A Prospective Study Of The Aetiology, Associations, Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Community-acquired Pneumonia In Children And Adults In Tropical Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$106,937.00
Summary
Pneumonia is common in Australia and often requires hospital admission. The germs that cause pneumonia in tropical Australia are less well known than southern Australia and likely to be different. This study will identify which germs cause pneumonia in people in tropical Australia and will identify which people become more unwell. I aim to identify the best antibiotics to use, the differences between children and adults, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and people living in different areas.
Dual 68-Gallium/FDG PET Imaging In Neuroendocrine Tumours
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$75,006.00
Summary
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are uncommon cancers. Low-grade tumours may grow very slowly and not require treatment, but high-grade tumours can grow over weeks and have a poor prognosis. Grade is determined by looking at tissue, but this may vary considerably even in different disease sites in the same patient. Two PET scans (FDG PET and 68Gallium PET) can show high grade and low grade disease respectively, and we plan to investigate their combination in imaging advanced neuroendocrine tumours.
Management Of Paediatric Acute Severe Behavioural Disturbance In The Emergency Department
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$114,376.00
Summary
Acute Severe Behavioural Disturbance (ASBD) is a medical condition where a person loses control of their behaviour and becomes extremely agitated or aggressive. It usually occurs as a result of an underlying medical problem. People who develop ASBD often come to the Emergency Department (ED) to receive care. My PhD will investigate why children develop ASBD and determine the best management for these individuals when they present to the ED.
20% Human Albumin Solution FLuid Bolus AdministratIon TheRapy In Patients After Cardiac Surgery-II (HAS FLAIR-II)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,396.00
Summary
Patients undergoing cardiac surgery often need a fluid bolus which is a volume of fluid given over a short period of time to improve their circulation. This intervention is essential as poor circulation may cause damage to important organs in the body such as the heart, lungs and kidneys. This study will allow doctors to make informed decisions about which type of fluid is better for their patients having cardiac surgery in the future.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is fatal without immediate resuscitation. Paramedic competency in resuscitation has been shown to influence cardiac arrest survival. Through my doctoral research I aim to investigate: how paramedic exposure to cardiac arrest can influence patient survival; the practices emergency medical services currently use to develop and maintain paramedic competency in resuscitation; and the confidence and perceived competency of paramedics responding to cardiac arrests.
A Prospective Investigation Of Musculoskeletal And Vestibular Deficits Post-concussion In Adolescent Rugby Players
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$66,746.00
Summary
The primary aim of this thesis will be to investigate deficits in the musculoskeletal and vestibular systems in the acute and subacute periods following sport-related concussion injury in school level rugby union players.
Improving 3D Scaffolds For Skin Tissue Engineering Using Advanced Biotechnology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$68,971.00
Summary
Burns injuries are among the most physically and psychologically debilitating injuries. Patients who suffer from severe, extensive burn injuries can have a shortage of healthy, undamaged donor sites and so skin substitutes are used as alternatives to provide wound healing. However, the newly produced skin does not appear or function normally. The aim of this project is to develop a skin equivalent which will provide rapid regeneration of normal skin and improve a patient’s quality of life.
Modelling Age-related Macular Degeneration Using Patient Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,117.00
Summary
It is now possible to induce patient own skin cells to become stem cells. These cells can then be guided to become any cell of the body. This technique allows the study of disease cells without the need of obtaining biopsies from diseased tissue, such as the retina. This project aims to study age-related macular degeneration using patients’ stem cells, which will be differentiated into cells affected in AMD. The role of specific genetic risks in the biology of these cells will be investigated.
Characterising The Molecular Basis Of Cystic Kidney Diseases Using Kidney Organoids Created By Directed Differentiation Of Patient-derived, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,714.00
Summary
Inherited genetic mutations cause almost half of chronic kidney diseases in children. In most cases we do not know what the mutation is or how it causes kidney disease. In this study we will turn skin cells from children with kidney disease into stem cells and then use these to make a mini-kidney in a dish. This will act as a model of kidney disease allowing us to understand what the problem is at the level of changes within the cells. This may result in new ways of treating kidney disease.
Platelet Derived Growth Factor Mediated Activation And Rejuvenation Of Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$102,345.00
Summary
The burden of heart failure is underpinned by the heart’s limited capacity for self-repair after injury. Recent evidence shows that PDGF can improve heart function by activating and rejuvenating resident heart stem cells. This project will build on over a decade of preliminary work in mice, validating our results in a preclinical large animal model. Outcomes of this project include expedited progression of this promising therapy where thousands of heart failure patients could one-day benefit.