Air Pollution And Mortality And Morbidity In Adult Australians (APMMA Study): A Large Population Based Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,041,410.00
Summary
This study will investigate the link between respiratory and cardiovascular disease and mortality and exposure to long-term air pollution. We will use cutting edge methods to assign neighbourhood air pollution levels to a large cohort of NSW adults (n>265,000) previously recruited in the 45 and Up Study. The study results will be of utmost importance in setting outdoor air pollution standards and informing cost benefit analyses of air pollution control strategies.
Tracking Epidermal Clonal Evolution During Skin Cancer Induction And Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$558,168.00
Summary
Skin cancer is the most frequent form of cancer in Australia and in many parts of the world. It is strongly connected to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In this project, we will use our capacity to track individual cells, to observe the heterogeneity of tumours and the lesions that precede them. We will show the importance of this heterogeneity in tumour progression unveiling the limits of current therapies against skin cancer.
Exploration Of Exposures Associated With Bedding That Are Risks For Childhood Allergy And Asthma Symptoms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$263,500.00
Summary
Asthma prevalence in Australia has doubled in the last 20 years, with 1 in 4 children now affected. House dust mites are probably the single most important allergen associated with asthma. The prevalence of mite allergy is linked to exposure, and such allergy when combined with high exposure, is a potent risk factor for asthma exacerbations. The current international advice for managing mite-allergic asthma, strongly advocates the use of bedding encasings as the best way to reduce exposure. Howe ....Asthma prevalence in Australia has doubled in the last 20 years, with 1 in 4 children now affected. House dust mites are probably the single most important allergen associated with asthma. The prevalence of mite allergy is linked to exposure, and such allergy when combined with high exposure, is a potent risk factor for asthma exacerbations. The current international advice for managing mite-allergic asthma, strongly advocates the use of bedding encasings as the best way to reduce exposure. However, three recent major trials using encasings and a meta-analysis of earlier trials all fail to show a clinical benefit. One of the applicants (ET) recently showed, using expertise in measuring personal exposure, that these encasings, as used, fail to significantly reduce aeroallergen exposure. By contrast, 3 recent Australian studies, involving the applicants, AK, ALP and NG showed that feather bedding compared to synthetic bedding, was strongly protective for asthma - the opposite of public advice. The suggested mechanisms involve reduced exposure to mite allergens, or altered exposure to bacterial endotoxin, but persuasive experimental support is lacking. We also propose a novel hypothesis that feather exposure may induce allergic 'tolerance'. Currently there is a lack of certainty about valid approaches to prevent asthma, and the Global Initiative for Asthma has described the need to understand mechanisms and improve interventions as urgent. This project is an ideal opportunity to combine the expertise of the CIA (ET) in measuring airborne exposures (mite, endotoxin, proteins) with that of the others who have expertise in children's asthma, and who are already involved in two large clinical trails involving different bedding and allergen avoidance. Our measurements of these bedding exposures and their clinical outcomes will provide, for the first time, a quantitative basis to refine public health allergen-based interventions to prevent and manage asthma.Read moreRead less
Susceptibility Of The Basal Layer Of Human Epidermis To UVA Oxidative Damage Due To Pheomelanin And Suboptimal DNA Repair
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$559,354.00
Summary
Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. It is important to understand how sunlight causes skin cancer and the wavelengths involved in order to devise effective preventative and therapeutic strategies. Our proposal is that the cells in the skin that give rise to the most common forms of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, are particularly vulnerable to UVA. We aim to study why this is the case and whether this vulnerability can be prevented.
Infectious And Lifestyle Determinants Of Non-melanoma Skin Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$983,711.00
Summary
Basal and squamous cell skin cancers are the leading cancers in Australia, with about 2% of the population developing them each year. As well as sun exposure, a number of other factors have been thought to effect these cancers. This study will examine if factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and infection with certain skin related human papillomaviruses also increase their risk. Even a small effect may make a big difference when it comes to preventing these common cancers.
