Professor Stick is a career clinician researcher in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine. He has established worl-leading research teams focused on respiratory diseases in young children such as cystic fibrosis and asthma. He has has developed innovative methods to study early childhood respiratory diseases and has been responsible for training scores of clinicians and scientists in the field. He has received national and international awards in recognition of his achievements.
Early Origins Study Of Cystic Fibrosis-related Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$128,188.00
Summary
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes recurrent lung infections and early death. Some patients also develop diabetes which causes a more rapid decline. Many young children with CF have “pre-diabetes” but guidelines do not recommend screening high glucose in this group. In order to intervene early, this study aims to determine if “pre-diabetes” in very young children with Cystic Fibrosis causes poorer growth, lung function or an increase in bacterial infections to.
A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Effects Of Early Life Exposure To General Anaesthesia On Neurobehavioural Outcomes In Children With Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,240.00
Summary
Anaesthesia permits surgeries and other interventional procedures that benefit the health of children to be performed painlessly and non-traumatically. This study will provide critical information about whether the drugs used commonly for general anaesthesia represents a risk to very young children in terms of their neurobehavioural development.
The Clinical Utility Of Small Airway Function Tests In Paediatric Respiratory Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$64,631.00
Summary
Respiratory disease is an important child health issue with long term implications into adulthood. The evaluation of small airways involvement in disease processes, using an accurate sensitive measures of function, such as forced oscillation technique and multiple breath washout, potentially facilitates not only early detection of disease, but instigation of earlier treatment, better assessment of response to treatment, and ultimately better outcome.
Epithelial Drivers Of Neutrophil Plasticity In Early Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$849,462.00
Summary
Why airway inflammation becomes chronic so early in life for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) is unclear. This project will use the latest techniques to characterise immune cells found in airways of infants with CF and model in the laboratory how immune cells react to the CF airway. We will challenge CF airway cells with different bugs that can infect the lung, then see if the responses by CF airway cells can change the normal response of immune cells, triggering chronic disease.
Long Term Outcomes Of Infant Lung Function In Cystic Fibrosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$509,456.00
Summary
We have shown that babies with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are apparently well can still have lung problems. As lung disease is the major cause of death in CF we need ways to monitor the condition in babies, identify those at greatest risk of lung changes and predict which children should receive newer treatments. We have developed a unique program for the measurement of lung function in babies. We now aim to find out the long term consequences of lung function changes detected in infants with CF.
Improving The Design Of Pragmatic Clinical Trials In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$128,224.00
Summary
Whilst clinical research is designed to investigate interventions that improve patient health, to date, patients (including children) and their families have had no say in deciding what health outcomes matter most to them. The voices of patients and their families must be heard and used to inform how studies are designed if we are to achieve an improved model of health care and health service delivery. We propose to investigate and provide recommendations as to how this is best achieved.
Inflammatory Airway Diseases In Children: Mechanisms Underlying And Preventative Strategies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$823,008.00
Summary
Professor Sly’s research concentrates on understanding why some children develop chronic lung disease and on finding ways to prevent this from happening.