Research Roundup:
January 2021
Welcome Message
Welcome to the first edition of our TSANZ Research Roundup for 2021. We hope you’ve kept safe and well over the festive season.
The TSANZ Indigenous Respiratory Nursing Award is now open. This award aims to raise the profile of indigenous health within respiratory nursing and the work of respiratory nurses of an indigenous background.
The TSANZ Rob Pierce Grant-in-Aid for Indigenous Lung Health has been extended to 24 February 2021. This award, to honour the memory of the late Prof. Rob Pierce, will be awarded to a member of the TSANZ for a project focused on understanding and improving the lung health of Indigenous people in Australia and/or New Zealand.
Our two travel awards, TSANZ Janet Elder International Travel Award and Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand COPD Travel Award have been extended to 24 February 2021. These awards have been modified to allow for professional development or research support instead of travel should the international scientific meetings not proceed or travel restrictions prevent you from attending.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the earlybird prices for our first ever Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting – TSANZSRS21.
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 January edition of your Research Roundup.
Prof Sandra Hodge
Chair, Research Sub-Committee
Can you help TSANZ make a difference?
Your support makes a difference, and helps us continue to provide funding for research and our TSANZ awards. If you would like to support our work, you can leave a tax deductible donation of your choice in our areas of need.
1. Making a donation to our Benevolent Fund
The Benevolent Fund supports projects aimed at improving the respiratory health care of individuals who are in a setting where health care resources and delivery are poor.
CLICK HERE to make a donation or by filling out the Support TSANZ form. Once you have completed the form, please email TSANZOffice@thoracic.org.au.
2. Making a donation to support research
With your support, we can continue to support Australia and New Zealand’s most significant and cutting edge respiratory health research, and benefit Australians and New Zealanders suffering from lung disease.
Please CLICK HERE to make a donation or by filling out the Support TSANZ form. Once you have completed the form, please email TSANZOffice@thoracic.org.au.
3. Establishing a named award
For significant donations of above $10,000 AUD, a TSANZ award can be established in your name. Please call the TSANZ office on +61 2 9222 6200.
4. Leave TSANZ a gift in your will
If you are interested in supporting TSANZ in the future, one way to do so is to leave TSANZ a gift in your will. Any support is greatly appreciated and will leave a lasting legacy.
If interested, please notify us by ticking the box on the Support TSANZ form. Once you have completed the form, please email TSANZOffice@thoracic.org.au. Alternatively, please call the TSANZ Office on +61 2 9222 6200.
5. TSANZ New Zealand Branch Incorporated
New Zealand members are reminded that you are also able to make a tax deductible donation directly to the NZ branch. You can assist the NZ branch to provide services to members across NZ. If you make a payment via electronic funds transfer (EFT), please notify the TSANZ office so that we can arrange a receipt.
CLICK HERE to make a donation.
Thank you for your continued support of TSANZ.
Open Awards
Thoracic Society Awards
TSANZ Janet Elder International Travel Award – extended – closing 24 February 2021
Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand COPD Travel Award – extended – closing 24 February 2021
TSANZ Peter Phelan Research Grant – closing 27 January 2021
Maurice Blackburn Occupational Lung Disease Grant-in-Aid – closing 27 January 2021
TSANZ Rob Pierce Grant-in-Aid for Indigenous Lung Health – extended – closing 24 February 2021
TSANZ Indigenous Respiratory Nursing Award – closing 24 February 2021
Cystic Fibrosis Australia Awards
Australian Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust 2021 Innovation Grant – closing 29 January 2021
Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis (CRE-PF)
PACT Grant-in-Aid – closing 14 February 2021
CREATE Grant-in-Aid – closing 14 February 2021
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How to participate
Follow the links above to access each award application form and download the information sheet.
Please email the TSANZ Awards Coordinator with any questions, comments or enquires.
Registrations open for ASM
Registrations are now open for our first ever Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting! Be a part of TSANZSRS21 on 1-2 May 2021 from the comfort of your own home.
Register now to take advantage of the earlybird prices. Earlybird registrations will be available until 12 February 2021.
The following articles will take you to thelimbic.com
TSANZ resource provides framework for managing connective tissue disease-ILD
Women and elderly feature in rising asthma death toll: Dr Jonathan Burdon
Additions to GOLD for 2021 provide guidance on pandemic and triple therapy
Podcast: respiratory researchers take on COVID-19, with help from NASA
Podcast: Prof Dan Chambers explains his potential treatment for silicosis
CRE in Asthma Treatable Traits launched
Consensus and disagreement in guidance on tapering of oral steroids
Respirology – Editor’s Choice
Respirology Issue 26.1 January 2021
Disease burden of eosinophilic airway disease: Comparing severe asthma, COPD and asthma–COPD overlap
Sarah A. Hiles, Peter G. Gibson and Vanessa M. McDonald
DOI: 10.1111/resp.13841
Fanny Wai-San Ko, Wilson Tam, Eddy H.S. Siu, Ka-Pang Chan, Jenny Chun-Li Ngai, So-Shan Ng, Tat On Chan1 and David Shu-Cheong Hui
DOI: 10.1111/resp.13872
ASCOT trial
ASCOT is a clinical trial that will generate clinical evidence about the most effective treatments and combinations of treatments 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, Indian and Denmark. 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
The global response to COVID-19 is working to accelerate diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. While remdesivir has been shown to accelerate time to recovery, and low-dose dexamethasone to decrease mortality, more effective therapies are needed.
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
ASCOT ADAPT includes 3 treatment domains:
Domain A (Antiviral)
- Standard of care
- Standard of care + nafamostat
Domain B (Antibody)
- Standard of care
- Standard of care + convalescent plasma
Domain C (Anticoagulation)
- Standard dose thromboprophylaxis
- Intermediate dose thromboprophylaxis
- Standard dose thromboprophylaxis plus aspirin
Eligible patients can be randomised to one or more domains concurrently.
Protocol documents and further details are available at www.ascot-trial.edu.au