Innovative Neuroscience To Improve Treatment Of Sleep Disturbances For Prevention Of Depression And Anxiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Insomnia patients have disturbed sleep and symptoms similar to people with depression and anxiety. Treatments are far from optimal and have not progressed since the beginning of the century. My pioneering work identified insomnia patients at risk of depression and anxiety and revealed a potential way of targeting disturbed sleep to resolve emotional distress. Now, my mission is to understand why they are at risk and develop innovative treatments that reduce their risk for depression and anxiety.
The Kids Aren’t Alright: Preventing Depression In Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,715.00
Summary
Depression frequently emerges for the first-time during adolescence. This project examines ways to prevent depression in young people by: (i) partnering with schools to deliver broad universal programs to students through the education system, and (ii) treating sleep disturbance, a powerful but non-stigmatised risk factor for onset of depression. Findings from this research will inform innovative ways to address the depression crisis through the optimisation of prevention approaches.
Minimising Uptake Of E-cigarettes And Encouraging Cessation Among Australian Adolescents And Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Efforts are needed to address the growing use of e-cigarettes among Australians to prevent potential increases in smoking rates and minimise harm. My research aims to: 1. Develop and test a model examining predictors of e-cigarette use and susceptibility to use among adolescents and adults. 2. Develop, implement, and evaluate messages that effectively minimise uptake and encourage cessation of e-cigarette use. 3. Develop resources for stakeholders that provide guidance on managing use.
Addressing Evidence Gaps And Developing A Novel Treatment To Reduce The Burden Of Post-traumatic Knee Osteoarthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Arthritis caused by knee injury has a devastating personal and economic impact. Research is needed to develop strategies to prevent arthritis and improve outcomes for people living with arthritis. This research will improve treatment of knee injury to reduce arthritis risk, understand why some people are more likely to get knee arthritis, and develop a new treatment to improve outcomes for people living with knee arthritis. A clinical trial will determine if this treatment achieves this aim.
Revolutionising Multiple Sclerosis Care And Trials Through E-health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,182,124.00
Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is now a highly treatable disease. However, many people with MS are not treated optimally because health care delivery is intermittent and disease monitoring is patchy. People failing treatment should switch quickly to prevent disability, but the treatment choices and sequences also need to be safe long-term. The solution to these problems, to be validated by my team, is greater involvement of people with MS in their own monitoring though e-health tools.
Improving Outcome For People With Heart Diseases Using Digital Health Technologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$606,009.00
Summary
Digital technologies such as smart phones, wearable devices, sensors and artificial intelligence have shown promise to improve human health. However, evidence that these technologies can improve health outcomes in people with heart disease is lacking. My program of research in digital health will address this need and develop new model-of-care for people with heart disease to better monitor their health, take action before their health deteriorates and provide much needed support at home.
Leaving No One Behind: Community-driven Approaches To Eliminate HIV In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,562,250.00
Summary
Eliminating HIV from Australia is possible with effective HIV prevention methods like treatment as prevention (TasP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However there are inequities in our HIV response with declines of new infections in Australian-born men who have sex with men but not in overseas-born Australian men. This program uses crowdsourcing (sharing solutions from the community to eliminate HIV) and evaluates the value of the proposed solutions, to inform HIV policy.
HIV incidence remains exceptionally high in young South African women. I will leverage samples collected during two funded clinical studies in South Africa to investigate the relationships between female reproductive tract inflammation, microbiome communities and function, contraceptive use and HIV acquisition. This study will improve our understanding of the factors that influence HIV infection in this key population, as well as HIV incidence globally.
The Elimination Of Viral Hepatitis And Ending HIV/AIDS As Global Health Threats.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,114,215.00
Summary
Over the next five years my research will focus on reducing the impact of blood-borne viruses (BBVs), , particularly HCV, in vulnerable populations. Using innovative surveillance systems, research methods, implementation science and mathematical modelling, I will study BBV transmission and develop interventions to reduce it and associated risk behaviours (drug and alcohol use and sexual risk) and increase testing and treatment. My work will advance elimination of BBVs as public health threats.