Evaluating The Genetic Contribution To Rheumatic Heart Disease Pathogenesis In Australian Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,782,074.00
Summary
Rheumatic heart disease is highly prevalent in Aboriginal people in Australia and leads to early cardiac disease. Despite decades of research, the underlying genetic mechanisms for why it occurs are not well understood. We are conducting a genetic study to better understand why some people are susceptible to RHD and others are not. The study will involve substantial Aboriginal leadership and consultation and will be a model for the conduct of genetic studies in Aboriginal populations.
Improving Health Outcomes In Atrial Fibrillation Via Optimal Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF; the most common irregular heart beat seen in medical practice) is becoming increasingly more common, costly and deadly in Australia and worldwide, particularly due to population ageing. The goal of this research is to develop 3 patient assessment tools focussing specifically on AF and improving a patient’s ability to care for themself. Overall, the goal is to make patient care more AF focussed and individual and more likely to result in better long-term health benefits.
Empowering Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls, Changing Communities. This project applies Indigenous knowledges to develop new understandings and insights in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls’ education. Expected outcomes of the project include: the development of a national framework that supports the education of girls and acknowledges the importance of self-determination, culture, gender and place in creating life changing educational opportunities; addressing Clo ....Empowering Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Girls, Changing Communities. This project applies Indigenous knowledges to develop new understandings and insights in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls’ education. Expected outcomes of the project include: the development of a national framework that supports the education of girls and acknowledges the importance of self-determination, culture, gender and place in creating life changing educational opportunities; addressing Close the Gap targets; and creating broader long lasting positive changes regarding access, participation and success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The outcomes of this project can provide significant benefits to the broad Australian schooling system.Read moreRead less
Building the future for Indigenous students. The relationship of future vision, learning, and motivational profiles to school success. Indigenous students are the most severely disadvantaged group in Australia. Education as currently provided is failing them in the NT. Future Directions for Secondary Education in the NT states that 20% of secondary-aged Indigenous students are not enrolled in school, with only 6% completing the NTCE in 2002. Education is the corner stone of social justice becaus ....Building the future for Indigenous students. The relationship of future vision, learning, and motivational profiles to school success. Indigenous students are the most severely disadvantaged group in Australia. Education as currently provided is failing them in the NT. Future Directions for Secondary Education in the NT states that 20% of secondary-aged Indigenous students are not enrolled in school, with only 6% completing the NTCE in 2002. Education is the corner stone of social justice because it is the basis of opportunity (Burney 03). This research will provide critical hard data on the relationship of Indigenous students' future vision and aspirations, motivation, self-concept and self-regulation, language and culture to school achievement in order to design and provide culturally relevant education to maximise Indigenous opportunities and futures.Read moreRead less
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.
Engineering and expression of recombinant antibodies that interact with plant pathogenic phytoplasma membrane proteins - a model for phytoplasma disease management. . In Australia phytoplasmas are associated with serious diseases including papaya dieback and strawberry lethal yellows. Phytoplasmas cannot be cultured so there is a paucity of knowledge at the genomic level. We have identified the ABC Transporter and FtsH genes and expressed these phytoplasma membrane proteins (MP) in E. coli . We ....Engineering and expression of recombinant antibodies that interact with plant pathogenic phytoplasma membrane proteins - a model for phytoplasma disease management. . In Australia phytoplasmas are associated with serious diseases including papaya dieback and strawberry lethal yellows. Phytoplasmas cannot be cultured so there is a paucity of knowledge at the genomic level. We have identified the ABC Transporter and FtsH genes and expressed these phytoplasma membrane proteins (MP) in E. coli . We will generate antibody fragments that bind these MP and express them in tomato. We will analyse antibody expression in tomato and study their association with the phytoplasma membrane. Transgenic plants will be inoculated with phytoplasma and monitored for resistance. This work represents a major step towards engineering resistance to phytoplasmas.Read moreRead less
Immunising Aboriginal Mothers With Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine To Prevent Infant Ear Disease And Carriage
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,131,530.00
Summary
