Research Roundup:
March 2021
Welcome Message
We hope you’ve been keeping safe and well.
The TSANZ and National Asthma Council Australia Asthma and Airways Career Development Fellowship is now open. This award aims to facilitate the establishment of mid-career invenstigators as independent, self-directed researchers and to foster the development of high-quality respiratory research in Australia and New Zealand.
Please note that the TSANZ Indigenous Respiratory Nursing Award will be closing 12 April 2021 and the Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand Primary Care Award will be closing 05 April 2021.
Don’t forget to register 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 March edition of your Research Roundup.
Prof Sandra Hodge
Chair, Research Sub-Committee
Open Awards
Thoracic Society Awards
TSANZ Indigenous Respiratory Nursing Award – extended – closing 12 April 2021
Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand Primary Care Award – closing 05 April 2021
TSANZ and National Asthma Council Australia Asthma and Airways Career Development Fellowship – closing 31 May 2021
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.
2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes
Do you know someone making a difference in their field?
Entries to the 2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are now open!
This year, there are 16 prizes on offer that cover a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, which aim to recognise the achievements of scientists, researchers, and science communicators at all career stages.
There are prizes available for both individuals and teams, and entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated. The Eureka Prizes are open, but not limited to, those who work in research institutes, government departments, media, corporations, and universities. It’s free to enter and there’s a prize pool of $160,000 to be shared between the winners.
If you know an individual or team doing outstanding work, why not encourage them to enter?
Entries close 7pm AEST Friday 28 May
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.
The following articles will take you to thelimbic.com
NOVELTY study finds predicted heterogeneity in asthma and COPD
Need to be BOLD about misdiagnosis of COPD
‘Almost complete resolution’: Australian doctors report on lung lavage for silicosis
End-of-life patient experience shows unmet need in respiratory disease
Top three JAMA/Thorax respiratory papers of 2020
Inflammation may persist in kids with early CF despite P. aeruginosa eradication
Respirology – Editor’s Choice
Respirology Issue 26.3 March 2021
Miriam R. Bennett, Catherina L. Chang, Chris Tuffery, Sandra Hopping and Robert J. Hancox
DOI: 10.1111/resp.13955
Outcomes of protracted bacterial bronchitis in children: A 5-year prospective cohort study
Tom J.C. Ruffles, Julie M. Marchant, Ian B. Masters, Stephanie T. Yerkovich, Danielle F. Wurzel, Peter G. Gibson, Greta Busch, Katherine J. Baines, Jodie L. Simpson, Heidi C. Smith-Vaughan, Susan J. Pizzutto, Helen M. Buntain, Gregory Hodge, Sandra Hodge, John W. Upham and Anne B. Chang
DOI: 10.1111/resp.13950
Research Review
Australian Respiratory Research Review Issue 86
Lung Cancer Research Review Issue 53
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
The Thoracic Society is an affiliate member of the ASMR. Please see below for their latest communications.
Dear ASMR member
The Australian National Audit Office has informed us that an audit of ‘Health’s Management of the Medical Research Future Fund’ is currently open for contribution. The period for submissions is expected to close on 30 May 2021 and the audit report will be tabled in September 2021.
“The objective of this audit is to assess whether the Department of Health is effectively managing the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)” with respect to the following criteria:
- “Are the MRFF governance arrangements effective?”
- “Has MRFF legislation, governance, strategies and priorities guided selection of medical research initiatives?”
- “Does Health effectively monitor, measure and evaluate MRFF’s performance?”
Submissions are confidential and can be anonymous (name, address and contact number fields provided are not required for a submission) so I encourage you and your extended networks to contribute instances or evidence around issues relating to the audit criteria for an ASMR submission (please send to president@asmr.org.au), or if you prefer, make a submission directly to the audit webpage.
While the addition of the MRFF to the health and medical research funding landscape is greatly welcomed, since its inception in 2014, Australian clinicians and researchers have expressed concerns about the MRFF processes and governance. I therefore cannot stress the importance of providing accurate, appropriate and verifiable submissions to the auditors with regard to the audit objective and criteria.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Ryan Davis
ASMR President 2021
Surveys and Research
SURVEY OF LUNG CANCER CARE IN AUSTRALIA
We would be grateful please for less than 5 minutes of your time to complete this survey which is designed to provide a snapshot of the current status of lung cancer care and MDTs around Australia.
- These data will help inform vital services planning for lung cancer care and will directly inform ongoing discussions with Government about lung cancer care across Australia.
- We are only asking for one response from each institution, we suggest it is the lead clinician for the lung cancer MDT.
- Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) has approved this study (HREC number HRE2021-0031).
Please follow the link to the Australian-wide Survey of Lung Cancer Care, or use the QR code below.
Thank you for your time.
Prof Fraser Brims
Curtin Medical School
fraser.brims@curtin.edu.au
TOP 10 RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR PULMONARY FIBROSIS
A recent research study as part of the NHMRC’s Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis grant aimed to identify the top 10 research priorities for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) according to people living with pulmonary fibrosis, caregivers, health professionals and researchers.
This study has now been completed and below is a summary of the findings from this work.
The top 3 priorities rank by people with PF and caregivers were:
- What medications can reverse scarring in the lungs of people with PF?
- What medications can improve lung function in people with PF?
- What are the causes of PF?
The top 3 priorities rank by people with healthcare professionals/researchers were:
- What medications can reverse scarring in the lungs of people with PF?
- How can we prevent PF?
- What are the causes of PF?
The findings from this study have been published in a peer-reviewed journal and will help guide future research directions.
(click on the link to view the paper– https://doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215731)
The Study team extends their thanks and appreciation to all those who participated in the study for their time and valuable contribution to this work.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Holland
Professor of Physiotherapy (Research), Monash University (anne.holland@monash.edu)
TBPod
The TBPod are podcasts designed for clinicians and policymakers with an interest tuberculosis. These podcasts consist of conversations with expert clinicians, researchers, policy makers and advocates about their work in the field of tuberculosis. The TBPod is prepared by ACTnet and the TB Forum and can be found on ITunes, Spotify, and the ACTnet Website.
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.