Role Of Post-traumatic Hypoxia In The Exacerbation Of Cerebral Inflammatory Response Elicited By Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,535.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injury is the major cause of death in the young population below the age of 40 years. Approximately 25% of patients that survive head injury remain with permanent neurological disabilities with considerable family, professional and economic costs. Extensive research has shown that not all brain damage occurs at the time of injury, but rather evolves over the hours and days following trauma. Secondary injury may result from various factors including hypoxia (insufficient oxygen) a ....Traumatic brain injury is the major cause of death in the young population below the age of 40 years. Approximately 25% of patients that survive head injury remain with permanent neurological disabilities with considerable family, professional and economic costs. Extensive research has shown that not all brain damage occurs at the time of injury, but rather evolves over the hours and days following trauma. Secondary injury may result from various factors including hypoxia (insufficient oxygen) as a consequence of respiratory distress that occurs in about 50% of patients with severe head trauma. Hypoxia is known to significantly worsen the neurological impairment and potentially lead to death. Brain injury and hypoxia have the ability to separately trigger cerebral inflammation. A dual role has been attributed to inflammation: to promote tissue repair but also add further damage through the release of neurotoxic substances. We hypothesise that hypoxia occurring after traumatic brain injury enhances the inflammatory response in the brain and aggravate tissue damage as well as neurological dysfunction. This hypothesis will be tested on a rat model of brain injury whereby the animals will be exposed to moderate-severe hypoxia immediately after trauma. The production of multiple inflammatory mediators will be quantified in the brain tissue and also in cerebrospinal fluid. The concentration of these mediators will be compared with the levels of cellular injury proteins known to increase following injury to determine whether a correlation exists. In a clinical study on patients, we will measure the same inflammatory mediators and proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of individuals with severe head injury. The suitability of these factors for potential use as diagnostic-prognostic markers of either hypoxia or injury will be determined.Read moreRead less
Improving Research Evidence Quality Using Individual Patient Data, Prospective Meta-analysis And Trial Registration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
The quality of evidence we use to make health care decisions can be improved if we use systematic reviews that are planned ahead, that use raw data from each participant and include all the trials that have looked at the clinical problem. This research program will utilise these three ways of obtaining better quality data and will thus make research results more reliable. In particular, we will use these techniques to address health problems in mothers and babies.
Fluid resuscitation is widely used in the management of critically ill patients. There are a variety of different fluids available to doctors but there is little evidence regarding how effective they are. One of the most commonly used fluids, a hydroxyethyl starch was recently approved by the TGA for use in Australia. This project aims to compare how effective and safe this fluid is compared to another widely used fluid, saline, for resuscitation of critically ill patients in intensive care.
Cancer is now the leading cause of death in our community. Dramatic progress in genomic technologies is impacting on cancer treatment and risk management internationally. My vision is an Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Program (AGCMP), uniting than 15 cancer centres and three major medical research institutes in all states and territories, and bringing genomics through research into the clinic to improve health outcomes for all Australians.
Increasing Value, Reducing Waste From Incomplete Or Unusable Reports Of Medical Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$788,486.00
Summary
We estimated that the avoidable waste in research - from design flaws, non-publication, and inadequate reporting - results in over $85 Billion annual loss. I will research innovations to reduce this waste. My focus is particularly on non-drug interventions - exercises, dietary changes, self-monitoring, e-health applications – which are often effective but more difficult to use in clinical practice, and being compiled in my recently founded Handbook of Non-Drug Interventions (see RACGP website).
ADding Negative PRESSure To Improve HealING (the DRESSING Trial)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,380,446.00
Summary
The aim of this 5-year randomised comtrolled trial is to test the clinical and cost effectiveness of vacuum dressings in reducing the incidence of surgical site infection in obese women undergoing elective and semi-urgent caesarian section. The trial will be conducted at 4 hospitals in south east Queensland. 2,100 women undergoing caesarian section will either receive a vacuum or standard surgical dressing and will be followed for 1 month after surgery.
Pathophysiology And Treatment Of Malaria In Our Region
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$951,005.00
Summary
Malaria continues to kill 420,000 people/year. I will lead a team of clinical scientists in identifying how each of the different malaria parasites cause damage to small blood vessels, kidneys and other organs, and will test whether two different drugs can improve these processes and reduce illness. Many of my previous research findings have changed malaria treatment in Australia and across SE Asia, and, where appropriate, I will use new research findings to improve treatments.
Improving The Impact Of Perioperative Clinical Trials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,733.00
Summary
This research focuses on (i) Designing and conducting large multicentre trials in anaesthesia and surgery, (ii) Confirming new patient-centred outcome measures in surgery, such as patient-rated quality of recovery, returning home after surgery, and disability-free survival; and (iii) Innovative trial designs to improve the efficiency (less burden, lower costs) of trials.