Aboriginal children experience the highest rates of acute and chronic ear infections in the world, with resultant permanent ear damage, hearing loss and educational disadvantage. These infections are mainly bacterial, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the predominant pathogen. Pneumococcal colonisation and infection begins within days of birth, many months before any potential immunological protection from infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may be expected. New strategies are nee ....Aboriginal children experience the highest rates of acute and chronic ear infections in the world, with resultant permanent ear damage, hearing loss and educational disadvantage. These infections are mainly bacterial, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the predominant pathogen. Pneumococcal colonisation and infection begins within days of birth, many months before any potential immunological protection from infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may be expected. New strategies are needed to eliminate, or at least delay, this early-onset pneumococcal colonisation. One such strategy is the administration to the mother of pneumococcal vaccine, which may protect the newborn infant by leading to higher titres of transplacental or breast milk pneumococcal antibodies and-or by reducing carriage (and transmission to the infant) of maternal pneumococci. Previous small studies using this strategy have been encouraging, but there have been no studies properly evaluating carriage or disease endpoints in infants. The polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine is currently recommended for all Aboriginal and Torres Islander persons aged 15 years or more in the Northern Territory but uptake of the vaccine has been poor. We propose to conduct a pilot study to determine if maternal immunisation with this vaccine, either in the third trimester of pregancy of immediately following delivery, can reduce pneumococcal carriage and the prevalence of middle ear disease among Aboriginal infants at seven months of age. We aim to recruit 210 Aboriginal women who have uncomplicated pregnancies from Darwin and remote communities in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Each subject and their infant offspring will be followed-up after vaccination and at birth, one , two and seven months after birth.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989147
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,000.00
Summary
Advanced high throughput genomics facility for biological, medical, agricultural, environmental and evolutionary research. Infrastructure requested will expand the capacity of researchers in NSW/NT to undertake environmental, medical and evolutionary studies using state-of-the-art technologies based on the recent advances in DNA sequencing analyses. It will ensure the retention of leading researchers in the exciting areas of genomics and Systems Biology and make a significant contribution to bi ....Advanced high throughput genomics facility for biological, medical, agricultural, environmental and evolutionary research. Infrastructure requested will expand the capacity of researchers in NSW/NT to undertake environmental, medical and evolutionary studies using state-of-the-art technologies based on the recent advances in DNA sequencing analyses. It will ensure the retention of leading researchers in the exciting areas of genomics and Systems Biology and make a significant contribution to biomolecular research in medicine, agriculture and environmental biology, thereby providing major benefits to the wider community. The application will enhance existing genomic technologies by substantially increasing the scope of experiments that can be performed leading to important advances in gene discovery.Read moreRead less
CENTRE OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE TO REDUCE INEQUALITY IN HEART DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,607,253.00
Summary
There is increasing recognition of a societal responsibility to provide effective and sustainable health care to the entire population and not just to selected parts. Indigenous and regional Australians are most affected by Australia's biggest killer - heart disease. In response, the CRE to Reduce Inequality in Heart Disease, is a national collaboration of researchers from a range of health disciplines. Together they aim to address this problem by developing sustainable and cost-effective health ....There is increasing recognition of a societal responsibility to provide effective and sustainable health care to the entire population and not just to selected parts. Indigenous and regional Australians are most affected by Australia's biggest killer - heart disease. In response, the CRE to Reduce Inequality in Heart Disease, is a national collaboration of researchers from a range of health disciplines. Together they aim to address this problem by developing sustainable and cost-effective health care services.Read moreRead less
A National Population-based Study Of Rheumatic Heart Disease In Pregnancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$877,826.00
Summary
Whilst overall a rare disease, Indigenous peoples have disproportionately high rates of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This study explores the prevalence and distribution of RHD in pregnancy in Australia and New Zealand. It details current management, diagnostic and referral process and risk factors. Key attributes of culturally safe models of care for RHD in pregnancy are explored, particularly as they relate to Indigenous women. Findings will inform policy, guidelines and education resources.