Sound practice: Supporting sustainable careers in orchestral musicians through Occupational Health and Safety initiatives. This project will produce new knowledge about musician health, well-being and injury prevention and management. It will establish the first injury surveillance system for musicians internationally and the first set of rigorous studies to evaluate the effectiveness of injury management interventions for orchestral musicians. We will establish musician-specific assessment prot ....Sound practice: Supporting sustainable careers in orchestral musicians through Occupational Health and Safety initiatives. This project will produce new knowledge about musician health, well-being and injury prevention and management. It will establish the first injury surveillance system for musicians internationally and the first set of rigorous studies to evaluate the effectiveness of injury management interventions for orchestral musicians. We will establish musician-specific assessment protocols, practices and interventions leading to effective OHS policies, thus enabling global improvement in OHS in the music industry, preventing economic and personal loss from premature career termination due to injury, and assisting, through mentoring, the new generation of young orchestral musicians.Read moreRead less
Prediction of outcome following whiplash injury: a multicentre international prospective study. The main aim of this study is to validate a set of biological and psychological prognostic indicators of outcome following whiplash injury that we have previously identified in a single centre prospective cohort. Validation will be in the context of a large multicentre international cohort. This will allow stakeholders involved in whiplash such as health care and insurance providers to predict with co ....Prediction of outcome following whiplash injury: a multicentre international prospective study. The main aim of this study is to validate a set of biological and psychological prognostic indicators of outcome following whiplash injury that we have previously identified in a single centre prospective cohort. Validation will be in the context of a large multicentre international cohort. This will allow stakeholders involved in whiplash such as health care and insurance providers to predict with confidence both those persons at risk of developing chronic symptoms as well as those with a good chance of full recovery. Furthermore the validation of the predictive capacity of these indicators will, for the first time, provide predictive markers that are amenable to specific early multiprofessional treatment interventions.Read moreRead less
Dynamic spatio-temporal approach to environmental health modelling. Maintenance and enhancement of environmental health (EH) is an important aspect of sustainable development (SD). There has been an increasing realisation that an appropriate modelling approach needs to be developed to measure and promote EH. However, a framework for the development of EH models to facilitate environmental management decision-making has not been attempted to date. This research aims to increase fundamental knowle ....Dynamic spatio-temporal approach to environmental health modelling. Maintenance and enhancement of environmental health (EH) is an important aspect of sustainable development (SD). There has been an increasing realisation that an appropriate modelling approach needs to be developed to measure and promote EH. However, a framework for the development of EH models to facilitate environmental management decision-making has not been attempted to date. This research aims to increase fundamental knowledge on the relationship between environmental exposures and community well-being, to develop a dynamic and systematic approach to EH modelling, and to assess implications of EH models in the planning of SD and environmental management.Read moreRead less
Development of Environmental Health Indicators in the Context of Sustainable Development. Protecting and promoting community well-being and population health is an essential aspect of sustainable development (SD). It is critical, therefore, to develop rigorous environmental health indicators (EHIs) to provide solid bases for the planning of SD and environmental management decision-making. However, a framework for the development of EHIs has not been attempted. This research aims to increase fun ....Development of Environmental Health Indicators in the Context of Sustainable Development. Protecting and promoting community well-being and population health is an essential aspect of sustainable development (SD). It is critical, therefore, to develop rigorous environmental health indicators (EHIs) to provide solid bases for the planning of SD and environmental management decision-making. However, a framework for the development of EHIs has not been attempted. This research aims to increase fundamental knowledge on the relationship between EHIs and SD, to identify a core and extended set of EHIs, and to assess implications of EHIs in the planning of SD and environmental management. A framework for identification and application of EHIs will be developed.Read moreRead less
A study of early stuttering. Stuttering affects 1 in 20 Australian children. Stuttering disrupts and prevents normal verbal communication, significantly interferes with social interaction and can affect the attainment of educational and occupational potential. Australia leads the world in stuttering research. This innovative study will document the onset of stuttering and describe its progression, an area that is not well described or understood. This project will contribute new knowledge about ....A study of early stuttering. Stuttering affects 1 in 20 Australian children. Stuttering disrupts and prevents normal verbal communication, significantly interferes with social interaction and can affect the attainment of educational and occupational potential. Australia leads the world in stuttering research. This innovative study will document the onset of stuttering and describe its progression, an area that is not well described or understood. This project will contribute new knowledge about the onset of stuttering thereby benefiting children worldwide and their families. It will inform clinical practice and improve the evidence underpinning the advice given to parents of children who stutter.Read moreRead less
