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Research

Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease are caused by untreated group A streptococcus infections. Their prevalence is much higher among First Nations people than other Australians. 

Research

The complex arborization of the feto-placental vasculature is crucial for optimal fetal nutrition, waste exchange and ultimately, development. Ethical and experimental limitations constrain research into the human placenta, hence experimental animal models such as mice and rats, are crucial to understand placental function. It is unclear how well the mouse and rat feto-placental vascular structure emulates human. Moreover, the implications of differences in vascular structure, especially in arborization, for placental function remain unclear. 

Research

Neonatal sepsis is a deadly disease with non-specific clinical signs, delaying diagnosis and treatment. There remains a need for early biomarkers to facilitate timely intervention. Our objective was to identify neonatal sepsis gene expression biomarkers that could predict sepsis at birth, prior to clinical presentation. 

Research

Paediatric patients continue to lack access to age-appropriate oral medicines for their treatment and have to depend on the off-label use of medicines approved for adults, which compromises dosing accuracy and exposes children to unpleasant bitterness. 

Research

Steve Zubrick FASSA, FAAMHS, MSc AM PhD Honorary Emeritus Research Fellow 08 6319 1409 Stephen.zubrick@thekids.org.au Honorary Emeritus Research

Research

Autism genetics has historically attracted a substantial proportion of autism research funding internationally. However, more recently, several controversies centered on ethical conduct and lack of community consultation have emerged. This has triggered Autistic-led protests for the functional and meaningful inclusion of Autistic voices in the research design.

Research

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a prominent ligand-inducible transcription factor involved in adipocyte differentiation, glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and cell proliferation, making it a therapeutic target for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. 

Research

Suicide was the leading cause of death among young Australians aged 15-24 years old in 2023, with 392 lives lost. The continued high numbers of youth suicide demand urgent exploration of alternative approaches to suicide intervention in this population. The United Kingdom-based suicide service Maytree offers an innovative short-term stay for people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Grounded by the Maytree model-of-care, the aim of the current study was to co-design a short-stay service responsive to the specific needs of suicidal young people.

Research

Following widespread exposure to Omicron variants, SARS-CoV-2 has transitioned to endemic circulation. Populations now have diverse infection and vaccination histories, resulting in heterogeneous immune landscapes. Careful consideration of the value of ongoing vaccination is required through the post-Omicron phase of COVID-19 management to minimise disease burden.

Research

According to the Cognitive Emotional Model of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), this behavior is governed by a complex interplay of NSSI-related cognitions (i.e., a person's expected outcomes of self-injury and self-efficacy to resist NSSI) and emotion-regulatory strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression). To empirically test this proposition, the current study examined the moderating roles of self-efficacy to resist NSSI, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression in the relationships between outcome expectancies and NSSI frequency among university students.