Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into impo ....Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into important and largely unanswered questions about the way social factors in the first half of life shape our later selves. This study will inform government and health policy targeting ageing populations.
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Short sleep as a cause of obesity: a longitudinal examination of Australian children and adults. This project will examine whether short sleep durations predict weight gain and obesity in Australian children and adults. The findings will have potentially important implications for how obesity is treated and prevented in Australia.
Families with multiple and complex needs: refocusing on early intervention. Families with multiple and complex needs have been determined to be a priority group in Australia (National Child Protection Framework 2021-31). This study will fill the evidence gap by determining the typologies of families with multiple and complex needs and child protection involvement who face intersecting risk factors (e.g. family violence, mental health, intergenerational trauma, alcohol/drug use, justice involveme ....Families with multiple and complex needs: refocusing on early intervention. Families with multiple and complex needs have been determined to be a priority group in Australia (National Child Protection Framework 2021-31). This study will fill the evidence gap by determining the typologies of families with multiple and complex needs and child protection involvement who face intersecting risk factors (e.g. family violence, mental health, intergenerational trauma, alcohol/drug use, justice involvement, disability, poverty and housing insecurity). Intergenerational (child and parent) linked data in three states will be utilised to investigate these families longitudinal trajectories of system involvement and to identify opportunities for enhanced prevention, points of early intervention and service planning. Read moreRead less
Targeting early contact with the criminal justice system in young people. This project aims to identify who and why young people first come in contact with the criminal justice system and what determines the early course of contact. The project will focus on first police contact, as a victim, witness or offender, as a means of identifying young people at-risk of adverse life outcomes. It intends to build on the NSW Child Development Study, a large population-based intergenerational cohort, to de ....Targeting early contact with the criminal justice system in young people. This project aims to identify who and why young people first come in contact with the criminal justice system and what determines the early course of contact. The project will focus on first police contact, as a victim, witness or offender, as a means of identifying young people at-risk of adverse life outcomes. It intends to build on the NSW Child Development Study, a large population-based intergenerational cohort, to develop services and interventions aimed at preventing young people from becoming enmeshed in the criminal justice system.Read moreRead less
Allocating scarce HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs in resource-constrained countries: using modelling to develop tools and analyse consequences of ethics and HIV-epidemiology. This project will benefit communities in some of the poorest countries of the world, suffering greatly from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This research is important and timely for these nations in deciding how to distribute the limited treatment in an ethical manner to address treatment principles of these countries. However, the me ....Allocating scarce HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs in resource-constrained countries: using modelling to develop tools and analyse consequences of ethics and HIV-epidemiology. This project will benefit communities in some of the poorest countries of the world, suffering greatly from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This research is important and timely for these nations in deciding how to distribute the limited treatment in an ethical manner to address treatment principles of these countries. However, the methods developed can also be applied to other diseases in different regions and people, such as Australian aborigines to increase their quality of health. Specifically, an epidemic of Chlamydia is widespread amongst the aboriginal communities of Australia's Northern Territory. Tools developed in this project will be easily adaptable to address control measures for Chlamydia among this population. Read moreRead less
Understanding spatial trends in HIV/AIDS infections in South Africa and Australia. This project will develop quantitative methods that will be used to inform public health officials in understanding past and current HIV/AIDS epidemics as well as planning for the future of these epidemics. It will understand not only the behavioural and demographic characteristics of importance as risk factors for HIV infection in South Africa, the epicentre of the global HIV pandemic, but also the geographical s ....Understanding spatial trends in HIV/AIDS infections in South Africa and Australia. This project will develop quantitative methods that will be used to inform public health officials in understanding past and current HIV/AIDS epidemics as well as planning for the future of these epidemics. It will understand not only the behavioural and demographic characteristics of importance as risk factors for HIV infection in South Africa, the epicentre of the global HIV pandemic, but also the geographical spatial locations in which HIV cases are likely to emerge in the future. This project will also forecast the future geographical trends in Australia's changing HIV epidemic in order to plan for intervention strategies and prepare clinical practice appropriately.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary models and bioinformatic analyses of genetic variation in pathogens. The benefits of this project are better preparedness for the ever-present threat of infectious disease spread and the stimulation of bioinformatic research in Australia. Epidemics such as the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, which killed over 20 million people, highlight the need to understand and track pathogens that can potentially cause such devastation. Along with the development of molecular technologies, it is imp ....Evolutionary models and bioinformatic analyses of genetic variation in pathogens. The benefits of this project are better preparedness for the ever-present threat of infectious disease spread and the stimulation of bioinformatic research in Australia. Epidemics such as the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, which killed over 20 million people, highlight the need to understand and track pathogens that can potentially cause such devastation. Along with the development of molecular technologies, it is important to maintain active creation of analytical methods that appropriately apply to growing databases. These include methods to understand genetic variation in pathogens. This project will help to keep Australia at the forefront of research in theoretical biology.Read moreRead less
Determinants of children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a follow-up study from early childhood. This project investigates changes in preschool children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and influences on these changes, during the important period of transition to school. It will provide important information on how we might assist children to be more active, thereby avoiding the detrimental health and social outcomes of inactivity.
Modelling disease evolution and emergence. Approximately 75% of all emergent diseases have established in humans having switched from other species: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Malaria, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Ebola, West Nile Virus and many more. Further, cross species infections put our biodiversity and economy at risk: plant and animal diseases entering Australia can destroy crops and at-risk native species. This project will provide for the first time the statistica ....Modelling disease evolution and emergence. Approximately 75% of all emergent diseases have established in humans having switched from other species: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Malaria, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Ebola, West Nile Virus and many more. Further, cross species infections put our biodiversity and economy at risk: plant and animal diseases entering Australia can destroy crops and at-risk native species. This project will provide for the first time the statistical framework for scientists to assess risk of such diseases entering Australia as a key to combating them.Read moreRead less
Women Consider Retirement: A Critical Investigation of Attitudes Towards Work, Ageing and Retirement in Three Generations of Australian Women. The broad aim of this project is to investigate what work and retirement mean for women as they age and to consider the implications of these attitudes, intentions and experiences for government policy, especially given current concerns about workforce maintenance in view of population ageing.
The project will:
- develop a comprehensive understanding ....Women Consider Retirement: A Critical Investigation of Attitudes Towards Work, Ageing and Retirement in Three Generations of Australian Women. The broad aim of this project is to investigate what work and retirement mean for women as they age and to consider the implications of these attitudes, intentions and experiences for government policy, especially given current concerns about workforce maintenance in view of population ageing.
The project will:
- develop a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics, attitudes and experiences of three generations of women in relation to work, ageing and retirement
- examine the extent and consequences of generational and geographic differences in attitudes and choices
- explore the complex social and cultural factors shaping these attitudes, choices and consequences.
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