Microevolution And Transmission Of MRSA In A Hospital Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,300.00
Summary
Multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cause hospital-acquired infections and are responsible for unnecessary illness and excess health costs. It is hard to identify how different strains spread and which are most likely to cause disease, without a rapid, simple fingerprinting system. We have developed one, which we will use to identify the most _successful� MRSA strains. Then we will sequence their whole genomes, to determine why they are _successful� to devise ways to combat them.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101604
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Novel role for the universal signalling molecule nitric oxide within biofilm communities and across a biofilm-host interface. Biofilms on wet surfaces and tissues cause major problems by resisting antimicrobials. This project aims at exploiting how natural host response control systems alleviate biofilm build up and can be used to control biofilms in a non-toxic fashion. Countless environmental and clinical applications will benefit from reduced usage of antibiotics.
CAMERA: Combination Antibiotic Treatment For Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteraemia - A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,162,248.00
Summary
MRSA (golden staph) is resistant to the most useful class of antibiotics: beta-lactams. It is more difficult to treat than antibiotic-sensitive strains. Standard treatment for MRSA is vancomycin but it has high failure rates. Although MRSA is resistant to beta-lactams, lab studies show that they enhance vancomycin’s bacterial killing when used together. CAMERA2 is an RCT comparing vancomycin alone to combination therapy (vancomycin plus flucloxacillin) for adults with MRSA blood stream infection
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.
The True Burden Of Nosocomial Staphylococcal Disease: Genomic Markers Of Transmission Of Methicillin-sensitive And –resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$830,092.00
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of hospital infection, but previous studies have only focused on the 30% caused by resistant strains (MRSA). We will trace the spread of all Staphylococcus strains in hospitals using DNA fingerprinting. This will enable us to determine why patients catch this infection, permitting interventions to reduce hospital infection. We will also examine the genomes of these bacteria to look for markers of transmission and adaptation to the hospital environment.