Find out everything about Research Grants below

Predicting liver cancer risk to improve early detection and patient outcomes

Development of a new blood test to identify high risk multiple myeloma

Improving bone mineral density estimation from DXA scans of the forearm using AI techniques - facilitating early screening for osteoporosis

A new method of detecting whether medications used in heart failure patients can damage the heart itself

Improving outcomes for patients with myelofibrosis receiving bone marrow transplant treatment

Use finger-prick testing to check blood levels of methotrexate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Comprehensive Understanding of the effects of inflammation during Pregnancy and early life on Infant immune Development (CUPID) study

Barry Marshall Travel Award 2022

Nicholas Way Fund For Early Career Research

Septic shock and the gut microbiome in critically ill adults: A prospective cohort study

The changing epidemiology of fatty liver in regional Australia – a cohort study

Stroke survivors and carers’ experiences of modified constraint-induced movement therapy in an early-supported discharge rehabilitation service

Dulaglutide or semaglutide and Vascular Inflammation in Coronary Ischaemia; a Positron Emission Tomography Study (DAVINI-PET)

Identification of risk stratification and prognostic biomarkers by using the GeoMx digital spatial profiler for patients with Barrett’s oesophagus

Acquisition of skin and gut microbiota in neonates born via water-birth (AQUA STUDY)

Determining factors that underpin cardiovascular disease risk in young adults with fatty liver diagnosed during adolescence ten years earlier – a longitudinal cohort study

The use of AI in the analysis of video otoscopic images of the tympanic membrane to aid in the diagnosis of ear disorders – a pilot study

Extracellular Vesicles Profiling as a Signature of Response to Immunotherapy

Multimodal Liquid biopsy to Predict Response of Melanoma to Immuno-Oncology

The Effect of Dietary Resistant Starch on Maternal Glycaemia and the Gut Microbiome in Gestational Diabetes.

Whole Body PET-CT scan to diagnose and manage myositis

SUBDUE-1

Artificial intelligence-based eye screening for patients with diabetes at Fremantle Hospital

Detecting high risk genetic changes in patients with myeloproliferative disorders

Can testosterone help treat men with Crohn’s disease?

Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy improve remission rates in acute severe ulcerative colitis?

Tapping the video goldmine: how technologies used by tech giants for video analysis could inspire an improved way to diagnose and measure cancer in biopsies

Development of a new drug for chronic nerve pain

A study of the effects of a silicone-based topical dressing on the rate of wound healing, pain and scarring outcomes in donor site wounds, and in burns to the face in comparison to standard care.

Establishing an accurate diagnostic tool for lung transplant rejection

"Preserving the endothelial glycocalyx in patients undergoing , cardiopulmonary bypass. A prospective randomised interventional pilot study of doxycycline and lidocaine."

"A pilot study of healthy volunteers to compare the performance, of standard nasal oxygen cannula at high flows with the “Optiflow” high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) system."

"Pilonidal Sinus Disease: Western Australia Metropolitan - Definitive Surgical Practice Preferences, Outcomes and Patient Perspective"

"Utilisation of FISH as a diagnostic adjunct for , pancreatobiliary tract malignancy on cytology cell block specimens"

"Cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors in children who, are overweight or obese: Assessing the role ofcardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity."

"Blocking of autoantibodies using oligonucleotides in, Inclusion Body Myositis – a potential new specific therapy."

"Clarifying the role of alpha1-adrenoceptors in painful , cutaneous scars following burn injury"

"Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: truly a syndrome of cardiac, catecholamine excess?"

Cardiovascular risk in gout

"Association of HLA with anti-cN1A antibodies in IBM patients: , identifying genetic backgrounds that affect"

Identification of an aggressive Subtype of Colorectal Cancer

Bowel cancer is common in Western Australia and although treatment can have severe short-term and long-term side-effects, many patients are successfully treated with combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and drug therapies. Our study will develop specialised tests to identify bowel cancers which are likely to have worse outcomes. This will allow the affected patients to receive additional treatment and more frequent monitoring, while sparing other patients who have less aggressive cancers. The reduced costs and decreased side-effects of unnecessary cancer treatment will improve the quality of life of cancer patients and cancer survivors while providing savings to the WA healthcare system.

Peripheral muscle function in chronic heart failure: key to lessening the cardiac load

To improve the quality of life in chronic heart failure patients we will exercise train the leg muscles and breathing muscles to determine how effectively leg training, breathing training or both leg and breathing will improve the ability of heart failure patients to exercise.

This research will provide a new understanding of why exercise intolerance in chronic heart failure patients is so severe and provide the basis for future integration of innovative and low cost therapies into the clinical management of chronic heart failure, with the ultimate goal of alleviating the suffering caused by cardiovascular disease in Australia.

Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker of disease status and treatment response in breast cancer patients

New research has demonstrated that simple blood tests could dramatically change the way cancers are diagnosed, treated and monitored.

Such blood tests, known as “liquid biopsies” detect DNA from cancer cells which escape from the main tumour and circulate in the blood stream. This circulating tumour DNA can provide useful information about the cancer which helps tailor treatment to the individual and may be able to tell us how a patient’s breast cancer is responding to treatment, and if the cancer has returned, without the need for an invasive tissue biopsy.

In this study we will use two new technologies to find unique markers in individual patient breast cancers. Then we will look for the marker(s) in the patient’s blood and see if the level(s) decreases when the tumour shrinks after chemotherapy.

“Liquid biopsies” will benefit cancer patients because they are less painful, less invasive, and cheaper than taking tumour biopsies and thus can be taken regularly to quickly detect treatment failure and adjustment of treatment regimes. “Liquid biopsies” could be offered in any pathology laboratory across Australia, including rural and remote areas.

