2010 Research Grants

FOUNDATION DAW PARK ANNUAL GRANTS PROGRAM

2010 Grant Recipients

Medical Research and Non-Research

We are delighted and proud to announce the Foundation Daw Park 2009/2010 Research Grant recipients and their associated projects. This year we were able to provide grants totalling $130,000.

We acknowledge our supporters and donors and their commitment to our Foundation and The Repat.

The Foundation team thank the members of the Research Management Committee of the Repatriation General Hospital for their evaluation of the submissions. Their time commitment and the specialist expertise they bring to this process each year is highly valued and appreciated by everyone involved in the Foundation.

Principal Applicant	Brief Project Description	Periodic Report (Jan 2011)
Dr Sam Chopra, Urology Registrar, RGH	Understanding how prostate cancer tissue growth is controlled by studying the male hormone receptor in benign and cancerous tissue. Funded from William Wallis Bequest made to Foundation Daw Park for Prostate Cancer Research.	Data compiled and undergoing analysis. Found that low androgen activity in stromal tissue surrounding prostate cancer (PCa) associated with not only presence of cancer, but its volume and aggressiveness, suggesting androgen signalling between epithelial and stromal tissue is very important in the development of cancer. Our sample included patients with early small cancers as well as more advanced cancers. PCa death was correlated with low stromal AR activity in patients. By unlocking the hidden role of stroma in PCa outcome, we can potentially improve our ability to distinguish lethal from indolent disease, improve options for patients and identify new treatment modalities.

Dr Morton Burt, Staff Specialist, Southern Adelaide Diabetes & Endocrine Services, RGH; Full Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University	How do steroids increase risk of diabetes in elderly subjects?	The study is progressing well, with half of the required subjects recruited. The second group of subjects will be studied over the course of 2011. Some laboroatory analysis has already been performed on testing from initial subjects. While some results are already known, no formal data analysis will occur until all of the results are available.

Dr Victoria Wade, Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide	Can home videophones improve mental health care for veterans? Funded by a donation towards Veteran Health made to Foundation Daw Park by Australian Executor Trustees through their Discretionary Trust Funds	Data compiled and undergoing analysis - some data still to collect. Preliminary outcomes indicate that home cideophones are very useful for rural clients with chronic and severe mental health conditions. However in some locations technical issues reduced the quality of the cideo calls and hence the usefulness of the service.

Dr Catherine Abbott, Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders Uni	Investigation of a new marker for Alzheimer's Disease.	Data compiled and undergoing analysis. We have found that the two DP10 isoforms differentiately express in brains with Alzheimer's disease - DP10 short isoform (but not the long form) has abnormal expression in AD brain. Cell biology study revealed that DP10 short form might directly interact with tau in cells overexpressing both DP10 and tau. Western blot results also indicate that there are degraded DP10 released into CSF of AD patients. More work needs to be done to further characterize the expression of DP10 in both CSF samples and blood samples. The data obtained so far will be used to strengthen our 2011 NHMRC grant application.


Dr Daniel Stadler, PhD student/Research Assistant; Adelaide Institute of Sleep Health, Repatriation General Hospital	The effect of abdominal loading on sleep apnoea severity	Data compiled and undergoing analysis. Data from this study shows that abdominal compression significantly increased pressure inside the abdomen, which led to an increase in the frequency of respiratory events withouth the impacting upon the severity of these events. These data further support the negative influence of central obesity on upper airway function.

Professor John Miners, Head, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Flinders University School of Medicine.	Drug interactions between ketamine and codeine.	i. Completion of the clinical phase of study which involved administration of codeine to steady-state (9 doses) to 10 healthy volunteers, with co-administration of ketamine immediately following the last codeine dose. Blood samples were collected during the 7th & 9th dosage intervals, and urine was collected across these dosage intervals. ii. A UPLC-MS assay to measure codeine and its metabolites in blood and urine has been developed and validated. iii. Measurement of codeine and metabolite concentrations in blood and urine using the UPLC-MS assay has commenced.

Dr Zoe Allen, Division of Aged Care and Allied Health, Repatriation General Hospital	Does nerve block reduce shoulder pain following stroke?	Minimal drop out and good follow up record has been achieved. Further recruitment drive has been scheduled for 2011.

Mr Paul Cafarella, Manager, Ambulatory Care, Repatriation General Hospital	What are the needs of primary carers of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Funding made available from Basil Thomas Bequest to Repatriation General Hospital	At this point in time we have questionnaire and focus group datd from 25% of the patient-carer dyads and we have already held a focus group meeting. The final focus group meeting will be organised in March. Subsequently, we have to develop the questionnaire which needs to be completed by the carers (April).

Professor David Currow, Professor of Palliative and Supportive Services, Southern Adelaide Palliative Services, Repatriation General Hospital	Benzodiazepine for the relief of breathlessness. Funding made available from Basil Thomas Bequest to Repatriation General Hospital	The primary aim of this pilot study is to refine protocol design including recruitment and retention to the study, establish levels of symptomatic response and variance in that response for power calculations for a definitive trial, and establish whether that benefit is maintained at two weeks. People with breathlessness of 3 or higher on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea Scale, despite best treatment of the underlying causes of this breathlessness. Average breathlessness in the previous 12 hours (morning and evening) on day four. A trial sub-committee was established to oversee the development of the study protocol. The study protocol has been completed and submitted to the Queen Elizabeth Research Committee for review. Modbury Hospital has been chosen as the pilot site as clinicians at that service have an interest in the use of benzodiazepines for breathlessness. They are not undertaking any research studies that could compete with this pilot study.

Dr Stacey George, Senior Manager Ambulatory Rehabilitation, Dept of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Repatriation General Hospital	Managing the return to driving process after stroke. Funding made available from Basil Thomas Bequest to Repatriation General Hospital	Ethics approval came through at end of November, 2010. Annabel McNamara (PhD student) is now doing this project as part of her studies in 2011. She has recruited 1 in the UFOV study and 6 in the questionnaire study.

Mr Greg Roberts, Clinical Research Pharmacist, Pharmacy Department, Repatriation General Hospital	Assessment of the impact of prednisolone on blood sugar levels during hospital admissions for airways disease. Funding made available from Basil Thomas Bequest to Repatriation General Hospital	Study completed, data analysed, manuscript draft in advanced stages

Associate Professor Michael Shanahan, Staff Specialist Physician (Rheumatology), Associate Dean, Head, Clinical Effectiveness, Flinders University	Trial of an injection to reduce shoulder pain for people with motor neurone disease. Funding made available from Basil Thomas Bequest to Repatriation General Hospital	8 patients have now completed the study. Results not yet unblinded or analysed.

Ms Joanne Lane, Project Officer (Research) / Data Manager, Bowel Health Service, Repatriation General Hospital	Patient sample preference for clinical screening tests. Funding made available from Basil Thomas Bequest to Repatriation General Hospital	Preliminary results indicate five common issues influence acceptability of the sample and testing approach which can broadly be described as Ease, Convenience, Comfort, Test efficacy and Doctor endorsement. Understanding the variables that impact upon acceptability of different approaches to cancer screening is important for those developing new technologies. Detection of cancer in a population is the product of test performance (sensitivity) and participation rates; thus understanding determinants of participation is critical to effectiveness. The study findings have been selected for oral presentation at the Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine (ASBHM) 8th Annual Scientific Conference in Christchurch, February 2011.