Measuring Changes In Fluids, Fat, Muscle Mass, Proteins & Other Body Components Non-invasively Through Course Of Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,000.00
Summary
The course of non-cancer related disease is difficult to assess clinically making it hard for clinicians to accurately predict the end of life course of illness for patients. No matter what the end of life disease is, death will involve multi-system organ failure and changes in body composition. These changes, including fluid distribution, muscle mass and type and fat mass as well as measures of body mass index, basal metabolic rate and arm muscle circumference can be accurately followed with no ....The course of non-cancer related disease is difficult to assess clinically making it hard for clinicians to accurately predict the end of life course of illness for patients. No matter what the end of life disease is, death will involve multi-system organ failure and changes in body composition. These changes, including fluid distribution, muscle mass and type and fat mass as well as measures of body mass index, basal metabolic rate and arm muscle circumference can be accurately followed with non-invasive multi-frequency bio-impedance. This information will provide a basis to either confirm the clinical diagnosis or lead to recommendations for change.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL230100104
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,400,000.00
Summary
Bringing Equality Home: A New Gender Agenda. Compared to other countries, Australia has slipped backwards in achieving gender equality and is in danger of falling further behind. This jeopardises opportunities for all Australians and undermines social cohesion and economic progress. This project aims to provide the theoretical and empirical foundations to reverse this trend. The expected outcomes will be a new theory of gender inequality, a new approach that foregrounds the explanatory importanc ....Bringing Equality Home: A New Gender Agenda. Compared to other countries, Australia has slipped backwards in achieving gender equality and is in danger of falling further behind. This jeopardises opportunities for all Australians and undermines social cohesion and economic progress. This project aims to provide the theoretical and empirical foundations to reverse this trend. The expected outcomes will be a new theory of gender inequality, a new approach that foregrounds the explanatory importance of caregiving and domestic work and new insights into the life course stages where gender inequality is most malleable. This will provide significant benefits including the impetus for new research, policy initiatives and capacity to build a more equal, stronger and prosperous Australia.Read moreRead less
Side-Hustles: Young People and Employment-Adjacent Entrepreneurship. This project aims to understand new working biographies created by young people that combine employment with entrepreneurial activities. 'Side-hustles' are increasingly common amongst young workers, but while entrepreneurship is promoted globally as a policy solution to youth unemployment there is no comprehensive evidence base about the nature of young workers' entrepreneurial activities or the outcomes they experience. The ev ....Side-Hustles: Young People and Employment-Adjacent Entrepreneurship. This project aims to understand new working biographies created by young people that combine employment with entrepreneurial activities. 'Side-hustles' are increasingly common amongst young workers, but while entrepreneurship is promoted globally as a policy solution to youth unemployment there is no comprehensive evidence base about the nature of young workers' entrepreneurial activities or the outcomes they experience. The evidence created by this project supports efforts to facilitate youth entrepreneurship, address youth unemployment, and enhance Australia's future labour force. Outcomes include policy papers and reports, a policy forum, academic outputs, and a project website, offering benefit to policymakers, educators and employers.Read moreRead less
Early School-Age Outcomes After Exposure To Repeat Prenatal Corticosteroids - A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,083,964.00
Summary
AIMS OF THE RESEARCH We have recently concluded a large clinical trial in Australia and New Zealand of repeat dose of antenatal corticosteroids given to women who were likely to deliver their baby too early (before 34 weeks of pregnancy). We have been able to show that repeat doses of corticosteroids before birth significantly reduces the risk of the baby developing respiratory difficulties after birth from 41.4% to 32.8%. However, we are not sure if this potentially important improvement will t ....AIMS OF THE RESEARCH We have recently concluded a large clinical trial in Australia and New Zealand of repeat dose of antenatal corticosteroids given to women who were likely to deliver their baby too early (before 34 weeks of pregnancy). We have been able to show that repeat doses of corticosteroids before birth significantly reduces the risk of the baby developing respiratory difficulties after birth from 41.4% to 32.8%. However, we are not sure if this potentially important improvement will translate into better outcomes for the children as they grow older and reach school-age. As there are many examples of treatments given around the time of birth that have been shown to have some short-term benefits, but substantial long-term harms, we must be as certain as we can be that any advance in one small area of health is not counterbalanced by disadvantages in other health areas. This is particularly important to find out for repeat antenatal corticosteroids given the earlier conflicting reports from non-randomised studies. We plan to assess the 1085 survivors from our earlier clinical trial of repeat dose of prenatal corticosteroids when they are of early school age. We will assess their movement and other important areas of their brain function, as well as their school progress, blood pressure, lung function and general health and growth. EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE RESEARCH If we find important improvements in health outcomes at school-age in children exposed to repeat corticosteroids, without any substantial couterbalancing adverse effects, repeat steroids will be recommended standard therapy in women who are likely to give birth to their baby very early. This will lead to a reduction in the burden of ill health.Read moreRead less