My research focuses on allergies and chronic respiratory disease in children, teenagers and adults. My goal is to identify the factors, which cause these conditions and also the factors, which can stop these conditions from getting worse. I will work with health professionals and the community to make sure the results of my research are used by doctors to improve the care of people with allergies and chronic respiratory diseases.
School Versus Community-based Albendazole Deworming For Control Of Soil Transmitted Helminths In School-age Children In The Philippines – A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,336,408.00
Summary
Intestinal parasites are a global health problem. The World Health Organization recommends regular distribution of deworming drugs, targeting school aged children. This is effective for the children receiving the drugs but does not have an impact in the wider community. We aim to determine the best strategy for delivery of deworming drugs, to achieve the maximum benefit both for children and wider community, by directly comparing the benefits of a school-targeted vs a community-mass approach.
What Are The Lifetime Clinical Predictors And Risk Factors For Multiple Phenotypes Of Adult Asthma, COPD And Sleep Disordered Breathing? Following Up The TAHS Cohort From 1st To 6th Decade
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,950,689.00
Summary
Breathing gets impaired and impact on the productivity and quality of life when chronic respiratory diseases rise with ageing. Adult chronic respiratory diseases are major causes of illness and death but there are still many gaps in knowledge on how best to prevent and manage these diseases. The proposed program will provide evidence to guide health policy and clinical management of these diseases. These original findings will be of great importance both nationally and internationally.
Optimising Large-scale Public Health Interventions To Control Neglected Tropical Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) are a group of health conditions that affect the poorest of the poor, particularly in remote and rural areas. They affect the most vulnerable communities and cause substantial, chronic health harms impairing personal and social development. Several debilitating NTD are common in remote indigenous communities and Pacific islands. I propose a series of studies to investigate new strategies to control NTD in large populations where these diseases are endemic.
Sustainable Control And Elimination Of Neglected Tropical Diseases In The Asia-Pacific
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,065.00
Summary
The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are of major public health importance. Parasitic worms are the most common infecting almost a third of the world’s population. Multi-component integrated intervention strategies will be required for sustainable control and elimination of NTDs in the Asia-Pacific. I will develop and lead the first Australian Centre for Population Health Research on NTDs that will undertake research into their epidemiology, control and elimination.
Genetic Epidemiology Of Chronic Respiratory Diseases From Childhood To Adulthood: A Prospective Study Of Sibships
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$889,220.00
Summary
Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) are a major public health problem. It is known that CRDs change over time but we have no information on causes of these changes. Some childhood asthmatics continue to have asthma as adults and-or develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) while others are free of any adult CRD. Some of those who do not have childhood asthma develop asthma and-or COPD as adults while the others remain free of CRDs from childhood to adulthood. To investigate risk facto ....Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) are a major public health problem. It is known that CRDs change over time but we have no information on causes of these changes. Some childhood asthmatics continue to have asthma as adults and-or develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) while others are free of any adult CRD. Some of those who do not have childhood asthma develop asthma and-or COPD as adults while the others remain free of CRDs from childhood to adulthood. To investigate risk factors for these changes, following up siblings over time is a powerful tool. As siblings share the childhood environment but not the adult environment, it helps to disentangle childhood environment, adult environment and genetic factors. The Tasmanian Asthma Study (TAS) is amongst worlds' major longitudinal respiratory studies and it is unique because it was conceived as a family study, with all the family members and the family environment being surveyed. TAS commenced in 1968 by investigating 8,585 school children born in 1961 (referred to as probands), their parents (16,267) and siblings (21,044). By the end of 2006, we will have completed the 37-year follow-up of the TAS probands, which focuses on non-genetic risk factors for middle-age CRDs. This follow-up together with baseline data now provides a unique opportunity for conducting a sibling study, which can concurrently examine genes, childhood environment and adult environment for change in CRDs. Also, it will provide a platform for future studies to investigate the progression of CRDs in this family cohort. Therefore, we now seek funding to extend the current follow-up to include the siblings. This will be the world's only population-based respiratory sibling study that spans childhood to adulthood. This will provide information for preventing chronic respiratory morbidity and disability in the future, which will be original and significant not only in Australia but also internationally.Read moreRead less
Allergies and chronic respiratory diseases are major causes of illness and death in Australia. Worryingly there are still many gaps in knowledge on how best to prevent and manage these diseases. The proposed program will investigate these questions and provide evidence to guide health policy and clinical management. As this program is built on state-of the-art methods and technology, these original Australian findings will be of great importance internationally.
Innovative Approaches To Reducing The Impact Of Blood Borne Viruses And Sexually Transmitted Infections On Young People.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,859.00
Summary
Over the next 5 years I will undertake a program of research centred on reducing the impact of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in vulnerable populations, particularly young people. I will study how these infections are transmitted, associated risk behaviours including drug and alcohol use and sexual risk, and develop interventions to improve the detection and management of infected individuals.