Defining Optimal Strategies For Sustained Control Of Infectious Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
My work helps us understand how infections spread between people, to work out the most effective use of vaccines and other protective measures. This fellowship will support research into the ways large family size, poor health care access, social connections and the environment increase infection risk in settings of poverty. We will find better ways to prevent infectious diseases in the populations worst affected, including Indigenous Australians and people living in low-income countries.
Optimising Care For Patients Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,399,839.00
Summary
There is evidence from previous research in Queensland and NSW that elements of care provided to patients with pancreatic cancer are sub-optimal. We aim to improve compliance with evidence-based guidelines in Victoria and NSW by collecting high quality data, providing reports to hospitals benchmarking their performance against peers and working with health services to reduce variation. Making sure care known to improve practice is being delivered is as important as developing new targeted thera
Using Linked Population-based Health-related Datasets To Optimise Cancer Care And Reduce Survival Disparities.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,941.00
Summary
In partnership with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, we will use detailed health data from various sources to assess how care is provided to people with cancer and determine why some have better survival than others. The findings will be used to change government policy and clinical practice in order to improve cancer outcomes for those who fair worse. We will establish a data bank to enable this information to be used to improve services into the future.
HIV Treatment As Prevention: A Longitudinal Assessment Of Population Effectiveness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$783,160.00
Summary
This project is a large-scale evaluation of an HIV strategy known as ‘treatment as prevention’ (TasP). Through routine and repeat HIV testing for gay men and early treatment initiation following diagnosis, TasP aims to reduce HIV community infection rates. Through the establishment of a large cohort of gay men in NSW and Victoria, this study will track HIV testing, treatment and management to assess the real-world efficacy of TasP for reducing HIV infections among this at-risk population.
Improving Global Tuberculosis Control With The AuTuMN Platform
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$655,059.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious killer, with the failure of global control responsible for the vast majority of Australia’s cases. Using our robustly developed software platform, we have performed several country-level studies to predict the future burden of disease and compare the impact of alternative responses to controlling the epidemic. In this project, we will extend our platform to perform simulations at the global level and answer key questions in TB control.
Is The Incidence Of Heart Attack Still Decreasing In Australia? Developing More Reliable Methods For Monitoring Trends In Myocardial Infarction And Coronary Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$762,021.00
Summary
Our study is a collaboration between the University of WA and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to investigate population trends in incidence and outcomes of heart disease and its major sub-groups including heart attack, angina and chest pain. Using linked data from WA, we will identify the sub-groups for which trends over time are a realistic estimate of the true population trends. These will be applied to national data to monitor heart disease more accurately in Australia.
Early Introduction Of Dietary Allergen To Reduce The Population Prevalence Of Infant Food Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,468.00
Summary
Australia has the highest recorded prevalence of childhood peanut allergy, a potentially life-threatening condition. New evidence shows introducing peanut into the diet in infancy can reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy in high risk infants, and allergy prevention guidelines now recommend giving peanut before 12 months. This study will evaluate how effective these guidelines have been in promoting earlier peanut introduction and reducing the population prevalence of peanut allergy.
Using Total Population Data To Describe The Characteristics Of Respiratory Infections In Order To Predict Future Epidemics And Recommend Vaccination Strategies For Western Australian Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$294,892.00
Summary
Respiratory infections are a major reason for children to go to hospital. I am an epidemiologist and I will be using previously collected and linked laboratory and hospital data from Western Australian children to better understand how these infections flow through the population over different seasons. I will then be able to predict future epidemics of respiratory infections and how different vaccine programs might have an impact in reducing how many children are affected by these infections.