Perinatal Exposure To Household And Environmental Toxins And The Risk Of Asthma And Allergic Disease Up To 25 Years
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$291,078.00
Summary
Perinatal exposure to household and environmental toxins may increase asthma and allergic disease risk. Adverse exposures in this critical developmental window may have a marked and prolonged effect on health. A birth cohort of high-allergy risk children will be used to investigate the effect of common chemical exposures on the risk of asthma and allergic disease up to 25 years. This evidence could be used to inform guidelines on common household chemical exposures
Do Exposures Before Conception Influence The Risk Of Asthma In Offspring?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$688,586.00
Summary
Asthma and poor lung function are major causes of public health issues. Emerging evidence suggests adverse exposures even before the conception of a child may cause these conditions. The proposed project is part of an international study across generations to identify these factors. This study will provide novel evidence to guide interventions and identify studies to advance this area further. These original findings will be of great importance both nationally and internationally.
Epidemiology Of Allergic Diseases And The Role Of Early Life Eczema
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,306.00
Summary
Eczema prevents our children from getting a healthy start to life, increases their risk of developing asthma and hay-fever, and we don’t know how to prevent this condition. Dr. Lowe will help identify causes and the outcomes of eczema and allergic diseases in early life, by using a number of important research projects. This research includes an intervention trial that aims to prevent the development of allergic disease and sensitisation, which Dr Lowe leads
Evaluation Of The Associations Between Childhood Asthma Hospitalisations, Outdoor Fungal Spores And Environmental Effect Modifiers.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$141,558.00
Summary
Asthma is a major cause of childhood hospital admission, impairs quality of life, contributes to high financial burdens on families and health system and can lead to chronic lung problems. Little is known about the combined effects of outdoor fungi, air pollutants and viruses in causing asthma exacerbations. This research aims to investigate the role of outdoor fungi in child asthma hospitalisations and how their role links with respiratory viral infections and changes in air quality.
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.
An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Asthma In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$36,174.00
Summary
It is important to understand whether physical activity can prevent asthma, or whether asthma prevents children from being physically active, as this will influence the decisions we make with regard to the management of both childhood asthma and childhood activity. This work uses data from two studies of Australian children to tease out which path is the most important path to target when trying to increase physical activity levels and improve the respiratory health of children and adolescents.
Environmental Risk Factors And Genetic Modifiers For Lung Health And Lung Function In A High Risk Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,348.00
Summary
Asthma is an important determinant of respiratory health and longevity. While early life exposures are thought to be important, the evidence linking them with asthma and lung function is inconclusive. There is a scarcity of longitudinal studies and few investigate genes and environment. This study will determine whether environmental exposures along with their relevant genetic modifiers are related to increased risk of asthma and impaired lung function in a high allergy risk birth cohort.
The Predictors Of Asthma And Lung Function Deficits In The Third Decade: Longitudinal Study Of MACS Sibships
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,176,908.00
Summary
This will be the world’s first birth cohort study to use substantial prospective data to investigate how biological, psychosocial, and environmental markers from birth will predict asthma and lung function in the third decade of life. Our findings will be crucial to the development of new policy and practice for the prevention and management of these conditions and uncover crucial risk factors for young adult asthma.