Education and Research

From rotavirus discovery to development of the RV3-BB vaccine to prevent rotavirus disease in babies from birth

The discovery of rotavirus as the most common cause of acute dehydrating diarrhea at the Royal Children’s Hospital and University of Melbourne in 1973 provided hope for prevention of a major cause of death in young children worldwide. Building from this discovery, MCRI researchers have dedicated 5 decades to understanding the rotavirus and to the development and implementation of rotavirus vaccines.

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Mind the Gap: Accessibility, communication and patient wellbeing

This Grand Round highlights the experience of people with disability in healthcare. Drawing on her own journey and patient stories, Hannah explores the barriers created by inaccessible communication and bias, and the impact these have on wellbeing.

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Behaviours of concern: An innovative wraparound approach

Children with developmental disabilities often present to hospital with behaviours of concern, creating complex challenges for emergency departments, inpatient units, and community teams. These behavioural crises can be distressing for patients, families and staff, and can strain hospital resources – yet they also offer powerful opportunities for system change.

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The science of change enhancing evidence-based practice through Implementation Science

Significant time, effort and resources are spent developing rigorous evidence-based health care guidelines. Unfortunately, not enough of these endeavours result in patient benefit. Implementation science, the study of methods to promote the systematic, widespread uptake of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine care to improve health outcomes, offers an approach to optimise the uptake of evidence-based practice.

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The Comfort Promise: We do everything possible to prevent and treat pain. For Every Child. Every Time.

Data show that in both high-income and low-medium income countries, needle pain is consistently rated among the most painful and least well-managed medical experiences for children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 2 in 3 children and 1 in 4 adults suffer from a strong fear of needles. This fear, often rooted in negative experiences during childhood, leads to healthcare avoidance behaviours and is the leading reason for immunisation non-compliance.

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Adaptive platform trials for rare disease populations

BANDICOOT is an international adaptive platform trial (APT) designed to identify effective therapies that improve health outcomes for critically ill children receiving a haematopoetic stem cell transplant (HCT). Building
on extensive engagement with patients, their parents, and clinicians, we will launch 3 trial domains focused on exercise, nutritional supplementation, and the gut microbiome

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A call to action: the second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing

Almost 10 years has passed since the first Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Whilst some progress has been made, many areas of need are escaping our efforts, and much more needs to be done to ensure optimal adolescent health and wellbeing. This second Commission brought together 44 commissioners from across the globe and disciplines, including 10 youth commissioners who co-led each workstream.

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Surgical management of patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Professor Joseph Dearani from the Mayo Clinic is a world-renowned cardiac surgeon, and expert in management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He has accumulated the world’s largest experience with surgical management of these complex patients, and will discuss the lessons.

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