Global Corporate Challenge Evaluation: The evaluation of a low-cost, low-impact physical-activity workplace intervention. Societal increases in obesity and physical inactivity have led to consideration of workplace interventions as a potential for improving health. However, long-term evaluations of such interventions are rare. Here we will evaluate the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), which engages employees to participate in a four month pedometer-based program aimed at increasing their physic ....Global Corporate Challenge Evaluation: The evaluation of a low-cost, low-impact physical-activity workplace intervention. Societal increases in obesity and physical inactivity have led to consideration of workplace interventions as a potential for improving health. However, long-term evaluations of such interventions are rare. Here we will evaluate the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), which engages employees to participate in a four month pedometer-based program aimed at increasing their physical activity levels. We will follow 1000 participants for two years to determine the short and long-term health benefits of the program and to provide insight into factors that may improve the success of such programs. Such findings are essential for appropriate government and industry policy decisions in this area of chronic disease prevention. Read moreRead less
Planning female and male vaccination and cervical screening strategies to achieve optimal prevention of HPV-related disease. The findings from this research will inform the development of public health policy on the most cost-effective utilisation of resources for preventing cervical, anogenital and head/neck cancers, and genital warts, in women and men, due to human papillomavirus (HPV). We will evaluate strategies for using emerging screening and vaccine technologies to prevent HPV-related dis ....Planning female and male vaccination and cervical screening strategies to achieve optimal prevention of HPV-related disease. The findings from this research will inform the development of public health policy on the most cost-effective utilisation of resources for preventing cervical, anogenital and head/neck cancers, and genital warts, in women and men, due to human papillomavirus (HPV). We will evaluate strategies for using emerging screening and vaccine technologies to prevent HPV-related disease, and assess potential adverse outcomes of vaccination. Men are currently not covered by routine vaccination or screening programs; this research will assess the benefit to men of vaccinating women only, and will consider the impact of vaccination and other interventions targeted towards men.Read moreRead less
Advanced Bayesian Networks for Epidemiology. We will demonstrate the potential of advanced Artificial Intelligence for medical informatics by extending the capabilities of Bayesian Networks. Bayesian Networks excel when researchers need to combine causal and diagnostic reasoning in areas characterised by uncertainty. But they have one flaw which hinders their use: they do not yet easily mix continuous and discrete variables. We will extend them to handle such mixes, then demonstrate how much the ....Advanced Bayesian Networks for Epidemiology. We will demonstrate the potential of advanced Artificial Intelligence for medical informatics by extending the capabilities of Bayesian Networks. Bayesian Networks excel when researchers need to combine causal and diagnostic reasoning in areas characterised by uncertainty. But they have one flaw which hinders their use: they do not yet easily mix continuous and discrete variables. We will extend them to handle such mixes, then demonstrate how much they can improve on current methods for predicting, among other things, coronary heart disease (CHD).Read moreRead less