Optimising Large-scale Public Health Interventions To Control Neglected Tropical Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) are a group of health conditions that affect the poorest of the poor, particularly in remote and rural areas. They affect the most vulnerable communities and cause substantial, chronic health harms impairing personal and social development. Several debilitating NTD are common in remote indigenous communities and Pacific islands. I propose a series of studies to investigate new strategies to control NTD in large populations where these diseases are endemic.
A Cluster RCT Of The Impact Of A Community-based Hygiene And Sanitation Programme On Infection With Intestinal Parasites Following Mass Albendazole Chemotherapy In Timor-Leste
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,178,136.00
Summary
Intestinal parasites cause anaemia, stunting, wasting and poor mental development in childhood, and are related to poverty and poor hygiene. Treatment with antiparasitic drugs cures infections in human hosts, but does not prevent rapid re-infection when people contact a parasite-contaminated environment. We will quantify the impact of a hygiene and sanitation programme that reduces environmental contamination in communities that receive mass treatment with the antiparasitic drug albendazole.
School Versus Community-based Albendazole Deworming For Control Of Soil Transmitted Helminths In School-age Children In The Philippines – A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,336,408.00
Summary
Intestinal parasites are a global health problem. The World Health Organization recommends regular distribution of deworming drugs, targeting school aged children. This is effective for the children receiving the drugs but does not have an impact in the wider community. We aim to determine the best strategy for delivery of deworming drugs, to achieve the maximum benefit both for children and wider community, by directly comparing the benefits of a school-targeted vs a community-mass approach.
Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It leads to long-term impairments in quality of life and has a 40% higher mortality rate compared with the general population. We know surprisingly little about the causes of Graves’ disease. One possible trigger is stressful life events; however, the relationship is yet to be proven. This study will assess whether stressful life events, specifically military deployment, are associated with Graves’ disease.
AusDiab 3: Emerging Risk Factors For And Long-term Incidence Of Cardio-metabolic Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,616,397.00
Summary
This study will track 11,000 Australian adults over 12 years to determine how many develop diabetes, obesity, kidney and heart disease. The study will develop ways to best predict those who are going to develop these conditions before they have arisen, and will explore a range of novel risk factors to better understand these conditions.
Development Of Early Warning Systems For Dengue Fever Based On Socio-ecological Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$327,402.00
Summary
Global climate change has potentially serious effects on the transmission of dengue. An early warning system (EWS) based on socio-ecological factors will be developed to examine where and when outbreaks of dengue are likely to occur and how the future dengue control strategies and prevention efforts need to be applied and strengthened in Australia. This project will provide a platform for future research on developing and implementing an EWS for dengue in the Asia-Pacific region.
Exploiting Existing Data Sources To Improve The Prevention And Treatment Of Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$772,490.00
Summary
My program of research exploits several large databases to answer important issues in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which makes a huge contribution to the burden of illness and premature mortality in Australia. An underlying aim is to provide the evidence base to facilitate improvement of the existing CVD risk assessment guidelines in Australia, for better targeting of clinical advice and treatment.
Although the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases have been known for decades, and modern-day treatment is much advanced, the importance of these diseases persists, such that they remain the number one killer in Australia. This suggests that more can be done to correctly identify those at high and moderate risk of future disease, so as to optimize advice and medical treatment. This project will use the best evidence available to develop new methods of risk prediction and prevention.
Predicting The Impact Of Current Obesity And Diabetes Trends On Future Prevalence Of Cardiovascular Disease In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$222,762.00
Summary
Obesity and diabetes are both strong risk factors for cardiovascular disease. As their prevalence has more than doubled over the past decades we need to know the likely effect on future rates of cardiovascular disease. Here we propose to create projection models for cardiovascular disease in Australia to estimate the future impact of trends in obesity and diabetes.