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Faculty of Health Sciences La Trobe University Victoria 3086 Australia +61 3 9479 3583 Fax: +61 3 9479 2507 2nd Floor Health Sciences 1 Bundoora Campus La Trobe University |
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Congratulations to the following Faculty of Health Sciences' staff who have achieved success in the recent round of NHMRC grants - excellent achievements for the staff and their associated research teams.
Professor Judith Lumley from the Mother & Child Health Research Centre has received a $2.3million ‘Capacity-Building Grant’ to support continuing education and development for postdoctoral staff in their transition from completing a PhD to becoming independent researchers. The aim is to help them initiate their own research programs and secure competitive funding for research into a range of problems, from premature birth to partner violence. ‘The program also involves the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne, with whom we have a long history of successful collaboration and common interests in mothers’ and children’s health, including research with Indigenous and immigrant women, says Professor Lumley. ‘Some of these projects have also been supported separately with additional funding.’ Associate Professor, Stephanie Brown has received almost $1 million for a study of women giving birth in South Australia and Victoria. She will investigate childbirth and early postnatal experiences, and the physical and emotional health of more than 7000 women in metropolitan, regional and remote areas. ‘The aim is to give women in each state the opportunity to provide feedback on changes to the organisation of maternity and early postnatal services,’ she says. A parallel project will involve Indigenous women. With another grant, valued at $628,000, Dr Brown will follow-up more than 1,500 women in a longitudinal study of their health during pregnancy and in the first four years after the birth of their first child. The study will provide the first Australian data on the incidence of maternal health problems – including urinary incontinence, sexual health issues and depression – and add to international to evidence concerning the role of birth events in maternal health outcomes. Findings will be used to design intervention and primary care strategies to support women in the early years of parenting. Dr Helen McLachlan from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, with colleagues from Mother & Child Health Research and the Royal Women’s Hospital, has received $583,000 for the first randomised controlled trial in Australia of caseload midwifery care for women at low risk of medical complications – and, she says, it is only the third such trial she is aware of in the world. ‘It is a unique opportunity to provide a rigorous evaluation of a model that is beginning to be implemented widely in Australia. The trial will provide much needed information regarding the outcomes of caseload midwifery, including interventions in childbirth, safety, costs, women’s satisfaction with care and impact on the midwifery workforce.’ Dr Hylton Menz from the Musculoskeletal Research Centre in the School of Physiotherapy has received a Clinical Career Development Award of $445,000 to continue his research into the epidemiology and management of foot disorders in community-dwelling older Australians. This project involves determining the prevalence of common foot disorders in a large sample of older people, exploring the impact of foot disorders on mobility and quality of life, and assessing the efficacy of various conservative treatments.
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