Research Roundup:
March 2016
Welcome Message
Welcome to the second edition of the TSANZ Research Round Up.
The ASM is now less than three weeks away! This conference, themed Early Origins of Lung Disease, is set to be another big one, with wall to wall presentations delivering the latest in respiratory research. It is certainly an event not be missed and promises to yield collaboration opportunities beyond your wildest dreams.
The second TSANZ award round for this year recently closed and I would like to thank and congratulate our researchers for the high uptake of these opportunities, and the extremely high calibre of award applications submitted. Our awards program is steadily growing and I hope it can reach more and more researchers as time goes on. At the Perth ASM, we will be presenting our biggest ever awards pool, including $40 000 in Grant-In-Aids, over $50 000 of travel awards, $400 000 of fellowship funds, plus nearly $200 000 of Lung Foundation Australia awards. i.e Over half a million dollars! I would also like to thank the TSANZ and LFA staff for their tireless efforts in managing these funds and trying to secure more.
I would like to use this edition to draw your attention to the surveys section of this newsletter. Please support your fellow TSANZ researchers and consider participating in these. We all know how difficult collecting the necessary data can be and this is a good opportunity for collegiate support. In particular, our Interventional Pulmonology SIG is looking to understand current practice and training, which will help shape future training. I would like to encourage physicians and advanced trainees in particular to complete the brief Pleural Ultrasound Survey.
Enjoy your March Research Roundup and I’ll see you in Perth,
Prof Phil Hansbro
Chair, Research Sub-Committee
The following articles will take you to www.thelimbic.com
the limbic is a free, independent news site for respiratory health professionals that covers the latest in clinical research and medico-political news.
To access any of these articles simply click on one of the links below and create an account using your name and email. There are no hidden costs and your data will not be shared with anyone, ever.
A taster of TSANZSRS16. In almost two weeks 1,000 delegates will convene in Perth for this year’s TSANZSRS annual congress. With a speaker line up guaranteed to draw a crowd we’ve caught up with conference convener Dr Jane Bourke to get a little taster of the highlights and sessions not to miss. Read More.
The link between rhinovirus and asthma. In this month’s Holy Grail Dr Nathan Bartlett from the Hunter Medical Research Institute tells us about his search for a vaccine that could be administered in the first year of life and protect against the development of asthma. Read More.
Guidelines for obesity in COPD. Find out why a study by Newcastle researchers brings us one step closer to developing them. Read More.
A STEP forward in emphysema treatment. The findings from a joint European-Australian study on the use of targeted thermal vapour ablation of severely emphysematous lung tissue may apply to many Australian patients with patterns of disease not easily treated by any other means, co-investigator Professor Greg Snell, from the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne says. Read More.
Airways need microbial balance. In patients with COPD there is a strong focus on getting rid of the bacteria that causes infection and inflammation, but what about the good guys? Read More.
Evidence for pulmonary rehab ‘uncontestable’. Referral for pulmonary rehabilitation now needs to move to the top of the agenda in discussions of treatment options with patients with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases, say UK experts. Read More.
COPD-X gets a fresh look. New therapies for the management of COPD and the importance of rehab are a focus of the latest update to the internationally recognised COPD-X Plan. Read More.
If you have any issues accessing the limbic please contact editor@thelimbic.com
Research Project and Survey Requests
The Breathing for Life Trial (BLT)
BLT is a randomised trial of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO)-based management of asthma during pregnancy and its impact on perinatal outcomes and infant and childhood respiratory health.
We are seeking volunteers with doctor diagnosed asthma, asthma symptoms or medication use in previous 12 months, 18 years of age or older, 12-22 weeks gestation, smokers and non-smokers.
