Centre Of Research Excellence In Medicines Intelligence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence is a co-ordinated research program that will accelerate the development and translation of evidence on prescribed medicines use and outcomes for regulators and payers. The CRE is perfectly placed to embrace the national ‘call to action’ from the Health Minister's recent announcement to establish Quality Use of Medicine Safety as a National Health Priority.
Preventing Hospital Readmission In A Regional Australian Hospital Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$565,695.00
Summary
Hospitals face high levels of emergency presentations and demand for inpatient care particularly for Aboriginal Australian people from remote communities. Readmissions lead to overcrowded emergency departments and poorer patient outcomes. We will evaluate the efficacy of a multidimensional case-based management intervention linking hospital and primary health in a regional Australian hospital with the aim of reducing hospital readmission and improving patient outcomes.
It’s The Amount That Counts: The Impact Of Seven Days Of Sleep Restriction On Predictors Of Type 2 Diabetes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,269.00
Summary
The aim of this project is to examine the relationship between sleep duration (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9h per day for one week) and glucose metabolism. This will allow us to quantify the amount of harm that different levels of sleep loss cause to the physiological systems that protect people from developing serious health disorders. In particular, the results of the project will be invaluable in the design of effective behavioural interventions for the prevention and/or treatment of type 2 diabetes.
SGLT2 inhibitors are new glucose-lowering agents for type 2 diabetes. They promote glucose loss into urine, which lowers blood glucose levels. However, little is known regarding the changes to kidney physiology when this system is manipulated with these drugs. There is evidence that SGLT2 inhibitors do not protect against kidney disease in diabetic mice, despite being an effective blood glucose-lowering agent. I aim to characterise the changes to kidney function upon SGLT2 blockade in diabetes.
Insulin resistance (the inability of ordinarily insulin-sensitive tissues such as muscle and adipose tissue to respond to insulin) contributes to a number of diseases including diabetes and obesity. A key metabolic step in these tissues is the uptake of glucose from the blood stream. This step is accelerated by insulin thus allowing efficient clearance of glucose from the bloodstream after a meal. Our laboratory has played a major role in showing that insulin regulates glucose uptake into muscle ....Insulin resistance (the inability of ordinarily insulin-sensitive tissues such as muscle and adipose tissue to respond to insulin) contributes to a number of diseases including diabetes and obesity. A key metabolic step in these tissues is the uptake of glucose from the blood stream. This step is accelerated by insulin thus allowing efficient clearance of glucose from the bloodstream after a meal. Our laboratory has played a major role in showing that insulin regulates glucose uptake into muscle and adipose tissue by stimulating the movement of a glucose transport protein from inside the cell to the cell surface (see http:--www.imb.uq.edu.au-groups-james-glut4 for an animated description of this process). The purpose of this proposal is to dissect the molecular mechanisms by which this glucose transporter can be held inside the cell in the absence of insulin and then allowed to be released from this site moving to the surface in the presence of insulin. Our studies over the past 5 years have brought us much closer to understanding this process in detail. The identification of the molecules responsible for this regulatory step will not only aid our understanding of this process but it will also provide a valuable target for development of therapeutic agents that can be used to combat insulin resistance.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Acute And Cumulative Metabolic Effects Of Prolonged Sitting In Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,597.00
Summary
Sedentary behaviour (sitting time) has been linked to an increased risk of chronic illnesses, including type 2 diabetes and obesity, but recent evidence suggests that light-intensity activity (non-exercise activities of daily living) is associated with reduced risk. These studies will examine whether breaking up sitting time with frequent short periods of activity can overcome the negative effects of prolonged sitting on blood glucose and blood fats in overweight older adults.