Welcome Message

Welcome to the August Research Roundup. We hope you are all staying well in these uneasy COVID-19 times.

This month we are pleased to open two new awards. Firstly, we are very excited to announce and gratefully acknowledge the generous donation from our immediate past president, Prof Allan Glanville, to establish the Past Presidents Scholarship Award. We hope that others will join him in supporting this award that will provide both funding for our ECRs and, provide access to professional mentors and networks. Given global travel restrictions, ECRs are encouraged to think creatively when applying and consider the merit in visiting institutions closer to home.

Secondly, we would like to thank Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand for supporting a new award for our New Zealand members. The Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand Primary Care Grant aims to support research which will address the issue of access to primary care in New Zealand, particularly during restrictions like those faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary care can include general practice, allied health services, community health and community pharmacy.

As you would be aware, TSANZ is part of the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce; a living guideline which is continuously updated as new peer reviewed research becomes available. Many of our members are contributing to the COVID-19 research effort. One large multi-centre trial is the ASCOT trial (AustralaSian COVID-19 Trial) which many of our members are involved in. This trial will which be featured in a TSANZ webinar on 17 September 20.

We are pleased to again be hosting the LFA Awards. These will be opening on the 1st of September, including the Lizotte Family Research Award for IPF Research; Ludwig Engel Grant-in-Aid for Physiological Research; Ivan Cash Grant-in-Aid for IPF Research; and the Cochrane Airways Australia Scholarship. Please see below for more details.

As TSANZ members we also have the privilege of participating in an increasing number of surveys as detailed below. These include surveys of the Breathe Study: Investigating the role of masks for patients with asthma and COPD against bushfire smoke, Cystic Fibrosis Australia Research and Advocacy Priority Setting, and studies aimed at improving the quality of clinical trials evaluating  the management of COPD exacerbations, nurses’ attitudes to caring for people with intellectual disability, global current practices of mechanical ventilation management in COVID-19 patients, self-management for pulmonary fibrosis and  identifying the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of best practice for the diagnosis, treatment and management of PF. These are all very worthy studies and we encourage your participation.

Finally, please consider helping us to provide essential funding for our world class respiratory researchers and for our TSANZ awards. You can leave a tax deductible donation of your choice in our areas of need, whether it be a donation to our Benevolent Fund or to support research, establishing a named award or leaving TSANZ a gift in your will. Details can be found below

Please feel free to get in touch with the office if there is anything we can do to support your research needs during this time.

Enjoy the August edition of your Research Roundup.

Prof Sandra Hodge

Chair, Research Sub-Committee

TSANZ Past President’s Award

The TSANZ Past Presidents Scholarship Award aims to support early career researchers (ECRs) who do not have the resources available to them via their institution or workplace to:

1)  Develop their presentation of research skills, and/or

2) Present their research at a national or international professional conference of their choice.

The Scholarship will cover

• Airfares
• Accommodation
• Ground travel and transfers
• Registration
• Per Diem Daily Allowance in accordance with the ATO Reasonable Travel and Meal Allowance Guide

Up to a maximum of AUD 7000, with the amount to be paid dependent on the delivery of receipts for the expenses incurred above.

Additionally, the Scholarship will provide the awardee with support from a TSANZ Past President to review their presentation and provide feedback and professional development on research presentation skills. The Past President will be determined by TSANZ.

Please visit the TSANZ Awards Submissions Portal for more information.

Boeringer Ingelheim New Zealand Primary Care Grant

The Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand Primary Care Grant aims to support research which will address the issue of access to primary care in New Zealand, particularly during restrictions like those faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Primary care can include general practice, allied health services, community health and community pharmacy.

The grant is valued at NZD 5000 and will support studies for one year only.

Please visit the TSANZ Awards Submissions Portal for more information.

CREATE Grant-in-Aid Funding Opportunity

In 2020, there is a CREATE Grant-in-Aid opportunity for the award of one or more grants valued at a total of $7,000 to assist new collaborative investigator led Pulmonary Fibrosis research within the group of CREATE Fellows. The objective of the CREATE Grant-in-Aid is to encourage new research which meets the aims of the CRE-PF and builds collaborations between CREATE Fellows drawn together through the CRE-PF.

