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
A Record Linkage Study Of The Relationship Between Intra-uterine Growth, Birth Weight And Childhood Acute Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$126,000.00
Summary
Little is known about the causes of childhood leukaemia and cancer, and this has been the subject of intense study over many years. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) are the most common types of childhood cancers. The early age of onset of diagnosis of cancer-leukaemia in childhood has focused attention on factors related to pregnancy. Many studies have investigated the relationship between birth weight and risk of leukaemia. Some studies have reported finding ....Little is known about the causes of childhood leukaemia and cancer, and this has been the subject of intense study over many years. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) are the most common types of childhood cancers. The early age of onset of diagnosis of cancer-leukaemia in childhood has focused attention on factors related to pregnancy. Many studies have investigated the relationship between birth weight and risk of leukaemia. Some studies have reported finding an increasing risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia with increasing birth weight, but not all studies have reported this relationship. The relationship between birth weight and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia has been even less well described. Many previous studies have not taken account of important factors when analysing the results. This study will use an existing pool of routinely recorded health information, thus ensuring accurate information on birth weight and factors such as maternal height and age and the length of the pregnancy. We will also have complete and accurate information on childhood cancer in Western Australia. Our results will contribute to knowledge about the causes of childhood leukaemia and the biological pathways involved in its development. If growth-related factors do prove to be integrally involved in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia, then the rapidly increasing prevalence of juvenile diabetes, overweight and obesity in Australia and other developed countries could have even more serious implications for the health of our children. It is important that we investigate this question as soon as possible.Read moreRead less
Pathways To Avoidable And Unexplained Deaths In The Early Lifecourse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,108,086.00
Summary
There continues to be unacceptable numbers of avoidable deaths in early life in Australia, particularity among disadvantaged groups. This project will use novel, large-scale population data to identify and quantify the impact of risks to early life mortality and preventable pathways. This new knowledge will inform new strategies to prevent stillbirth and child deaths for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other populations.
Occupational Exposure To Lead Compounds And Human Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$222,887.00
Summary
This study aims to investigate whether there is a link between cancer (in particular cancer of the stomach, lung, kidney and central nervous system) and occupational exposure to lead compounds. There are only a few published cohort studies available on occupational exposures in use and applications of lead compounds, despite the widespread use of these compounds in the past 50 years. Since the late 1980s the use of lead compounds in Australia has decreased, but Australian and world lead producti ....This study aims to investigate whether there is a link between cancer (in particular cancer of the stomach, lung, kidney and central nervous system) and occupational exposure to lead compounds. There are only a few published cohort studies available on occupational exposures in use and applications of lead compounds, despite the widespread use of these compounds in the past 50 years. Since the late 1980s the use of lead compounds in Australia has decreased, but Australian and world lead production has increased. Australia is the world's biggest producer of lead. The precise number of lead workers worldwide is unknown but there are likely to be more than 2 million workers of which many are in developing countries where control of lead exposure is unsatisfactory and occupational exposure limits are considerably higher than in developed countries. Evidence for or against cancer risk with exposure to lead compounds , in particular inorganic lead, will therefore have implications for many Australian and international workers. This is also important for health risk assessment for environmental contamination in the Australian community. In our study we will review the state government archived records of about 8,000 lead workers in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, who took part in lead compound exposure surveys and had blood tests in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, as part of government lead regulations in force at the time. We will then match the details of these workers against the National Cancer and Death registry data to calculate cancer rates. This should involve a sufficient number of workers to enable us to undertake a comprehensive health evaluation of cancer risk and exposure to lead compounds.Read moreRead less
Our aim is to develop appropriate infrastructures necessary to facilitate access by researchers to the accumulated data, including questionnaires, direct physical measurements, blood, DNA and other tissues collected on over 40,000 people in the Health 2020 Cohort Study (Health 2020) and, subject to proposals being judged sufficiently meritorious by an approved peer review process and gaining HREC approval, to facilitate supervised access to participants as required.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100635
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,801.00
Summary
Understanding the development of lifestyle behaviours in early childhood. This project adopts novel statistical modelling and machine learning approaches to understand the development of lifestyle behaviours in early childhood. Despite the pivotal role of lifestyle behaviours in influencing health and quality of life, little research exists on lifestyle behaviours in early childhood. This project will establish a comprehensive understanding of lifestyle behaviours in early childhood by identifyi ....Understanding the development of lifestyle behaviours in early childhood. This project adopts novel statistical modelling and machine learning approaches to understand the development of lifestyle behaviours in early childhood. Despite the pivotal role of lifestyle behaviours in influencing health and quality of life, little research exists on lifestyle behaviours in early childhood. This project will establish a comprehensive understanding of lifestyle behaviours in early childhood by identifying key developmental time points, mechanisms of behavioural change, and children at risk of developing poor lifestyle behaviours. The project will inform strategies and policies to optimise lifestyle behaviours from the start of life and showcase the capabilities of novel methods in advancing behavioural epidemiology.Read moreRead less
Exploiting SNP Data In Epidemiology And Genetics Through Multivariate Analysis Of Complex Traits
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,981.00
Summary
There is overlap in risk factors across multiple diseases, and some of that overlap is due to genetic factors. The availability of genome-wide DNA data on tens of thousands of patients for multiple diseases and healthy controls allows new questions to be asked and answered. For example, what is the overlap due to genes in disease risk for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis? This project will develop and statistical genetic methodology to answer such questions and apply those methods to ....There is overlap in risk factors across multiple diseases, and some of that overlap is due to genetic factors. The availability of genome-wide DNA data on tens of thousands of patients for multiple diseases and healthy controls allows new questions to be asked and answered. For example, what is the overlap due to genes in disease risk for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis? This project will develop and statistical genetic methodology to answer such questions and apply those methods to a range of important diseases.Read moreRead less
I am a genetic epidemiologist focused on bowel cancer risk. I will develop a comprehensive model to estimate individual cancer risk by studying the effects of personal characteristics, cancer history, genetic factors and family history of cancer using large data sets from international consortia I helped establish. My research will enable targeting of screening to those most at risk and will aid the discovery of new causes for bowel cancer.