A Vision Of Healthy Urban Design For NCD Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$608,911.00
Summary
We are living in a new city era with new risks for health, and new ways to understand them. This project will combine state-of-the art methods in computer vision and artificial intelligence alongside co-creation of a web-based toolkit for action for use by city planners and urban designers that demonstrate practical pathways Improving our understanding of the strengths and limitations of existing city designs to ensure they are safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable.
Does Obesity Have The Characteristics Of Addiction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,832.00
Summary
The number of overweight or obese people in Australia has increased dramatically in recent years, increasing disease risk. The brain responds to palatable food in ways similar to the response to drugs of addiction, and this may explain why people find it hard to resist palatable food. Our work will explore whether obesity in rats has the characteristics of addiction by examining bingeing, craving, withdrawal and brain circuits in animals chronically exposed to palatable food.
PRECIS: PRecision Evidence For Childhood Obesity Prevention InterventionS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,280,254.00
Summary
This project will bring together global knowledge on community-based obesity prevention to identify the most effective and equitable approaches to create healthier communities. The project will support communities to create positive actions that are tailored to their own community characteristics and resources, to prevent childhood obesity now and into the future.
Bringing Fields Together: Identifying Individuals At Risk Of Eating Disorders In Weight Management Programs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,144.00
Summary
A major barrier in improving obesity and eating disorder care is the hotly debated issue of eating disorder risk following weight management. Using 'big data' methods and international collaborations, we will analyse individual-level data from weight management trials with eating disorder assessments, and deconstruct these complex interventions into their smallest 'active ingredients'. We will translate findings into recommendations so that treatment approaches can be tailored to individuals.
Autophagy Increases With Age And Obesity To Protect Against Cellular Damage And Age-related Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,687.00
Summary
Waste recycling is a normal process through which cells clear unwanted material to maintain good health. There are some conditions that are associated with impaired waste recycling in cells (such as dementia), which make this process relevant to lifelong health. We have developed a new test that will, for the first time, enable accurate measurement of the recycling process 'in action' in humans, and may identify people who have poor cellular health.
THE IMMUNOLOGICAL LEGACY OF OBESITY ON VIRAL PATHOGENESIS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$652,275.00
Summary
Obesity is a key risk factor for severe viral infections. Our preliminary data suggest that in mice this susceptibility is not reduced by weight loss. In this grant we will investigate a) the mechanisms driving the legacy effect of obesity on antiviral immunity b) whether or not we can reverse this legacy effect by treatment with the drug MCC950 and c) the antiviral response of overweight children and adults who have and haven't recently lost weight.
A Consumer-centred Intervention Designed To Improve Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours And Weight Management In Preconception Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Healthy weight before conception plays a crucial role in the health of future generations. Identifying unique preconception groups of women who are most likely to respond to and engage with health promotion programs will improve effectiveness of obesity prevention initiatives. This research will inform and develop a tailored preconception health promotion program that will address both individual and population needs- Australia’s first consumer-centred approach to preconception health promotion.
Bridging The Gap: Translating Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Into Clinical Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$132,743.00
Summary
Healthcare providers are well placed to identify children at risk of obesity. This research aims to understand how health services are currently incorporating childhood obesity prevention into clinical practice, identify opportunities to incorporate obesity prevention policy within these services and determine how practical, systematic and feasible changes can be implemented. Ultimately this research will contribute to the efforts to decrease the rates of childhood obesity in Australia.