An Investigation into Suicidal Behaviours by Males during the Process of Marital and De Facto Separation. The project has a likelihood of reducing rates of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviour by high-risk groups such as males aged 25 - 44, and growing Australian populations such as the separated/divorced. The anticipated saving of lives, injuries, and mental distress is expected to achieve substantial and sustainable cutback in individual, corporate and public expenditure on mental health, i ....An Investigation into Suicidal Behaviours by Males during the Process of Marital and De Facto Separation. The project has a likelihood of reducing rates of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviour by high-risk groups such as males aged 25 - 44, and growing Australian populations such as the separated/divorced. The anticipated saving of lives, injuries, and mental distress is expected to achieve substantial and sustainable cutback in individual, corporate and public expenditure on mental health, injury control and suicide prevention by government, community and corporate agencies. Time and personnel resources utilised by the police, ambulance, coroner, hospital, and insurance departments can be diverted from highly preventable suicides to other areas. Read moreRead less
Epidemiology of pathogens in wildlife populations: significance for conservation, human health and livestock. Recent research shows that pathogens may play a central role in wildlife population dynamics. Emergent disease problems in humans and livestock may result from reservoir infections in wildlife. However, methods to determine the impact of pathogens on populations, as distinct from individuals within populations, are poorly developed, as are models necessary to evaluate alternative control ....Epidemiology of pathogens in wildlife populations: significance for conservation, human health and livestock. Recent research shows that pathogens may play a central role in wildlife population dynamics. Emergent disease problems in humans and livestock may result from reservoir infections in wildlife. However, methods to determine the impact of pathogens on populations, as distinct from individuals within populations, are poorly developed, as are models necessary to evaluate alternative control strategies for pathogens, particularly where reservoir hosts are involved. This project will develop these methods using four case studies: chyridiomycosis in frogs, Hendra virus in bats, Newcastle disease in wild birds and arboviruses in kangaroos and other macropods.Read moreRead less
Epidemiology and pathogenesis of chytridiomycosis in Australian frogs. Strong evidence exists that chytridiomycosis is an introduced disease of amphibians that has caused mass mortality resulting in amphibian population declines and extinctions. Epidemiologic studies will include i) field and experimental studies to determine mortality rates, transmission rates, differences in species susceptibility, and persistence of the pathogen as a saprobe, and ii) molecular epidemiology of fungal strains t ....Epidemiology and pathogenesis of chytridiomycosis in Australian frogs. Strong evidence exists that chytridiomycosis is an introduced disease of amphibians that has caused mass mortality resulting in amphibian population declines and extinctions. Epidemiologic studies will include i) field and experimental studies to determine mortality rates, transmission rates, differences in species susceptibility, and persistence of the pathogen as a saprobe, and ii) molecular epidemiology of fungal strains to examine spread and origin. Pathogenicity studies will be aimed at how chytridiomycosis causes death in frogs. The results will be significant for the conservation of amphibians worldwide and in improving our understanding of diseases in free-living animals.Read moreRead less
Disease in endangered species: The importance of multiple-host infection and spatial structure. Pathogens are increasingly recognised as threats to endangered species. Managing such threats requires models to assess alternative strategies. Most current models deal with a single host and single pathogen, without spatial structure, although multiple-host pathogens pose the greatest conservation threats. This project develops a new generation of spatially-structured multiple-host models, and applie ....Disease in endangered species: The importance of multiple-host infection and spatial structure. Pathogens are increasingly recognised as threats to endangered species. Managing such threats requires models to assess alternative strategies. Most current models deal with a single host and single pathogen, without spatial structure, although multiple-host pathogens pose the greatest conservation threats. This project develops a new generation of spatially-structured multiple-host models, and applies them to two case studies. The first is the chytrid fungus that is thought to have lead to widespread declines and extinctions of frogs in Australia and overseas. The second is birdpox and malaria that have led to the extinction and endangerment of much of Hawaii's endemic avifauna.Read moreRead less
Visual field impairment and injury: A population-based study. This project aims to link a large-scale ophthalmic database of visual field tests to population-based injury data which includes police-reported crash data, hospitalisation, death and trauma data in people aged over 60 years. The identification of individuals with high risk visual fields will enable the development of targeted interventions at the local, national and international level to prevent injuries due to visual field loss. Si ....Visual field impairment and injury: A population-based study. This project aims to link a large-scale ophthalmic database of visual field tests to population-based injury data which includes police-reported crash data, hospitalisation, death and trauma data in people aged over 60 years. The identification of individuals with high risk visual fields will enable the development of targeted interventions at the local, national and international level to prevent injuries due to visual field loss. Significant benefits include a reduction in the number of injuries and consequent reductions in personal harm and health care demands.Read moreRead less
Predicting Malaria and Other Vector-borne Disease Risk Using Eco-epidemiological Models. The project will benefit the nation by safeguarding public health through modelling and assessing the risk of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases such as Ross River virus and Dengue. Direct benefits will include reduced or managed risk of these mosquito-borne diseases along with a more efficient allocation of public health resources. Direct and indirect benefits will also flow to Indonesia by reducin ....Predicting Malaria and Other Vector-borne Disease Risk Using Eco-epidemiological Models. The project will benefit the nation by safeguarding public health through modelling and assessing the risk of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases such as Ross River virus and Dengue. Direct benefits will include reduced or managed risk of these mosquito-borne diseases along with a more efficient allocation of public health resources. Direct and indirect benefits will also flow to Indonesia by reducing death and illness associated with malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. This project will further the international collaboration already begun with Indonesia and has the potential to extend into other South-East Asian countries. Read moreRead less