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I am a behavioural epidemiologist in adolescent health. The focus of my research is to assess the effect of the school environment on adolescent health and wellbeing, design and evaluate school-based interventions that promote these and study how schools
Building Australia's Capacity To Study Preventable Causes Of Common Diseases Through Epidemiological Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
This program of work will build Australia's capacity to study the preventable causes of common disease. Researchers will be trained to investigate the impact of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors on disease in large samples of people. The diseases will include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone and joint conditions, some common cancers such as skin and prostate cancer, and diseases affecting the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis.
Hepatitis C Vaccine Preparedness Study: Investing In Infectious Disease Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$820,767.00
Summary
Injecting drug users (IDU) are a key target group for new vaccines designed to prevent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study will establish the feasibility of conducting HCV vaccine trials in IDUs by answering key scientific questions, generating data to inform trial design and evaluation, establishing a partnership between leading international researchers and the peak Australian body for people who inject drugs, and providing the foundation for a global HCV prevention trial network.
Using Mathematical Models Of Infection To Inform The Design And Analysis Of Epidemiologic Studies.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Childhood immunisation has been enormously successful at preventing death and disease. Not all vaccines provide life-long protection, however, and booster doses may be required for older children or even adults. Deciding when and how often doses are required depends on how a particular infection is spread within families and the community both before and after vaccine use. We want to understand more about this process and its implications for the ongoing effectiveness of vaccine programs.
LIFECYCLE - Early Life Stressors And LifeCycle Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,811.00
Summary
Early in life is a period of time during which we can institute changes that can have long lasting benefits for asthma, obesity, diabetes mellitus and mental and cardiovascular health. The current project, LIFECYCLE is a cooperative project with a combined total of a quarter of a million participants, which will be the definitive study to determine, which early life events should be modified for improving health trajectories throughout life.
THE CYCLE OF OBESITY: Two Generations Of A Pregnancy Cohort To Investigate Obesity Epigenetics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,117,795.00
Summary
Obesity has increased 3-5 fold in the last fifty years, overtaking smoking as the greatest killer. In recent history, each generation has experienced greater amounts of obesity and at younger ages. Being exposed in the womb to mother’s obesity transmits the risk to the child, possibly by changing our epigenetic profile and how our DNA code is read. We need to break this vicious cycle. This study is a world first, investigating 2 generations with respect to obesity and epigenetic profiles.
Structural And Biomechanical Basis Of Differences In Bone Fragility In Asian And Caucasian Men And Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$188,500.00
Summary
Lay Summary Fractures occur less commonly in males than females because males have greater periosteal apposition than females during ageing. This increases bone size (reducing load per unit area - stress), and reduces net bone loss, more in males than females so that the increase in bone fragility with advancing age seen in both sexes is less in males than females. Few males than females have a fracture risk index for vertebral fractures (FRI or ratio of load-bone strength) above unity. The purp ....Lay Summary Fractures occur less commonly in males than females because males have greater periosteal apposition than females during ageing. This increases bone size (reducing load per unit area - stress), and reduces net bone loss, more in males than females so that the increase in bone fragility with advancing age seen in both sexes is less in males than females. Few males than females have a fracture risk index for vertebral fractures (FRI or ratio of load-bone strength) above unity. The purpose of this study is to define the structural and biomechanical basis responsible for the racial differences in fracture rates between Asians and Caucasians. Following the same biomechanical principles as published in Caucasian males and females, we hypothesise that racial differences in periosteal expansion during aging may contribute, in part, to the racial differences in bone fragility at the spine and hip. A cross-sectional study will be conducted in 500 healthy Chinese men and 500 Chinese women age ranged 18 to 90 years living in Melbourne, Australia. We have recruited larger numbers of Caucasian men and women in our Centre. BMD and bone size will be measured at the spine, hip and total body by using dual x-ray bone densitometer (DXA). Vertebral body width, depth, height, cross-sectional area (CSA), stress (load per unit CSA) and fracture risk index (load-strength) at the third lumbar vertebrae will be measured by PA and lateral scanning. Femoral neck periosteal-endocortical diameter, cortical thickness, cross-section moment of inertia (CSMI), section modulus buckling index will be measured by using hip structural analysis program. Just as insight into bone fragility in women has been obtained by studies in men, we believe that the results of this study will provide important insights into the pathogenesis of bone fragility in both racial groups.Read moreRead less