Low Cost High Precision Radiotherapy: A Synergistic Framework For Tumour Tracking During Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Advances in technology have enabled radiotherapy to become more sophisticated and more efficient at treating cancer. Yet, despite its sophistication, today radiotherapy suffers from a major problem: whilst we routinely image patients prior to treatment, no anatomical information is available during treatment. This project aims to solve this problem by making use of a number of sensors that are already available in a radiotherapy to track the tumours positions during treatment, when it counts.
The Economic And Social Impacts Of Genetic Sequencing For Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,263,576.00
Summary
In this project we will quantify the social and financial costs to families of severe intellectual disability that is genetic in origin. We will assess these impacts in terms of poorer carer health, relationship breakdown, lost income and risk of poverty, as well as increased dependence on government, particularly on welfare payments, and reduced personal income tax paid. We will then determine the extent to which modern clinical genomics can contribute to ameliorating these impacts.
Mathematical Modelling For Improved Planning Of Infectious Diseases Control Policy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,750,000.00
Summary
We will develop high-level technical capacity in mathematical modeling of infectious disease transmission and control in Australia, with a focus on research that informs health policy. The aim is to assist Australia to have efficient and effective control strategies and help to prepare us against the threat of emerging infections. Priority areas are vaccination programs, HIV-AIDS, emerging infections and bio-terrorism. Six talented young researchers will be trained by the lead applicant team. To ....We will develop high-level technical capacity in mathematical modeling of infectious disease transmission and control in Australia, with a focus on research that informs health policy. The aim is to assist Australia to have efficient and effective control strategies and help to prepare us against the threat of emerging infections. Priority areas are vaccination programs, HIV-AIDS, emerging infections and bio-terrorism. Six talented young researchers will be trained by the lead applicant team. Together, we will develop a prominent and experienced research team capable of sustaining international quality research into the future. Their work will meet immediate, existing policy needs at state, national and global levels. The program includes the establishment of a Network of Infectious Diseases Modellers of Australia (NIDMA) as a research resource of national expertise, peer support and a means of ongoing communication and collaboration in infectious diseases control. The critical mass of modeling expertise that we create will be sustainable long-term, and will expand to support research concerned with chronic and other non-infectious diseases after the lifetime of the grant.Read moreRead less
Increasing the effectiveness of quantitative verification. The ability to analyse the performance of complex systems and protocols is a vital part of the development of large-scale computer applications. Methods that improve the effectiveness of the analysis task would increase the competitiveness of the software industry, and would attract future development work (in complex systems) to Australia. The results of this project will have a direct influence on currently available design tools; the ....Increasing the effectiveness of quantitative verification. The ability to analyse the performance of complex systems and protocols is a vital part of the development of large-scale computer applications. Methods that improve the effectiveness of the analysis task would increase the competitiveness of the software industry, and would attract future development work (in complex systems) to Australia. The results of this project will have a direct influence on currently available design tools; the fact that Australian institutions will be (in part) responsible for key theoretical results in this growing field will strengthen Australia's position worldwide as an international centre for computer science.Read moreRead less
Bayesian Inference for Multivariate Hierarchical Regression Models. This project will develop Bayesian methodology for analysing multivariate regression models. The distribution of each measurement can be discrete or continuous, with the dependence between measurements obtained through the correlation matrix of a Gaussian copula. Model parsimony is obtained by identifying zero elements in the correlation matrix or its inverse and by variable selection on the regression parameters. The results wi ....Bayesian Inference for Multivariate Hierarchical Regression Models. This project will develop Bayesian methodology for analysing multivariate regression models. The distribution of each measurement can be discrete or continuous, with the dependence between measurements obtained through the correlation matrix of a Gaussian copula. Model parsimony is obtained by identifying zero elements in the correlation matrix or its inverse and by variable selection on the regression parameters. The results will be applied to solve problems in finance, health management and marketing. In all these fields multiple observations are often taken per individual or time period and the models need to incorporate measures of dependence and uncertainty.Read moreRead less