigation of new ways to deliver vaccines to improve uptake of new vaccines in the community to ensure earlier and better protection for infants and chi ....Despite high immunisation coverage rates in Australia deaths still occur in young infants from vaccine preventable diseases such as whooping cough, meningitis and influenza. My research in vaccines and immunisation involves trialing new vaccines such as meningococcal B and H1N1 vaccine to ensure their safety and effectiveness in children and investigation of new ways to deliver vaccines to improve uptake of new vaccines in the community to ensure earlier and better protection for infants and children against severe infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Reducing Vaccine Preventable Diseases In Children: Using National Active Hospital-based Surveillance To Evaluate And Improve Immunisation Program Performance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,049,916.00
Summary
This proposal aims to evaluate and improve upon immunisation policy and programs for the prevention of severe childhood influenza and pertussis. Using our successful Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) network in 6 major children's hospitals across Australia, we will identify gaps in the evidence base needed to better control influenza and pertussis and in particular to ensure programs are delivered in such a way so as to address health inequalities.
I am a general paediatrician involved in national epidemiological and clinical research about a range of childhood conditions in Australia. I also have expetise in research translation into the
Understanding The Factors Governing Susceptibility And Outcome In Childhood Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$276,122.00
Summary
This research seeks to understand why a minority of children are prone to severe and often life-threatening infections and inflammation. It focusses on infections both in preterm infants and in later childhood, which may also be relevant to understanding atherosclerosis. I am also interested in improving the health of recently arrived refugees, by conducting research that allows the development of evidence-based health interventions and developing national policy on refugee health.
Limiting Tuberculosis Transmission And Improving The Care Of Affected Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,419.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is the biggest infectious disease killer on the planet. Drug-resistant TB poses a particular challenge in the Asia-Pacific region. My research will assist Australia to progress towards domestic TB elimination. It will improve the management of “difficult to treat” cases and help to safeguard the public against ongoing TB transmission. Work in neighbouring countries will help to contain the spread of drug-resistant TB and protect vulnerable young children.
The Stunting Risk Assessment Tool: Identifying Infants At High Risk Of Impaired Growth And Development In Resource Poor Settings.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,644.00
Summary
Stunting is a neglected global health crisis. After the age of 2, irreversible health, developmental and economic consequences occur that are perpetuated across generations. Early risk prediction is key to more effective interventions. By determining the contribution of risk factors in pregnancy and early infancy, I propose to develop a tool that can be used by health workers to identify infants at high risk of stunting in early life, so that early preventive measures can be introduced.
Immunisation Practice And Policy Development In Australia: Urgent Priorities In Prevention Of Infectious Diseases In Children, Adolescents And Pregnant Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,477.00
Summary
Our research aims to optimise protection for infants and children against serious infectious diseases causing death and disability, such as whooping cough, influenza and meningococcal disease. We will establish the safety and effectiveness of vaccines to improve protection against these infections. Our community research will determine the best ways to improve uptake of immunisation in children and in pregnant women to provide the best protection for infants and mothers.
Improving The Treatment Of Neonatal Sepsis Through Vancomycin Pharmacokinetic And Pharmacodynamic Modelling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$71,458.00
Summary
Our study will assess whether vancomycin, a key antibiotic used to treat severe infections in young infants, is best given as a continuous infusion or as multiple doses per day. We will determine which is the most effective method to achieve the target blood level of vancomycin and if current recommended target levels for vancomycin are appropriate for infants. Findings will be used to develop a bedside tool that will enable clinicians to tailor the dose of vancomycin to individual children.
How Do Antibiotics Affect The Gastrointestinal Microbiome In Children?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$215,000.00
Summary
Antibiotics, while vital, have potentially long term negative effects on antimicrobial resistance and other aspects of health. Microorganisms living in the human intestine, collectively the gastrointestinal microbiome, are believed to play a key role. Antibiotics can change the microbiome, and this is potentially important in children due to the longevity of health effects. We aim to determine the effect of different antibiotics (broad versus narrow) on the microbiome over time in children.