Research

The developmental trajectory of clinical evidence: From RCT to living systematic review

Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) is a newer subspecialty in child health starting in Canada in the 1980’s. To build the evidence base for clinical care, single center randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with small sample sizes were conducted. However, this led to potential of poorly designed and conducted trials with inadequate statistical power, which often were not published (if they gave negative answers). Systematic reviews of RCTs started to improve the situation, along with the establishment of research networks performing large RCTs provided more definitive guidance for the clinician.

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Creating kidney tissue from stem cells

A detailed understanding of how an organ develops at the level of the gene, cell and tissue is critical for both accurate modelling of disease, and advances in regenerative medicine.

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Food Allergy Epidemic – is it unique to Australia

The rise in food allergy in developed countries is an intriguing phenomenon that has captured the attention of both the medical research community and the media. Although we need to be circumspect about the extent to which it has risen and which countries are most affected, there is little doubt that IgE mediated food allergy and anaphylaxis were rarely reported 50 years ago but are now commonly described. The drivers for this modern day epidemic are poorly understood and indeed it is not clear whether this phenomenon is part of a 2nd wave epidemic of allergy following on from the general rise in allergic disease that was noted around the world at the end of the 21st century or whether the new food allergy epidemic is due to a new set of unique factors

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The new frontiers of medical engineering

The development of new medical technology requires the collaboration of engineering, IT, medicine, science and industrial design. The Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME) fosters the development of new medical technologies across the whole spectrum of medical science. A prime example of this is the bionic vision device which has been developed over the last five years. This is a ‘brain-machine’ device to restore visual function to blind individuals. I will be presenting this research project but also some of the other exciting areas of medical engineering including the development of replacement body parts such as the ear and the trachea using bio-printing techniques and ‘laboratory on-a-chip’ technology. There is great scope for medical engineering in paediatrics.

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Breastfeeding and health – providing evidence for the WHO mega-review

Although breast milk is considered the perfect food for babies, there is continued controversy concerning its association with a wide range of health outcomes. Dr Caroline Lodge has led three systematic reviews investigating the associations between breastfeeding and: allergic disease (asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis and food allergy), acute otitis media and, childhood dental caries

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Integration of Research, Teaching and Clinical Practice

The presentation will explore the global standing of our health care system and the areas where we are leading or falling behind. Similarly our research performance will be examined relative to international exemplars.

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Responding in a medical context to the effects of family violence on children

There is growing evidence of the health effects caused by family violence ranging from fatal (homicide, suicide, maternal mortality) to non-fatal (physical health, mental health, chronic conditions, reproductive health issues, and negative health behaviours). Negative impacts of family violence on children are wide ranging and profound.

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