Early Life Stress, Adolescent Brain Development And Risk For Adverse Cognitive And Psychosocial Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$640,595.00
Summary
This project aims to study pre and postnatal childhood factors and examine their association with HPA-functioning, cognition, and mental health during adolescence in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study (Raine Study). Childhood exposures include not only trajectories of stressful life events, family functioning and mental health status during childhood, but also effects of intrauterine and postnatal growth patterns, and a comprehensive range of psychosocial, familial and environmental f ....This project aims to study pre and postnatal childhood factors and examine their association with HPA-functioning, cognition, and mental health during adolescence in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study (Raine Study). Childhood exposures include not only trajectories of stressful life events, family functioning and mental health status during childhood, but also effects of intrauterine and postnatal growth patterns, and a comprehensive range of psychosocial, familial and environmental factors. It is our objective to characterise functional polymorphisms for genes related to stress regulation and examine their interactions with early life exposures and their neurobiological consequences. We will also test 16 year old Raine subjects for cognitive ability, and in some we will image their brain activity while performing these tests. We anticipate to enhance the already comprehensive phenotypic Raine Study data base with neurobiological information for future neuroscience studies as the Raine cohort matures. We hypothesise that increased and sustained trajectories of early life stress, family dysfunction or poor mental health during childhood will increase the risk of Raine Study adolescents experiencing: (i) - increased stress sensitivity with higher baseline cortisol levels during adolescence; (ii) - increased adolescent stress sensitivity, if they are carriers of specific haplotypes of the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor genes.;(iii) - depression during adolescence, if they are homozygous or heterozygous for the short allele of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene; (iv) - poorer cognitive performance and increased atypical non-prefrontal cortex (PFC) brain activity during cognitive testing as measured by fMRI; and (v) -more mental health problems during adolescence.Read moreRead less
Quantifying The Effectiveness Of Pertussis Vaccine In Older Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,703.00
Summary
Pertussis is the most poorly controlled vaccine preventable disease in Australia. Childhood pertussis is a well-known public health problem but adult pertussis is also common and has a significant burden on the health system, especially in adults over 65 years. Pertussis vaccines for adults are currently not funded by our national immunisation program. This project will provide vital data to inform whether pertussis vaccination is cost-effective in older Australian adults.
Quantifying The Burden, Understanding The Predictors, And Improving The Outcomes Of Non-fatal Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,270.00
Summary
This Career Development Fellowship will use the analysis of existing (and continuing data collection), and key health data linkages to improve understanding of the outcomes of injury survivors and factors contributing to outcomes. The outcomes of this research program will be improved injury burden estimates, and better health outcomes for trauma survivors through informing evidence-based clinical guidelines and trauma care delivery.
Reducing Unintended Pregnancies Among Female Sex Workers In Kenya Using MHealth: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,161.00
Summary
This research aims to reduce the high rates of unintended pregnancy experienced by female sex workers (FSW) in Kenya. It involves the development of a health promotion program delivered by mobile phone (mHealth intervention) to improve FSWs’ knowledge of SRH and reduce their risk of unintended pregnancy. The intervention will be trialled with 860 FSWs from 86 sex work venues in Mombasa. If effective, it can be implemented to improve women’s health in many and diverse settings.
Population-based Data Linkage To Investigate The Health And Development Of Children Born After IVF
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$321,972.00
Summary
In Australia 1 in 25 births are conceived from IVF treatment and this is increasing. My research program will use a comprehensive set of linked population data to address key questions in the IVF field following major changes to IVF practice in the last decade. This research (examining fetal growth, birth defects, intellectual disability and school achievement) has the potential to influence clinical practice and will greatly improve the information available for pre-treatment counselling.
Recent Changes In IVF Clinical Practice: Data Linkage To Investigate Their Impact On Fetal Growth And Birth Defects.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$219,076.00
Summary
In Australia 1 in 25 births are conceived from IVF treatment and this is increasing with the continuing trend towards later childbearing. This study will use linked population data to assess fetal growth and birth defects in IVF-conceived children following major changes to IVF practice in the last decade. There are limited data internationally on health outcomes following the use of more recent IVF techniques and insufficient data to allow for adequate pre-treatment counselling.
Leveraging Women’s Health Data Resources To Reduce Chronic Disease Risk And Extend Healthspan
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
Chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis and asthma, pose serious risks for Australian women. Reproductive health is central to women’s use of health services across life and is linked with the risk of chronic diseases. This research will build on two decades of linked data in Australia’s leading study of women’s health. It aims to guide development of women’s use of reproductive and maternal health services as an opportunity to prevent chronic diseases and improve long-term health.
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying migraine and endometriosis via genetic dissection. The research aims to identify genetic variants underlying migraine and endometriosis susceptibility. Advances in the genetics of these common and painful disorders, including identification of genetic biomarkers (genetic variations that can predict disease susceptibility, disease outcome, or treatment response), will offer better rationales for scientific enquiry, helping the discovery of new treat ....Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying migraine and endometriosis via genetic dissection. The research aims to identify genetic variants underlying migraine and endometriosis susceptibility. Advances in the genetics of these common and painful disorders, including identification of genetic biomarkers (genetic variations that can predict disease susceptibility, disease outcome, or treatment response), will offer better rationales for scientific enquiry, helping the discovery of new treatment pathways and improve predictions of drug efficacy and safety. Thus providing improved treatment strategies for the individual sufferer and reduce the direct medical and indirect economic costs to individual sufferers as well as to the general community.Read moreRead less
Markers Of Androgen Action, Genetic Variation And Prostate Cancer Risk
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$798,907.00
Summary
This proposal aim to follow up evidence from a number of studies that genetic and non-genetic markers of hormonal action in different periods of a man's life are associated with prostate cancer risk using a collection of three large, independent epidemiologic studies on prostate cancer named the Prostate Cancer Program. A principal objective is to collect exposure data on acne and digit ratio, and genotype cases and controls across the studies of the Prostate Cancer Program for common genetic va ....This proposal aim to follow up evidence from a number of studies that genetic and non-genetic markers of hormonal action in different periods of a man's life are associated with prostate cancer risk using a collection of three large, independent epidemiologic studies on prostate cancer named the Prostate Cancer Program. A principal objective is to collect exposure data on acne and digit ratio, and genotype cases and controls across the studies of the Prostate Cancer Program for common genetic variants in 4 candidate genes in the hormonal pathway. The established risk factors for prostate cancer are only age, race and family history. We anticipate that this project will cast light on the role of hormones in prostate cancer and that we will identify new markers of risk of prostate cancer and markers of disease aggressiveness. These outcomes will help us identifying men who are at risk for prostate cancer to target screening and surveillance, and plan prevention strategies. Furthermore, they will also form the basis for research on treatment targets.Read moreRead less