This trial will take place at;
– John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW
– Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick NSW
– Nepean Hospital, NSW
– Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD
– Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW
– Canberra Hospital, ACT
Click here to read more about this trial
Click here to download Participant Information Statement and Consent Form [PDF]
For more information please contact Dr Megan Jensen: Ph (02) 4042 0130 | breathingforlifetrial@gmail.com | Facebook
Pleural and Lung Ultrasound Survey (For Physicians & Advanced Trainees)
You are invited to participate in this voluntary survey that aims to describe current pleural and lung ultrasound training practices in Australia and New Zealand amongst respiratory physicians and advanced trainees to help improve this training. The data will then be compared to a similar survey conducted in 2011 to determine whether progress is being made in the area of pleural ultrasound training.
We know that your time is valuable and therefore the survey has been kept short and will take only a few minutes to complete (14 MCQs, 5 minutes). All responses will be anonymous and analysed as a cohort. Your assistance will help shape future training provision within the Society.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PleuralUS
Please find contact details below if you would like more information about this study.
Dr Eve Denton, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Advanced Trainee, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (eve.denton@gmail.com)
Dr Mark Hew, Head of Allergy Department, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (M.Hew@alfred.org.au)
Venous Thrombo-Embolism Survey
Dear Colleague,
Our research team is conducting a brief survey to better understand how physicians currently approach the management of patients with suspected and proven venous thromboembolism. We are currently inviting physicians who manage patients with venous thromboembolism throughout Australia to take part. The results of the survey will provide valuable information to guideline developers and may help in the development of educational resources for physicians and trainees who manage this group of patients.
We invite you to take part in a voluntary online survey, which will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions in this survey.
Ethics approval has been granted for this study by Melbourne Health (Approval number QA2015182) and there are no anticipated risks to you by taking part in this research. All survey responses will be anonymous and confidential. No personal information that could identify you is being collected and your email address will not be linked to your survey response. Your consent to participate in this study is implied by completing the survey.
If you have any questions regarding this research, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Renee Manser or Mr Rory Wallace directly. Thank you in advance for participating.
If you have any complaints about any aspect of the project, the way it is being conducted or any questions about your rights as a research participant, then you may contact Ms Jessica Turner, Manager Human Research Ethics Committees, Melbourne Health on (03) 9342 8530. You will need to tell Ms Turner the number or name of the project (see above).
Please click on the link below to proceed to the survey. If the link fails to load automatically, please cut and paste it into your internet browser.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/rmhvte
Dr Renee Manser, Respiratory Physician, Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Email: renee.manser@mh.org.au, Tel: 03 9342 7708
Mr Rory Wallace, Medical Student, Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Email: rwallace@student.unimelb.edu.au, Tel: 03 9342 7708
A/Prof Louis Irving, Director of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne
Dr Mary Ann Anderson, Haematologist, Department of Clinical Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Interview for physicians’ perspectives on the use of domiciliary oxygen therapy in interstitial lung disease (For Physicians)
Researchers at Austin Health are currently recruiting respiratory physicians for a qualitative study investigating their views with the use of domiciliary oxygen therapy in patients with interstitial lung disease.
Click here to download the invitation letter [PDF]
Click here to download Participant Information Statement and Consent Form [PDF]
To take part in the study or receive further information, please contact Yet Hong Khor on 03 9496 5390 or YetHong.Khor@austin.org.au.
Using drawings to further understanding of people’s perceptions and experiences of their asthma
You are invited to take part in a research study exploring the use of drawings to further understanding of people’s perceptions and experiences of their asthma.
This study is being conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney. You will be asked to complete a survey, a spirometry reading, an interview and a drawing activity. This will be conducted in one sitting and in-person with a researcher. The total time commitment is expected to be approximately one hour. You will be reimbursed for your time.
You can take part in this study if you are over 18 years of age and have been told by your doctor that you have asthma.
Click here to download the invitation letter [PDF]
Click here to download Participant Information Statement [PDF]
If you would like more details or would like to take part, please contact the researchers (details below):
A/Prof Lorraine Smith, Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, the University of Sydney. Email:lorraine.smith@sydney.edu.au Telephone: 02 9036 7079
Ms Melissa Cheung, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Pharmacy, the University of Sydney. Email: mche7750@uni.sydney.edu.au Telephone: 02 9351 3710