Clinical And Physiological Features Of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Phenotypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$117,331.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea has variable causes and clinical effects in different patient groups. My research will quantify the contribution of various physiological processes to the development of upper airway obstruction in different sub-types of sleep apnoea and to determine how this affects clinical presentation. I will be measuring a number of physiological parameters, and finding out how sleep apnoea manifests in terms of symptomatology and adverse health effects.
Early Detection Of Pulmonary Exacerbation In Cystic Fibrosis Using Nocturnal Measurements Of Cough And Sleep
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$140,949.00
Summary
Cystic Fibrosis (CF), the most common lethal inherited disorder effecting Australians, is a medical success story, with survival increasing from 5 years in 1970 to 40 years now. However, lower respiratory tract infections remain the major problem in CF. This project will develop and test a simple, non-invasive device to detect early chest infections, allowing early treatment, improving quality of life and preventing lung scarring. Less hospitalisations will benefit both patients and hospitals.
Improving Health-related Quality Of Life In Patients Receiving Home Mechanical Ventilation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$121,793.00
Summary
Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is a treatment that assists someone to breathe using a machine. People may need HMV when their breathing has failed due to conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neuromuscular disease (NMD) or severe obesity. This project will examine the quality of life of patients receiving HMV in Australia and Canada. It will also determine if we can improve the treatment by using a sleep study to monitor breathing when patients first start HMV.
Non-invasive Methods Of Measuring Work Of Breathing In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$41,267.00
Summary
Sleep-disordered breathing such as obstructive sleep apnoea, is currently diagnosed if a child stops breathing more than once per hour. For children with asthma or cystic fibrosis, who may not stop breathing during the night, how hard their breathing muscles work can have a significant impact on their health. A non-invasive method of measuring respiratory effort, and incorporating this measurement into how sleep-disordered breathing is diagnosed, can revolutionize how sleep-disordered breathing ....Sleep-disordered breathing such as obstructive sleep apnoea, is currently diagnosed if a child stops breathing more than once per hour. For children with asthma or cystic fibrosis, who may not stop breathing during the night, how hard their breathing muscles work can have a significant impact on their health. A non-invasive method of measuring respiratory effort, and incorporating this measurement into how sleep-disordered breathing is diagnosed, can revolutionize how sleep-disordered breathing in children are managed world-wide.Read moreRead less
Sleep-disordered Breathing In Pregnancy-induced Hypertension And Preeclampsia: Maternal And Fetal Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$129,559.00
Summary
Our study aims to compare signs of sleep-disordered breathing (such as snoring and breathing pauses) in pregnant women affected by hypertension or preeclampsia to those with a healthy pregnancy, and to see if they respond differently to the breathing problems. To do this we will examine whether snoring and breathing pauses during sleep have an impact on the pregnant woman’s blood pressure and the unborn baby’s heart rate overnight, and scans will monitor whether the baby’s growth is affected.
Health Coaching Intervention To Prevent Excessive Gestational Weight Gain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$98,507.00
Summary
Excessive weight gain in pregnancy places women at a greater risk for the development of overweight and obesity. This study responds to the urgent need to design effective interventions to prevent excessive weight gain in pregnancy. A health coaching intervention has been designed to address this need, and its effectiveness will be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial with first time pregnant women.
Better Data To Inform Interventions To Reduce The Risk Of Stillbirth In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$75,830.00
Summary
Stillbirth is a devastating experience for parents and families. Paucity of high quality data on causes and contributing factors is a major barrier to the development of research priorities and interventions to prevent stillbirths and improve the quality of care. This research will be a connected body of work that aims to better describe the epidemiology of stillbirth in Australia, contribute to the classification of stillbirths and determine the needs of parents in relation to autopsy consent.
Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification(LAMP): A Novel Tool For The Diagnosis Of Mixed Malaria Infections In Elimination Settings
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$101,877.00
Summary
The malaria elimination agenda will require the development of novel, field applicable diagnostic tools to detect asymptomatic carriers of P.falciparum and non-falciparum malaria infections. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been demonstrated to be a novel, sensitive, specific nucleic acid amplification technique. My project aims to optimise LAMP into a high-throughput field applicable molecular diagnostic tool capable of diagnosing malaria in elimination settings
Health Consequences For Mother And Baby Of Substantial Pre-conception Weight Loss In Obese Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$93,418.00
Summary
Obesity (BMI >30kg/m2) is now very common in women of child-bearing age.There is strong evidence that maternal obesity increases the rate of pregnancy complications, and affects the growth and well-being of the fetus in-utero. This project aims to determine how substantial pre-conception weight loss, achieved using a Very Low Energy Diet (VLED), impacts maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
A Brief Couple-focused Psycho-educational Intervention To Prevent Postnatal Mental Health Problems In Women: A Cluster Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$99,654.00
Summary
Mental health problems in women after childbirth are of national concern. Interventions to prevent these have had little success. What Were We Thinking (WWWT) is a promising new program for mothers, fathers and newborns. It provides knowledge and skills about soothing and settling babies and enhancing parents’ understanding of their changed needs and how to share the workload fairly. This trial will test whether WWWT improves women’s mental health in the first six months of motherhood