In general surgery patients, does an individualised prehabilitation exercise program with targeted education, improve patient recovery time and outcomes, compared to usual practice

Empowered and informed patients achieve better health outcomes, particularly through self-management strategies.

Education, combined with exercise and increased activity significantly improve in-hospital and long-term health outcomes.

In May, a novel rehabilitation (education and exercise) program         commenced in the State Adult Burns Unit for patients undergoing scar surgeries. The burn and general surgery teams at FSH wish to build on that program. The enhanced PEERS (Preoperative Exercise and Education for Recovery after Surgery) Program, aims to drive patient self-determination of physical and non-physical outcomes. We aim to empower participant’s self-management by eliciting, and responding to, the voice of involved patients.

Celecoxib for Acute Burn Inflammation and Fever. The CABIN Fever Trial

The acute management of burn injury is the start of a journey of care that aims to minimise the lifelong physical, aesthetic, psychosocial and long term medical impacts of the burn.

In this study, we will test whether the anti-inflammatory drug, celecoxib, speeds up recovery and improves scar quality. As well as being of major significance to patients, poor scar quality is linked with chronic illnesses including heart disease and depression. Collaborations with scientists at the Burn Injury Research Unit and the Australian National Phenome Centre will provide state-of-the art laboratory research to advance

understanding of inflammation following burn injury.

User experience of Adult Outpatient Department Oncological services at Fiona Stanley Hospital: Exploring the ethnic minority perspective

There is strong evidence of inequalities in cancer outcomes between  ethnic groups resulting from a ‘One size fits all’ approach to care.

A complex interplay of patient, health system, socio-cultural factors contribute to the disparities observed – e.g., communication issues, delayed presentation and reduced access to phone assistance.

There is also evidence that systematic collection of culturally sensitive information helps hospitals (and policy makers) address unequal access to or provision of services.

This proposed study will interview cancer patients identified by staff as ethnic minority users. Findings will benefit the community by looking at what is being done well and what can be improved to enhance ethnic minority patient experience.

Targeting the Fn14 receptor to inhibit chronic liver disease progression

End-stage liver disease is a growing health problem, which results in considerable morbidity and death world-wide.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the seventh most common cancer and third highest cause of cancer-related deaths (Yang and Roberts, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2010).

Currently, end-stage liver disease is only resolved by organ transplantation. The increasing gap between patient organ demand and donor availability demands a concerted effort to find alternatives to prevent liver injury progression to end-stage disease.

This proposal is based on clinically highly relevant data and investigates Fn14 targeting as a novel therapeutic avenue to inhibit disease progression and cancer formation.

Sleep apnea and depression in pregnancy

In pregnancy, women have disturbed sleep, which often becomes worse once their baby is born. Women are more likely to experience depression during pregnancy and early motherhood. As maternal depression is a predictor of poor infant and child outcomes, reducing maternal           depression has both long- and short-term benefits for mother and baby.

This study will measure the sleep patterns of women in pregnancy, and both women and babies 6 months postpartum. We will investigate how poor sleep relates to mood and depression. Understanding factors that contribute to mothers developing depression will guide development of advice and strategies to reduce risk.

PIANOFORTE – A randomised controlled trial comparing antibiotic treatment strategies in patients with acute prosthetic joint infection

Acute infections of artificial joints will be a major future challenge because every year the number of arthroplasties being performed is increasing year on year. This results in an even greater prevalence of people living with joint replacements in the community.

We plan a trial to compare short (2 weeks) with long (6 weeks) courses of intravenous antibiotics for patients with acute infections of their artificial joints. In addition the benefits for patients receiving a short IV course in terms of quality-of-life and fewer adverse events, health sector cost savings of $11,200-$16,800 could be realised per patient.

Preliminary validation of Sheer Wave Elastography as an outcome tool in muscle disease

Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM) are diseases characterised by muscle   inflammation. Traditionally, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used to assess diseased muscle, but is limited by cost, access delays, and patient discomfort. Ultrasonography is cheap and accessible. Sheer Wave Elastography (SWE) is a novel form of ultrasonography that measures tissue response to external pressure.

This study aims to assess normal and diseased muscles with SEW, as a basis for further studies into the utility and validity of SWE in muscle disease.

It may improve patient care by enabling quick assessment of abnormal muscle in IIM and guiding muscle biopsies and aid understanding muscle diseases.

Identifying the difference between the broken heart syndrome and an acute heart attack SPONSOR: Len & Fran Mihaljevich

Do patients with type 2 diabetes and foot ulcers have problems with memory and self-care? SPONSOR: Austal Staff

The effects of too much iron in the heart SPONSOR: Fremantle & Attadale Rotary Clubs

The effect of pentoxifyline on impaired iron availability for making blood in patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) SPONSOR: Lloyd & Mary Marchesi

An analysis of the implementation of a fast track pathway for perioperative care for patients undergoing a pancreaticoduodenectomy SPONSOR: Former patients of FH

Rehabilitation of humerus injuries non-operatively and their outcomes (RHINO) Study SPONSOR: FreoDoctor lottery

A Contemporary cardiovascular risk calculator for Australians with type 2 diabetes SPONSOR: Len & Barb Hitchen

New methods to detect good fat that protects against obesity SPONSOR: Little Creatures Brewing

Using genetic information to improve identification of men and women at risk of heart disease in WA SPONSOR: FH Ladies Auxiliary

A randomised, controlled trial of water-based exercise training in people with stable coronary heart disease SPONSOR: Fremantle & Attadale Rotary Club