Welcome to OZWAC
Research
Research is essential to improve clinical care for our mothers and their babies. In general research is poorly funded in Australia despite it being an essential step to ensure the future good health of our nation. Our researchers are very successful in their research and in gaining support from national and international bodies. Nevertheless support is needed for local research projects in Western Sydney.
Within the University of Sydney Clinical School at Nepean research into women’s and children’s health is being carried out in a number of areas including:
- The diagnosis and management of early pregnancy problems.
- The early identification of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
- The audit and management of serious medical disorders in pregnancy.
- The management of pregnancies complicated by substance abuse.
- The prediction of mode of delivery.
- The identification and management of birth related pelvic floor damage.
- The use of stimulants in attention disorders.
The following projects have been funded by OZWAC over the last ten years:
| 2010 | Funding Provided | |
|
Investigating the mechanisms of synchronisation of maternal and fetal T regulatory cells. |
$20,000 |
|
|
Effect of pregnancy on the eye changes associated with Graves' hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. |
$20,000 |
|
|
HLA-G modulation of antigen presenting cells and T helper cell subsets, with specific reference to pregnancy. |
$20,000 |
|
| The Epi-No Study Professor Hans Peter Dietz |
$20,000 |
|
| 2008 | ||
| Nepean Centre for Perinatal Care Seed Grant |
$50,000 |
|
| 2006 | ||
| Clinical implications of slowing of growth in children on stimulants. Dr A. Poulton and A/Prof L. Baur |
$26,430 | |
| Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to detect bacteraemia in neonates. Dr Maheshwari |
$7,590 |
|
| 2005 | ||
| Purchase of a blood gas machine for Delivery Suite, Nepean Hospital. Prof. M J Peek |
$40,000 |
|
| Phenotypic and functional analysis of regulatory T lymphocytes in early infancy. A/Prof R. Nanan and Dr B. Santner-Nanan |
$15,000 |
|
| Screening for pre-eclampsia using immunological markers. Prof R. Nanan and A. Quinton |
$19,000 | |
|
Use of C-reactive protein (CRP) versus Pro-Calcitonin in Newborn infection. |
$8,000 | |
| 2004 | ||
| 4D ultrasound system for use in pelvic floor research. A/Prof H.P. Dietz and Prof M. Peek |
$100,000 | |
| 2002 | ||
| Survey on the Management of Preterm Labour. Miss C. M. Cook and Prof M. Peek |
$4,147 | |
| Prediction and measurement of the transfusion of blood from mother to foetus. Dr B.S. de Vries and Prof Y.C. Cossart |
$12,000 | |
| The role of the thyroid gland in the maturation of the cells responsible for pulmonary surfactant production. Dr P. McCullagh and Prof M. Peek |
$12,500 | |
| 2001 | ||
| Development and validation of a neonatal pain assessment tool in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nepean Hospital. Mr J.R. Marceau |
$1,127 |
|
| An analogue recording system to collect physiological information from intensive care monitors in critically ill newborn babies. Dr M. Tracy |
$2,056 | |
| Knemometer - an instrument to measure growth in premature babies. Dr Mark Tracy |
||
| 2000 | ||
| Research on 3D Ultrasound machine. Dr Henry Murray |
$30,000 | |
| Intrapartum monitoring and neonatal resuscitation in the Growth Retarded Foetus (Stage 2). Dr C.E. Pennell and Dr H. Coughtrey |
$13,000 | |
| Donation to the Brian Spurrett Scholarship Fund. | $7,000 |
|
| 1999 | ||
| An Observational study of lower limb linear growth in ventilated newborns by knemometry. Dr M. Tracy, Dr Hemani and Dr Shah |
$5,718 |
|
| A randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of intermittent versus regular doses of Ranitidine in increasing the gastric pH and reducing gastric haemorrhage in sick newborn infants. Dr Wadhawan, Dr H. Coughtrey and CNC J. Dawson |
$6,665 | |
| Correlation between neuronal damage, oxidative lipid production and lactate production in the Chronically Cannulated Term Foetus (Stage 1). Dr H. Murray and Dr C.E. Pennell |
$10,300 |
Future Directions
OZWAC's commitment is to provide funding to continue supporting research into women and children's health by harnessing the energy of the people in Western Sydney.
The majority of this funding must continue to come from the local community and businesses, in particular, are being urged to take note of developments in health research and asked to consider ways in which they may support these initiatives.
Businesses looking for investment opportunities would be well advised to consider possibilities of funding projects being conducted under the OZWAC banner.
With the support of the community the vision of establishing Nepean Hospital as a centre of excellence in women and children's health medical research and education will be realised.
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