Please visit the LFA Awards Submissions Portal for more information.

LFA Awards

Lung Foundation Australia and its partners are excited to announce the following Research Grants will be open to application from 1 September 2020. For more information visit: https://lungfoundation.com.au/research/awards-and-grants/apply-for-funding/

YEAR OPEN	YEAR UNDERTAKEN	Award	Target area	Value	Duration	Timeline
2020	2021	Lung Foundation Australia – Lizotte Family Grant for IPF Research	IPF	$        5,000.00	1 year	1 September 2020 (close 13 October, announced 11 Dec)
2020	2021	Lung Foundation Australia – Ludwig Engel Grant-in-Aid for Physiological Respiratory Research	IPF	$        5,000.00	1 year	1 September 2020 (close 13 October, announced 11 Dec)
2020	2021	Lung Foundation Australia -Ivan Cash Grant-in-Aid For IPF Research	IPF	$        5,000.00	1 year	1 September 2020 (close 13 October, announced 11 Dec)
2020	2021	Lung Foundation Australia -Cochrane Airways Australia  Scholarship	Systematic Review	$        2,500.00	1 year	1 September 2020 (close 13 October, announced 11 Dec)

 

LFA 2020 Research Grant recipients

 

Congratulations to the recipients of the Lung Foundation Australia 2020 Research Grants.

2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Ellen Yates Memorial Grant in Aid for Lung Cancer Research	$20,000.00	Edith Cowan University	Dr. Afaf Abed
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Deep Manchanda Fellowship in Lung Cancer Research	$   160,000.00	The Garvan Institute of Medical Research	Dr. Venessa Chin
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Di Cox PhD Scholarship in IPF Research	$      45,000.00	University of Sydney	Dr. Laura Glenn
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Brian Eaton PhD Scholarship in IPF Research	$      45,000.00	University of Sydney	Dr. Matthew Parker
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Lizotte Family Grant for IPF Research	$        5,000.00	Austin Health	Dr Yet Hong Khor
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Ludwig Engel Grant-in-Aid for Physiological Respiratory Research	$        5,000.00	The Children’s Hospital at Westmead	Dr. Alexander Wong
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Ivan Cash Grant-in-Aid For IPF Research	$        5,000.00	RMIT University	Dr. Paris Papagianis
2019	2020	Lung Foundation Australia – Cochrane Airways Australia  Scholarship	$        2,500.00	University of South Australia	Kelsey Sharrad

 

Australasian Severe Asthma Registry (ASAR) Annual Report 2019

 

TSANZ is excited to share the ASAR 2019 Annual Report with you!

In 2019, TSANZ in collaboration with the Australasian Severe Asthma Network (ASAN), successfully transitioned the Severe Asthma Web-based Database (SAWD) to ASAR – a Clinical Quality Registry (CQR). ASAR is now uniquely positioned to collect longitudinal data (10-year follow-up) on a well-characterised severe asthma cohort in Australia and New Zealand with the capability to add modules of specific interest, for example, the Australasian Benralizumab Registry.

To view the ASAR 2019 Annual Report please click here.

The following articles will take you to thelimbic.com

 

Biomarker response to asthma treatment shouldn’t be neglected

Lung cancer research faces shake-up after dramatic split of ALTG

How respiratory teams are adapting to provide care after the COVID-19 pandemic

Vigilance for Velcro crackles needed to avoid diagnostic delay in ILD

Low dose morphine puts people with breathlessness back in the driving seat

COVID-19 anxiety is triggering asthma attacks: report

 

 

Respirology – Editor’s Choice 

Respirology Issue 25.7 July 2020

 

Sputum transcriptomics implicates increased p38 signalling activity in severe asthma

Katherine J. Baines, Michael Fricker, Vanessa M. McDonald, Jodie L. Simpson, Lisa G. Wood, Peter A.B. Warik, Heather E. Macdonald, Andrew Reid and Peter G. Gibson

