The Relationship Between Immune Dysregulation, Infection And Cancer Incidence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,558.00
Summary
The research aims to better understand the relationship between immune dysfunction, infection and the development of cancer. Established scientific methods will be used to examine the incidence and risk factors for cancer in people with impaired immunity, such as organ transplant recipients, and people with autoimmune disease. This knowledge is important in advancing our understanding of the causes of cancer, and in developing appropriate preventive strategies and health care for these people.
EFFECT OF EBV AND HHV-6 LATENT INFECTION OR REACTIVATION ON MS ACTIVITY: A PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL COHORT STUDY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$263,845.00
Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a severely debilitating neurodegenerative disease, affecting over 16,000 Australians. There is a need to examine which factors drive the progression of this disease. We examine the role of two viral infections on MS activity. It has the potential to contribute to antiviral interventions that might prevent relapses and-or decrease the clinical progression of this debilitating disease.
Modelling The Evolution Of Hepatitis C Virus By Integrating Large Sequence- And Immunological-databases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$289,980.00
Summary
Two hundred million people are infected with the Hepatitis C virus. There is no vaccine and the rate at which new strains of the virus arise enable it to evade the human immune system. This study aims to decipher how new viral strains are generated and transmitted, thereby enabling the development of new vaccines.
Predicting The Risk Of Invasive Candidiasis In Critically Ill Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,258,287.00
Summary
Invasive fungal infections (such as bloodstream infections) are a serious and increasing problem for critically ill patients managed in the Intensive Care Unit. Outcomes can be improved by giving early treatment only to those at highest risk of fungal infection. Our aim is to easily identify those at high-risk. Patients treated in seven major ICUs will be observed and a simple and accurate method of scoring their illness characteristics and amount-types of fungi present will be developed.
Injecting Drug Users: Social Networks And Molecular Epidemiology Of The Hepatitis C Virus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$543,868.00
Summary
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to spread among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Australia at a very high rate, despite success in preventing the spread of HIV in the same groups; the complete reasons for this remain unclear. There is an urgent need for the HCV epidemic among IDUs to be contained. To do so, we must better understand the ways in which it is spreading among IDUs. Much is known about risk behaviours of individual IDUs and how they contribute to HCV transmission; much less is kn ....The hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to spread among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Australia at a very high rate, despite success in preventing the spread of HIV in the same groups; the complete reasons for this remain unclear. There is an urgent need for the HCV epidemic among IDUs to be contained. To do so, we must better understand the ways in which it is spreading among IDUs. Much is known about risk behaviours of individual IDUs and how they contribute to HCV transmission; much less is known about how these behaviours are modified by the influence of the IDUs peer group, especially their immediate and intimate social networks. Despite its importance in influencing attitudes and behaviours, and therefore HCV transmission, this has never been studied in Australia, nor, in relation to HCV, in the world. We hope that by studying social and risk networks of IDUs we shall discover new ways in which control of the HCV epidemic can be achieved in Australia. We intend to do this among two groups of young IDUs, one of Vietnamese ethnicity, located in the one suburb of Melbourne. By using field techniques for gathering information (ethnography), and sophisticated analytic techniques to understand how these networks are formed and influence behaviours, we hope to be able to identify interventions which work at the level of the social group rather than the individual in bringing about the behaviour change necessary to prevent HCV transmission. To ensure that the risk networks we describe are as influential as they appear, and to discover more about the variability of HCV, we will also be investigating the relationship between the various strains of HCV in members of the IDU networks, particularly as another measure of the connectedness of networks and network members. This will be done using sophisticated genetic analysis of the HCV obtained from network members by blood test.Read moreRead less
A Case-cohort Study Of New Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Diseases In Busselton
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$197,349.00
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases account for about half of all deaths and for considerable use of health care resources. While several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and diabetes, are well-established, these do not fully explain all cardiovascular disease. In recent years, some new potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been identified. This study aims to examine these new risk factors in an Australian population ....Cardiovascular diseases account for about half of all deaths and for considerable use of health care resources. While several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and diabetes, are well-established, these do not fully explain all cardiovascular disease. In recent years, some new potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been identified. This study aims to examine these new risk factors in an Australian population. Using information collected by the Busselton Health Surveys over the last 20 years, we aim to determine whether people who had these risk factors in 1978 were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease over the following years. Since all the information needed has already been collected in the course of earlier health surveys, this study will be particularly cost-effective. We expect that results from this study will increase our understanding of the causes of cardiovascular disease, and may suggest some simple tests to help identify those people who may be at higher risk of heart disease and most likely to benefit from intervention.Read moreRead less
I am an epidemiologist with expertise in infectious diseases. My research focuses on the risk behaviours associated with the transmission and prevention of blood borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections, in particular drug and alcohol-related ris
The Role Of Past Sun Exposure, Infection History And Other Exogenous Factors In Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,011.00
Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord that leads to various degrees of disability. The causes of MS are not yet known, and there is presently no cure. However, there is strong evidence that both an inherited susceptibility and environmental factors are important. This environmental case control study will be conducted in Tasmania and will run concurrent to a genetic project on MS which allows assessment of gene-environment interactions. ....Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord that leads to various degrees of disability. The causes of MS are not yet known, and there is presently no cure. However, there is strong evidence that both an inherited susceptibility and environmental factors are important. This environmental case control study will be conducted in Tasmania and will run concurrent to a genetic project on MS which allows assessment of gene-environment interactions. It focuses on infections, timing of childhood infections and long term sun exposure. It has been suggested that MS may be due to an immune disturbance following viral infection and that the timing of childhood infections may be initially important. Also, in Australia, there is a sevenfold increase in MS prevalence as one moves from Queensland to Tasmania. This latitudinal gradient might be due to ultra violet radiation, through an influence on immune function. Beside those main focuses, the study will include other environmental factors like chemicals, diet and vaccinations. Hopefully this project will contribute to a better understanding of the causes of MS, which are relevant for preventative strategies and devising optimal treatment.Read moreRead less
Aetiology, Burden And Causal Pathways Of Acute Lower Respiratory Infections Using Population Linked Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,476.00
Summary
Lower respiratory, or chest infections, are a problem for many children. This project will investigate the impact of chest infections on hospitals and emergency departments, the viruses and bacteria that cause them, identify those children who are at an increased risk of having chest infections and investigate the impact of routine immunisations on specific types of infections. This project will greatly add to our understanding of chest infections so appropriate interventions can be developed.
Infectious And Lifestyle Determinants Of Non-melanoma Skin Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$983,711.00
Summary
Basal and squamous cell skin cancers are the leading cancers in Australia, with about 2% of the population developing them each year. As well as sun exposure, a number of other factors have been thought to effect these cancers. This study will examine if factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and infection with certain skin related human papillomaviruses also increase their risk. Even a small effect may make a big difference when it comes to preventing these common cancers.