On The Scene: The Epidemiology Of HIV Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) In Victoria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$73,397.00
Summary
This PhD will focus specifically on HIV among men who have sex with men in Victoria in effort to identify factors that may explain recent increases in rates of new HIV diagnoses and explore characteristics associated with HIV risk. It will incorporate surveillance and epidemiological data, examinations of local health promotion and HIV prevention initiatives and incorporate modelling methods for HIV to support HIV prevention programs and inform health and service planning in Australia.
Translational Public Health Research Addressing Complex Questions In Maternal, Perinatal And Indigenous Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,872.00
Summary
The health of women during pregnancy and the first year after giving birth is critical to the health and well-being of children. This research aims to improve understanding of the causes and consequences of poor maternal health and contribute to better informed policy and practice in maternity, early postnatal and primary care services. It focuses on 3 major themes: improving women’s health after childbirth; maternity and early postnatal care; and Indigenous women’s and children’s health.
Investigating The Application Of Population Data To Improve Maternal And Child Health Services In Two Remote Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,281.00
Summary
This project will contribute to the understanding of how routinely collected population health data relate to remote Aboriginal communities and how such data can be used in two field sites. Population data are widely used, but the opportunity to investigate these matters is limited. The nesting of this study within a larger project aimed at improving health services for mothers and babies provides a unique opportunity to investigate aspects of applying macro level data at a local level.
Methodology For Population Health Research: Training And Innovation In Longitudinal Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,963,750.00
Summary
This proposal builds on the applicants' experience with existing cohort studies to identify, evaluate and address areas of methodological concern, particularly with longitudinal studies. The group's ability to develop robust longitudinal methods in relation to these concerns will have the potential for both increasing knowledge of the determinants of population health and increasing their ability to attract trainee biostatisticians, an identified area of need in the country as a whole. The grant ....This proposal builds on the applicants' experience with existing cohort studies to identify, evaluate and address areas of methodological concern, particularly with longitudinal studies. The group's ability to develop robust longitudinal methods in relation to these concerns will have the potential for both increasing knowledge of the determinants of population health and increasing their ability to attract trainee biostatisticians, an identified area of need in the country as a whole. The grant will help position Australia at the cutting edge of research skills and methodology involved with longitudinal studies. Longitudinal studies provide a powerful means of collecting information about the health of populations. This grant will use multi-disciplinary approaches to develop innovative methods for designing longitudinal studies, collecting and analysing data and communicating results to improve people's health.Read moreRead less
Improving Research Evidence Quality Using Individual Patient Data, Prospective Meta-analysis And Trial Registration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
The quality of evidence we use to make health care decisions can be improved if we use systematic reviews that are planned ahead, that use raw data from each participant and include all the trials that have looked at the clinical problem. This research program will utilise these three ways of obtaining better quality data and will thus make research results more reliable. In particular, we will use these techniques to address health problems in mothers and babies.
ENDOPHTHALMITIS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1980-2002): INCIDENCE, MANAGEMENT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF CHEMOPROPHYLAXIS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,942.00
Summary
Endophthalmitis is a serious sight threatening infection of the internal cavities of the eye. Although endophthalmitis is not a common post-operative complication of eye surgery, 200 cases of this serious sight threatening infection occur each year in Australia following cataract surgery. Not only is this condition extremely distressing to the patients and surgeons alike, around A$4 million per year is spent each year treating the infection. Also, there is significant expenditure on methods to p ....Endophthalmitis is a serious sight threatening infection of the internal cavities of the eye. Although endophthalmitis is not a common post-operative complication of eye surgery, 200 cases of this serious sight threatening infection occur each year in Australia following cataract surgery. Not only is this condition extremely distressing to the patients and surgeons alike, around A$4 million per year is spent each year treating the infection. Also, there is significant expenditure on methods to prevent the infection that have not, as yet, been demonstrated beneficial. Our study will use a multidisciplinary team consisting of consultant ophthalmologists, public health researchers, a biostatistician and health economist to assess the impact of endophthalmitis in WA from 1980-2002 (around 480 cases). The population-based WA Linked Database provides a unique opportunity to produce what will be the largest population study of endophthalmitis. Data from the study will provide important information to develop best-practice treatment guidelines to prevent endophthalmitis following cataract surgery. The significance of this study will be that accurate information on the clinical epidemiology and true cost of endophthalmitis will be obtained for WA. By studying the records of patients with endophthalmitis and comparing them with matched patients, who did not have post-operative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery, we will characterise the risks for this severe complication by identifying the underlying factors that are responsible for the infection. We will also better understand the effect of methods used to prevent the infection. The use of a whole population-based study to assess methods of endophthalmitis prevention has not been done before and will have a significant beneficial impact on health policy and best-practice, not only in Australia, but also internationally.Read moreRead less
The Real And Changing Atherothrombotic Disease Burden And Secondary Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$507,387.00
Summary
Absolute numbers of Australians with diseased narrowed blood vessels in the heart, brain or leg are increasing, dominating health priorities and expenditure. By linking Department of Health datasets, without identifying individual's, trends in hospital admissions, prescription of chronic protective medications and the cost consequences to the health system among and across conditions will be determined. The findings will provide quality measures of hospital care and inform quality improvement
I conduct epidemiological research on illicit drug use and harm, with a particular focus upon surveillance of drug use disorders and morbidity in sentinel populations. My epidemiological research has focused particularly on the comorbidity between drug de
Exploring Innovative Epidemiological Research To Understand Sexually Transmissible Infections In Large Cohorts
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$396,249.00
Summary
The aim of my postdoctoral research is to develop skills in epidemiological and sexual health research dealing with large cohorts, and to produce data that will aid in the improvement of sexual health outcomes in the population. One study I will work on is The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, a population-based survey of 15,000 men and women covering a range of sexual and reproductive health outcomes, and measuring the prevalence of sexually transmissible infections.