 

The authorship team from Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia

DOI: 10.1111/resp.13749

 

Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on mortality: A large national cohort study

Hye Yun Park, Danbee Kang, Hyun Lee, Sun Hye Shin, Minwoong Kang, Sunga Kong, Chin Kook Rhee, Juhee Cho and Kwang Ha Yoo

 

The Korean COPD And Outcomes Study Team. From left to right: (Top) Kwang Ha Yoo, Danbee Kang, Sun Hye Shin, (Bottom) Juhee Cho and Hye Yun Park

DOI: 10.1111/resp.13678

Respirology Issue 25.8 August 2020

 

Ventilation heterogeneity and oscillometry predict asthma control improvement following step-up inhaled therapy in uncontrolled asthma

Francesca S.M. Tang, Sandra Rutting, Catherine E. Farrow, Katrina O. Tonga, Joanna Watts, Jessica R. Dame-Carrol, Amy Bertolin, Gregory G. King, Cindy Thamrin and David G. Chapman

 

The Airway Physiology and Imaging Group from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, as part of the overall research team. From left to right: Prof. Gregory King, Dr David Chapman, Dr Sandra Rutting, Dr Katrina Tonga and A/Prof. Cindy Thamrin.

DOI: 10.1111/resp.13772

 

Identification and definition of asthma–COPD overlap: The CanCOLD study

Miriam Barrecheguren, Lancelot Pinto, Seyed-Mohammad-Yousof Mostafavi-Pour-Manshadi, Wan C. Tan, Pei Z. Li, Shawn D. Aaron, Andrea Benedetti, Kenneth R. Chapman, Brandie Walker, J. Mark Fitzgerald, Paul Hernandez, François Maltais, Darcy D. Marciniuk, Denis E. O’Donnell, Don D. Sin, Jean Bourbeau for The Cancold Collaborative Research Group and The Canadian Respiratory Research Network

 

The authorship team on behalf of the CanCOLD Collaborative Research Group and

the Canadian Respiratory Research Network. From top left to right bottom: Miriam Barrecheguren, Lancelot Pinto, Seyed-Mohammad-Yousof Mostafavi-Pour-Manshadi, Wan Tan, Pei Li, Shawn Aaron, Andrea Benedetti, Kenneth Chapman, B Walker, Mark Fitzgerald, Paul Hernandez, François Maltais, Darcy Marciniuk, Denis O’Donnell, Don Sin, Jean Bourbeau

DOI: 10.1111/resp.13780

Research Review

NZ Respiratory Research Review Issue 175 with Professor Lutz Beckert

AU Lung Cancer Research Review Issue 46 with Dr. Michael Slancar

 

Invitations and surveys

BREATHE Study

Do you have asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis?

Do you live in an area affected by bushfires or bushfire smoke?

If yes to both, you may be eligible for the BREATHE study.

We are studying facemasks for prevention of smoke exposure

Find out more: https://kirby.unsw.edu.au/breathe

Please register your interest: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C96DXJN

Contact us: e.kpozehouen@unsw.edu.au

Ethics Approval: HC200477

CYSTIC FIBROSIS RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY PRIORITY SETTING SURVEY 2020 AND BEYOND

Dear Members of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand,

Cystic Fibrosis Australia (CFA) is inviting the TSANZ members to take part in their Research and Advocacy Priority Setting survey. If you are a CF stakeholder, living with the condition or looking after someone who lives with the condition, then your survey responses are greatly needed and encouraged.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F38Q8K2

We want all our community members, patients, carers, clinicians and researchers to be involved in every step and we thank you for agreeing to take part.

To speak to us about this questionnaire or for any further enquires, contact us at (02) 9889 5171 or email nickim@cfa.org.au. Alternatively, you can join the conversation over at the Cystic Fibrosis Australia page on Facebook.

 

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ERS STUDY AIMING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CLINICAL TRIALS EVALUATING THE MANAGEMENT OF COPD EXACERBATIONS

Dear colleagues,

Clinical trials evaluating the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations evaluate heterogeneous outcomes (endpoints), often omitting those that are clinically important and relevant to patients. This limits their usability and comparability.