Physiological, bahavioural and functional motor abilities in children with undifferentiated tongue movements during speech. A subgroup of children with speech disorders who have difficulty moving parts of their tongue independently during speech has been identified. This study aims to investigate if this is a unique phenomenon of the tongue during speech, or indicative of more generalized patterns of motor movement. This will enable us to explore the similarities between patterns of movement in ....Physiological, bahavioural and functional motor abilities in children with undifferentiated tongue movements during speech. A subgroup of children with speech disorders who have difficulty moving parts of their tongue independently during speech has been identified. This study aims to investigate if this is a unique phenomenon of the tongue during speech, or indicative of more generalized patterns of motor movement. This will enable us to explore the similarities between patterns of movement in the articulators during speech and non-speech tasks and the upper limb. In turn, this will inform the debate about motor control mechanisms for speech and other body movements, which would lead to more effective treatment regimes.Read moreRead less
'Just right' job design: A new model using the Goldilocks paradigm. This proposal will generate new knowledge about designing jobs with the right amount of human movement. Prolonged sitting is now a serious work hazard that contributes to cardiovascular risk and obesity. The high incidence of these conditions in many work systems, such as rail, also presents a critical safety hazard due to threat of sudden incapacity while driving. Expected project outcomes are a ‘Just Right’ Job Design model sh ....'Just right' job design: A new model using the Goldilocks paradigm. This proposal will generate new knowledge about designing jobs with the right amount of human movement. Prolonged sitting is now a serious work hazard that contributes to cardiovascular risk and obesity. The high incidence of these conditions in many work systems, such as rail, also presents a critical safety hazard due to threat of sudden incapacity while driving. Expected project outcomes are a ‘Just Right’ Job Design model showing how tasks can be designed to enhance safety and health while maintaining productivity, and in the unlikeliest of workplaces. This will provide significant benefits for the many working Australians whose safety and health are compromised by exposure to prolonged sitting in seemingly intractable environments.Read moreRead less
Determinants of successful community transition for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. Transition home following acquired brain injury (ABI) is a critical phase in which individuals and families are vulnerable. Unsuccessful transitions are characterised by events such as financial crisis, family breakdown, loss of work, social isolation, and institutionalisation. ABI does not discriminate, but there is a higher rate in Indigenous, rural and remote communities and amongst ....Determinants of successful community transition for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. Transition home following acquired brain injury (ABI) is a critical phase in which individuals and families are vulnerable. Unsuccessful transitions are characterised by events such as financial crisis, family breakdown, loss of work, social isolation, and institutionalisation. ABI does not discriminate, but there is a higher rate in Indigenous, rural and remote communities and amongst younger people. The societal impact of ABI includes loss of income and livelihood, health and welfare dependence, and long-term accommodation support. Research into the determinants of successful transition will alleviate the personal, social and economic burden of ABI and inform policy and program priorities for appropriate Australian Government bodies.Read moreRead less
Stuttering in childhood: Patterns of recovery and persistence. This project will benefit the 1 in 20 Australian children who stutter and their families. We will learn for the first time how stuttering impacts on child development in the early school years and document the relationship between stuttering and other childhood conditions. The study will produce much needed information about recovery from stuttering and stuttering persistence. Therefore new knowledge will result to inform the scienti ....Stuttering in childhood: Patterns of recovery and persistence. This project will benefit the 1 in 20 Australian children who stutter and their families. We will learn for the first time how stuttering impacts on child development in the early school years and document the relationship between stuttering and other childhood conditions. The study will produce much needed information about recovery from stuttering and stuttering persistence. Therefore new knowledge will result to inform the scientific community and provide professionals and families with much needed evidence-based information about stuttering progression. Together this information will inform intervention approaches and help direct resources to those children who need them most. Read moreRead less
Occupational injury prevention in high temperature environments. This project aims to explore the contribution of heat as a risk factor in work-related illness and injury. Approximately 600 000 Australians experience a work-related illness or injury each year. Hot weather may directly or indirectly lead to accidents, but heat as a risk factor has not been systematically explored, and is particularly relevant in a warming climate. This project aims to improve safety and productivity in Australian ....Occupational injury prevention in high temperature environments. This project aims to explore the contribution of heat as a risk factor in work-related illness and injury. Approximately 600 000 Australians experience a work-related illness or injury each year. Hot weather may directly or indirectly lead to accidents, but heat as a risk factor has not been systematically explored, and is particularly relevant in a warming climate. This project aims to improve safety and productivity in Australian industry by generating new evidence and predictive models to inform injury prevention policy and guidance, and facilitating the development of practical, targeted resources. This project expects to add to the body of knowledge regarding workers’ health and safety and to be of benefit to industry and subpopulations at risk.Read moreRead less