Research Roundup:
August 2016
Welcome Message
I am pleased to announce that the first wave of TSANZ Research Career Development Awards are now open! With this we are launching our Awards Submissions Portal where members can apply for our awards without printing or e-mailing. We hope to open more awards as they are confirmed and continue to build the TSANZ Award portfolio to support our members and to improve the lung health of our community.
A small reminder: the 2017 TSANZSRS is now open for abstract submissions, along with applications for abstract-linked awards.
I will now leave you to get back to your research and enjoy your August Research Roundup,
Prof Phil Hansbro
Chair, Research Sub-Committee
The following articles will take you to thelimbic.com
Understanding CF related diabetes. Paediatric respiratory fellow Dr Bernadette Prentice tells us about her Holy Grail: to be able to detect which patients with CF will go on to develop diabetes at an earlier age. Read More.
Targeted thermal vapour ablation. One-year results from the joint Australian-European STEP-UP study have just been published. Read More.
E-cigarettes “likely” to have public health benefits. The debate surrounding e-cigarettes is likely to step up a notch following the release of a new study that has found they are likely to provide public health benefits. We caught up with the lead author to find out more. Read More.
Spider bites can be useful. Symptoms of bronchospasm and chest tightness caused by widow spider bites have led to an international research group, including scientists from Sydney’s Woolcock Institute, describing a potential new target for asthma therapy. Read More.
We need Indigenous-specific spirometry reference guidelines. We just don’t know whether the values will be that different, but given the burden of respiratory disease in Indigenous Australians across all ages, it makes sense to find out, say researchers from the Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care Program at Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital.Read More.
Mycophenolate backed in scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease. It significantly improves lung function just as well as cyclophosphamide but has a better tolerability and toxicity profile. Read More.
Open Awards
TSANZ Research Career Development Awards are now open
TSANZ AWARD Indigenous Respiratory Nurse Award
TSANZ and NAC – Asthma and Airways Fellowship
TSANZ Peter Phelan Paediatic Travel Award
TSANZ Rob Pierce Grant-in-Aid for Indigenous Lung Health
TSANZ Abstract-Linked Awards are now open
TSANZ Ann Woolcock New Investigator Award
TSANZ Janet Elder International Travel Award
TSANZ / Japanese Respiratory Society Early Career Development Award
Watch this space for more awards announcements…
Research Project and Survey Requests
Perioperative care of patients with OSA: A survey of beliefs and management approaches amongst Australian clinicians
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has a rising prevalence in the general population and in those presenting for surgery. It is an established risk factor for increased incidence of peri-operative and post-operative complications. There are currently no consensus-based recommendations on management of these patients in Australia. We wish to conduct a survey of specialties involved in the care of these patients to examine current practice and beliefs in the perioperative management of OSA. The results will be reviewed by the Respiratory and Sleep Department at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, to identify current trends in practice, and to ultimately guide towards a consensus approach in this field.
The survey link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/perioposa
Dr Chong Weng Ong | Respiratory and Sleep Consultant | St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
Joy Sha | Respiratory and Sleep Registrar | St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
GP COPD Survey for Primary Care SIG
Dear Colleague
Our research team is conducting a survey to understand how General Practitioners (GPs) and GP registrars approach symptom management and palliative care, when caring for patients with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). From the results of this study we hope to develop educational resources to assist GPs when caring for this patient group.
We invite you to take part in a voluntary online survey, which will take 5-10 minutes to complete. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions in this survey.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/GPbreathlessnessCOPD
Participant Information letter
Kind regards
Dr John Politis | Basic Physician Trainee | Department of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine The Royal Melbourne Hospital – City Campus | Level 1 Centre for Medical Research Building | Melbourne | Tel: +61 3 9342 7708
Dr Natasha Smallwood | Respiratory Physician | Department of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine The Royal Melbourne Hospital – City Campus | Level 1 Centre for Medical Research Building | Melbourne | Tel: +61 3 9342 7708 |
A/Prof Louis Irving | Director of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine | The Royal Melbourne Hospital | Melbourne
A/Prof Brian Le | Director of Palliative & Supportive Care | The Royal Melbourne Hospital | Melbourne
COPD survey invitation for Physio, Primary Care and Respiratory Nurse SIG
Dear Colleague
Our research team is conducting a survey to understand physiotherapist’s, occupational therapist’s, nurse’s, social worker’s and other allied health professionals’ knowledge and practice behaviours regarding advance care planning in patients with COPD. From the results of this study we hope to develop educational resources to assist health professionals when caring for this patient group.
We invite to participate in a survey, that should take only 10-15 minutes to complete. Several disciplines are represented in the overall survey, however you will be directed to only those questions relevant to your discipline.
Ethics approval has been granted for this study from the University of Sydney. All 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.
Further information about this research study is provided in the enclosed document [DOWNLOAD]. If you have any questions regarding this research, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Rebecca Disler directly. Thank you in advance for participating.
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: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACPHealthProf
Kind regards
Dr Rebecca Disler | Senior Lecturer in Chronic Disease | The University of Sydney
Email: rebecca.disler@sydney.edu.au | Tel: 0406 876 587
Dr Natasha Smallwood | Respiratory Physician Department of Respiratory Medicine | The Royal Melbourne Hospital
A/Prof Louis Irving | Respiratory Physician Department of Respiratory Medicine | The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Prof David Currow | Palliative Care Physician Flinders University | Adelaide
STUDENT DECLARATION Yuxiu Cui will be analysing the study results as the basis for her degree of Bachelor of Advanced Nursing (Honours) at The University of Sydney. This will take place under the supervision of Dr Rebecca Disler.
Anti-viral Immunity in Asthma – Call for participants in Brisbane
The LUNG AND ALLERGY RESEARCH CENTRE is conducting a research project on antiviral immunity in asthma to understand why asthmatic people suffer from worse colds and flus. We need people with and without asthma to donate 40mL of blood. Participation takes place at the PA hospital and takes only 15-30 minutes. Option for allergy testing with total 100mL blood donation.
For more information please contact Liisa Murray | 07 3443 7133 | Flyer