To remedy this issue, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) set-up a Task Force aiming to develop a core outcome set (COS). A COS is a consensus-based minimum set of clinically important outcomes that should be evaluated in all future clinical trials on the management of COPD exacerbations.

We have identified around 50 outcomes of COPD exacerbations and we need your help to prioritize a small number of the most important outcomes, to be included in the core outcome set and to be evaluated in all future clinical trials on the management of COPD exacerbations. To help us prioritize the outcomes, we will be grateful if you could complete a survey that has two stages, 4-8 weeks apart. Each survey takes about 20 minutes to complete.

In the first survey, you will be asked to rate the importance of 50 outcomes between 1-9:

• 1-3: Outcomes of limited importance.
• 4-6: Outcomes that are important but not critical.
• 7-9: Critical outcomes.

We welcome responses from health professionals, researchers, patients with COPD and any other stakeholders with interest in COPD exacerbations.

In the second survey, you will see a graph summarizing the responses of all participants in the first survey and you will be asked to reconsider your ratings, taking into consideration the views of the other responders. While the aim of this survey will be to reach consensus, you will not have to change your ratings if you do not want to.

Your opinion in both surveys is extremely important in developing the core outcome set.

It is crucial that you complete both surveys and we would be very grateful if you can do this.

Please, take the survey in one of the following languages:

English: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD/
Portuguese: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-PO/
German: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-GE/
Hungarian:  https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-HU/
Mandarin: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-CN/
Spanish: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-ES/
Russian: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-RU/
Greek: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-GR/
Danish: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-DK/
Italian: https://delphimanager.liv.ac.uk/COPD-IT/

We appreciate this is a difficult time for patients and professionals in the respiratory community. While all efforts should rightly be focused on caring for those affected by the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, we believe that research to improve care and outcomes for respiratory patients is needed now more than ever. We are sensitive to the enormous pressures faced by patients and professionals in our community and will review the timelines for this survey and subsequent work in response to the ongoing global pandemic.

Thank you very much in advance,
Kind regards,
Associate Prof. Jens-Ulrik Jensen,
Dr. Alexander Mathioudakis,
Prof. Jørgen Vestbo,
On behalf of the study team.

 

NURSES’ ATTITUDES TO CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY: AN AUSTRALIAN SURVEY

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to consider participating in our online survey focused on nurses’ attitudes to caring for people with intellectual disability. This survey, led by researchers from Western Sydney and Central Queensland Universities, is a replication of a previous US study by Dr Melissa Desroches from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

People with intellectual disability have lower levels of general health than other members of our community. They also have higher incidence of hospitalisation and, of major concern, higher incidence of preventable death than members of the general population.

By learning about nurses’ attitudes to caring for people with intellectual disability, we anticipate being able to develop models of care and supportive resources for nurses to enhance the care that they provide to people with intellectual disability.

Please read the attached participant information sheet and consider completing this short survey by accessing the link below:

Caring for People with Intellectual Disability survey

Thank you for considering our invitation
A/Prof Nathan Wilson, Western Sydney University
Dr Peter Lewis, Western Sydney University
Ms Virginia Howie, Central Queensland University
Dr Melissa Desroches, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Kind regards,
Virginia

 

GLOBAL CURRENT PRACTICES OF MECHANICAL VENTILATION MANAGEMENT IN COVID-19 PATIENTS

Dear Colleague, 

You are invited to partake in the current study, “Global Current Practices of Mechanical Ventilation Management in COVID-19 Patients.” The goal of this study is to explore the current practices of mechanical ventilation support in adult COVID-19 patients worldwide. 

We are carrying out this online survey for frontline clinicians involved in the care of patients with COVID-19, with the aim to examine which ventilation techniques healthcare providers’ used to manage adult COVID-19 patients. It would be helpful if you could complete this survey, the estimated time is 5-10 minutes. While there is limited information available on ventilatory support practices in COVID-19 patients, this international survey will provide further insights into current strengths and limitations of global practices.

