Do Exposures Before Conception Influence The Risk Of Asthma In Offspring?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$688,586.00
Summary
Asthma and poor lung function are major causes of public health issues. Emerging evidence suggests adverse exposures even before the conception of a child may cause these conditions. The proposed project is part of an international study across generations to identify these factors. This study will provide novel evidence to guide interventions and identify studies to advance this area further. These original findings will be of great importance both nationally and internationally.
The Predictors Of Asthma And Lung Function Deficits In The Third Decade: Longitudinal Study Of MACS Sibships
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,176,908.00
Summary
This will be the world’s first birth cohort study to use substantial prospective data to investigate how biological, psychosocial, and environmental markers from birth will predict asthma and lung function in the third decade of life. Our findings will be crucial to the development of new policy and practice for the prevention and management of these conditions and uncover crucial risk factors for young adult asthma.
This project will investigate the causes of respiratory disease and poor lung function across the life course. Using existing lung health data from Australia and Europe, we will determine which behavioral, environmental, occupational, nutritional, other modifiable lifestyle, or genetic factors play a role in lung health. This research will enable the development of a personalised risk predictor application for implementation with patients and health care providers as well as the general public.
Parental Supply Of Alcohol To Children: Associations With Early Adult Health – “binge” Drinking, Alcohol-related Harms, Aggression, And Alcohol Use Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,143,477.00
Summary
We will investigate of the impacts of parental supply of alcohol between 13-18 years, on early adult alcohol use (19-23 years). We will follow an existing cohort of ~1,810 parent-child dyads, and assess the development of alcohol use, disorders, harms and aggression. We will investigate the impacts of: parental supply of sips vs drinks; supervised vs unsupervised supply; and modifying effects of contexts of supply and mediators (such as peer, child factors, etc.) controlling for confounders.
A Survey Of The Sexual Behaviour And Sexual Health Of Australian Prisoners
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$591,000.00
Summary
The Australian Study of Health and Relationships telephone survey recently reported on the sexual attitudes, knowledge, health and behaviour of over 19,000 Australians. One of the groups that was omitted from that survey was prisoners. Yet prisoners are a high-risk group for sexual ill health. Prisoners are mostly drawn from the most disadvantaged groups in society: they are more likely to be unemployed, they have less education and lower incomes than other Australians, and many suffer from mino ....The Australian Study of Health and Relationships telephone survey recently reported on the sexual attitudes, knowledge, health and behaviour of over 19,000 Australians. One of the groups that was omitted from that survey was prisoners. Yet prisoners are a high-risk group for sexual ill health. Prisoners are mostly drawn from the most disadvantaged groups in society: they are more likely to be unemployed, they have less education and lower incomes than other Australians, and many suffer from minor intellectual disabilities and-or mental illness. This proposed survey of inmates in Australian prisons will fill in this missing data. Prisoners are the forgotten population in many countries. Only a few surveys of prisoners' health have been performed. There are some surveys of sexual behaviour in particular prisons overseas, though most of them concentrate on HIV risks and do not explore the sexual lives of prisoners in the same way as the major national sex surveys in the US, the UK and France did for people living outside prison. Prison is itself a dangerous place for people's sexual health. In prison, much of the sex that occurs is not voluntary. Sexual assault in prisons can lead to serious physical injury as well as risk of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV-AIDS. Although some of these injuries can be sufficiently serious to require surgery, only a small proportion are reported to the authorities. Younger prisoners (aged 18-25) and those who are small, slightly built or gay, are at higher risk of being assaulted. This study will explore the factors surrounding sexual assault in prison and make recommendations for preventing it.Read moreRead less
Statistical Analysis Of An International 10 Year Prospective Family Study Of Gene-environment Interactions On Risk Of Female Breast Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,198.00
Summary
This study will provide new and credible information on how the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on breast cancer risk depend on a woman's underlying genetic susceptibility using a large, international 10 year prospective family study.
Use Of Statistical And Mathematical Models To Investigate Infectious Disease Transmission Dynamics To Better Inform Control Measures In Hospitals And The Community
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,388.00
Summary
Globally tuberculosis infects over 9 million people yearly. In low incidence countries TB is re-emerging, with HIV, drug resistance and migration driving this. Australia needs to examine the transmission of TB within our country and The Asia-Pacific region. This proposal will quantify the risk for importation of highly drug resistant TB into Australia and assess the factors that lead to outbreaks. Models will be informative for Australian TB policy development and contribute to regional and glob ....Globally tuberculosis infects over 9 million people yearly. In low incidence countries TB is re-emerging, with HIV, drug resistance and migration driving this. Australia needs to examine the transmission of TB within our country and The Asia-Pacific region. This proposal will quantify the risk for importation of highly drug resistant TB into Australia and assess the factors that lead to outbreaks. Models will be informative for Australian TB policy development and contribute to regional and global efforts for TB control.Read moreRead less
Do Breast Cancer Risk Factors Differ According To Underlying Genetic Susceptibility? A Pooled Analysis Of Prospective Studies From The NCI Cancer Cohort Consortium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,581.00
Summary
We propose to use data from 23 international prospective cohort studies in the Cancer Cohort Consortium organised by the US National Cancer Institute to evaluate gene environment interactions for women who are at increased genetic risk of breast cancer. Our ultimate goal is to enhance the performance of clinical prediction tools and to develop targeted evidence-based strategies to mitigate the high absolute risk of breast cancer for women at increased genetic risk of the disease.
My research focuses on allergies and chronic respiratory disease in children, teenagers and adults. My goal is to identify the factors, which cause these conditions and also the factors, which can stop these conditions from getting worse. I will work with health professionals and the community to make sure the results of my research are used by doctors to improve the care of people with allergies and chronic respiratory diseases.
A Population-based Family Study Of Filaggrin Mutations And Allergic Disease Risk In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$308,584.00
Summary
It is biologically plausible that the association of known environmental risk factors for asthma may be different for genetically susceptible individuals. Few studies have examined the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. that have not considered genetic susceptibility are estimating an average risk of asthma across all genotypes in the population which may not be relevant for a particular sub-group.