Heritable And Environmental Determinants Of Hospitalisation For Common Childhood Illnesses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$468,238.00
Summary
This study will combine the unique and powerful resources of the Western Australian (WA) Data Linkage System and the WA Twin Register to disentangle the effects of genetics and the environment on the most common infectious causes of hospital admissions in children. It will highlight appropriate pathways to prevent such admissions in the future.
Brain Plaques And Cognitive Decline In The Elderly - A Study Of Human Twins
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Summary
One hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a build up of plaques in the brain, starting years before symptoms are observed. We will use PiB-PET brain scans to determine the degree of plaque build-up in pairs of twins at risk of developing AD, and calculate the heritability of these plaques. We will also be able to calculate (potentially modifiable) environmental factors that may be contributing to the relationship between plaques and memory and thinking.
Menopause is one of the important risk factors for bone loss, structural decay and bone fragility. We aim to quantify the biochemical, microstructural and biomechanical basis of loss of bone strength during and after menopause. A cohort of 324 pairs of female-female twins aged 25 to 75 years old will be followed up for up to 9 years. Defining the structural basis of bone fragility provides a rational means to identifying women at risk for fracture.
We will conduct a study of more than 500 Australian female twin pairs in which one or both have had breast cancer. We will also study measured and unmeasured genetic and environmental causes of risk factors.
Identifying Why Some People Consume Excess Dietary Fat. A Twin Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,462.00
Summary
Obesity is a significant public health problem, yet some individuals are less susceptible to the development of obesity. High fat eating patterns are commonly associated with overweight/obesity. The taste system is the gatekeeper of digestion and the sense of taste responds to fat, and that the fat taste response is associated with obesity. Using twins as subjects to disentangle the influences of 'nature and nuture', in this project we will identify the mechanisms responsible for linking fat tas ....Obesity is a significant public health problem, yet some individuals are less susceptible to the development of obesity. High fat eating patterns are commonly associated with overweight/obesity. The taste system is the gatekeeper of digestion and the sense of taste responds to fat, and that the fat taste response is associated with obesity. Using twins as subjects to disentangle the influences of 'nature and nuture', in this project we will identify the mechanisms responsible for linking fat taste response to development of obesity.Read moreRead less
In the study of common disease, it is becoming apparent that it is not only an individual's DNA sequence that can encode susceptibility to disease, but also chemical modifications to that sequence. Despite the importance of these chemical modifications in the development of disease, there has been no comprehensive survey of the extent which they are transmitted across generations in humans. This proposal will investigate how one of those modifications, DNA methylation, is inherited.
Quantifying The Effectiveness Of Pertussis Vaccine In Older Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,703.00
Summary
Pertussis is the most poorly controlled vaccine preventable disease in Australia. Childhood pertussis is a well-known public health problem but adult pertussis is also common and has a significant burden on the health system, especially in adults over 65 years. Pertussis vaccines for adults are currently not funded by our national immunisation program. This project will provide vital data to inform whether pertussis vaccination is cost-effective in older Australian adults.
Early Life And Contemporary Influences On Body Composition, Mental Health, And Chronic Disease Risk Markers In The Aboriginal Birth Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,117,044.00
Summary
The Aboriginal Birth Cohort study has been following the health of Aboriginal babies in the Northern Territory for the last 30 years. The participants were healthy till adolescence, but overweight and risk factors of diseases such as diabetes, kidney and heart disease are emerging. This follow-up will show when and whether these risk factors develop into disease, which factors are protective and which identify early those most at risk of developing diseases that cause the gap in life expectancy.
Pharmaceutical Opioid Prescription For Chronic Pain In Australia: Trajectories Of Prescribing, Risk Of Adverse Events, And Predictors Of Harm
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,086,274.00
Summary
There is concern about rising levels of opioid analgesic prescribing in Australia. This study is important because it will provide evidence about long term outcomes for patients using opioid therapy for chronic non-malignant pain. It will examine prescribing patterns and link them to other health outcomes such as overdose. We will also study patients beginning opioid therapy for chronic pain and follow them up over 2 years to examine outcomes such as pain relief and medication side effects.
Planning, Timing And Quit Success: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,108.00
Summary
The aim of this project is to better understand how quit smoking interventions should be structured to maximise effectiveness; should smokers be encouraged to quit immediately to capitalize on the motivation that caused them to seek help, or first spend time planning, and can the planning be done after quitting? The answers will inform the design and delivery of smoking cessation programs, and potentially programs for other hard-to-change behaviours.