Rest assured that your answers will be kept confidential, and no information will be used to identify you or your response. This research project was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), AFHER-IRB-2020-012.

If you have any concern or question regarding this study, please do not hesitate to contact me at Jaber.alqahtani.18@ucl.ac.uk.

THANK YOU!
Jaber Alqahtani
On behalf of the whole international team

 

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY ON SELF MANAGEMENT FOR PULMONARY FIBROSIS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND HOW MIGHT IT HELP?

Dear Members of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, 

Alfred Health and the Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis are inviting health professionals involved with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) to take part in a study on self-management for pulmonary fibrosis: what does it mean and how might it help? 

Participation is voluntary and involves you sharing your views, opinions and experiences on the patients’ management of PF through a confidential telephone interview of about 30 minutes in duration. 

Your perspective is important to help us identify and develop resources that will provide patients with the knowledge and tools to manage their own wellbeing. In turn, this will help health professionals to be better equipped to provide support to people with PF and their families. 

The study has been approved by the Alfred Health Human Ethics Committee (Project number: 144/20). 

If you are interested in participating or would like further information on this study, please contact: 

Professor Anne Holland (Chief Investigator) 
Professor of Physiotherapy, 
Monash University and Alfred Health 
Email: Anne.Holland@monash.edu 
Telephone: (03) 9903 0214 

Ms Joanna Lee (PhD candidate)
Monash University and Alfred Health
Email: joanna.lee2@monash.edu
Mobile: 0431 689 361

Thank you for your time and consideration of our study. 

 

IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICE FOR PULMONARY FIBROSIS IN AUSTRALIA

What are the barriers and facilitators to implementing best practice?

Dear Members of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand,

The Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis (CRE-PF) is inviting physicians involved in the management of people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) to take part in our study aimed at identifying the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of best practice for the diagnosis, treatment and management of the disease.

Participation is voluntary and involves providing your views, opinions and experiences on the management of PF through confidential, in person interviews of about 30 minutes in duration. 

Your perspective is important to help us understand the barriers that may be impeding the implementation of best practice in clinical settings. The findings have the potential to guide the development of behaviour change strategies aimed at improving implementation and in turn, optimise the prognosis and management pathways for people with this insidious disease.

Like more information or interested in participating? Click here

The study has been approved by the Monash University Human Ethics Committee (Number 22350) and the Sydney Local Health District Human Ethics Committee (Number 2019/ETH13556).

If you would like to speak to us about any aspect of this study, please contact:

Professor Anne Holland
Professor of Physiotherapy, Monash University and Alfred Health
Department of Allergy, Clinical Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Monash University
Anne.Holland@monash.edu or (03) 9903 0214

Thank you for your time and consideration of our study.

ASCOT trial

ASCOT is a clinical trial that will generate clinical evidence about treatment for COVID-19 that can be applied during the pandemic to reduce mortality or the need for mechanical ventilation in hospitalised but not yet critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The trial is conducted on an adaptive platform, results will be continually analysed, so that ineffective therapies can be stopped and new therapies can be evaluated as part of the trial. The trial will be conducted across more than 60 sites in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The trial is registered at: ACTRN12620000445976, Ethics approval granted through Melbourne Health Human Research Ethics Committee HREC/62646/MH-2020.097

Potential Treatments for COVID-19

There are currently no specific therapies for COVID-19. The two main strategies are to limit the virus replicating (antiviral therapies) or to modulate the immune response (in some severe cases, there is a damaging over exuberant immune response).

ASCOT intends to randomise patients to different therapies to understand their impact on clinical outcomes. We will do this for existing therapies, but also be set-up to test new and emerging therapies as they become available.

ASCOT Trial Intervention

Initially, an open label trial of two existing treatments in a 2×2 factorial design with usual care arm will be conducted.

1. Lopinavir/ritonavir (kaletra), a combination medicine that is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection

2. Hydroxychloroquine, a medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions and to prevent and treat malaria.

 

Protocol documents and further details are available at www.ascot-trial.edu.au