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Discover. Prevent. Cure.
We're searching for answers to some of the most common and complex childhood diseases, conditions and issues. In addition to our four research themes (Indigenous Health, Brain and Behaviour, Chronic and Severe Diseases, Early Environment), you can also discover more about specific research we're involved in and the technology we use.
Discover what drives us as an organisation. Learn about history and the impact of the Institute along with the amazing ambitious goals we've achieved so far in the field of children's research.
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Different audiences rely on us for very different things. Whether you're a valued donor, curious professional researcher, inquisitive member of the public, or a corporate supplier looking to offer support - we've collated the resources you need.
The diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever relies on a combination of clinical evaluation and laboratory studies. Diagnosis is usually made using the Jones criteria, which have recently been updated in 2015. ...
DYRK1A is a serine/threonine kinase encoded on human chromosome 21 (HSA21) that has been implicated in several pathologies of Down syndrome (DS), including cognitive deficits and Alzheimer's disease. Although children with DS are predisposed to developing leukemia, especially B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the HSA21 genes that contribute to malignancies remain largely undefined. Here, we report that DYRK1A is overexpressed and required for B-ALL. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of DYRK1A decreased leukemic cell expansion and suppressed B-ALL development in vitro and in vivo. ...
Cannabinoids are a group of chemicals that bind to receptors in the human body and, in turn, modulate the endocannabinoid system (ECS). They can be endogenously produced, synthetic, or derived from the plant Cannabis sativa L. Research over the past several decades has shown that the ECS is a cellular communication network essential to maintain multiple biological functions and the homeostasis of the body. Indeed, cannabinoids have been shown to influence a wide variety of biological effects, including memory, pain, reproduction, bone remodeling or immunity, to name a few. Unsurprisingly, given these broad physiological effects, alterations of the ECS have been found in different diseases, including cancer. ...
Advances in omics technologies have generated exponentially larger volumes of biological data; however, their analyses and interpretation are limited to computationally proficient scientists. We created OmicsVolcano, an interactive open-source software tool to enable visualization and exploration of high-throughput biological data, while highlighting features of interest using a volcano plot interface. In contrast to existing tools, our software and user-interface design allow it to be used without requiring any programming skills to generate high-quality and presentation-ready images. ...
The growing food demands and increasing urbanization are putting pressure to obtain more crop productivity from the shrinking piece of land. Climate change is further complicating the food chain by putting a negative impact on crop productivity by giving rise to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. ...
Empyema is a serious complication of pneumonia frequently caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP). We assessed the impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV) on childhood pneumonia and empyema after inclusion in the Australian National Immunisation Program. ...
The epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease has changed over the last decade and there has been an increase in cases caused by serogroup W135, particularly in Indigenous children. Extra‐meningeal and atypical presentations are associated with serogroup W and may delay diagnosis and therefore appropriate treatment. Public and clinician awareness are essential in facilitating effective new vaccine schedule implementation. ...
Pertussis hospitalisation is more common among infants born prematurely, who have significant comorbidities, or are Indigenous, but acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates in these sub-groups are lacking. We measured aP VE by Indigenous status, and policy-relevant categories of prematurity and comorbidity, in a population-based Australian cohort. ...
The recent increase in babies born with brain and eye malformations in Brazil is associated with Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in utero. ZIKV alters host DNA methylation in vitro. Using genome-wide DNA methylation profiling we compared 18 babies born with congenital ZIKV microcephaly with 20 controls. We found ZIKV-associated alteration of host methylation patterns, notably at RABGAP1L which is important in brain development, at viral host immunity genes MX1 and ISG15, and in an epigenetic module containing the causal microcephaly gene MCPH1. Our data support the hypothesis that clinical signs of congenital ZIKV are associated with changes in DNA methylation. ...
Right shift of the peripheral oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2) versus inspired oxygen pressure (PIO2) curve is a sensitive marker of pulmonary gas exchange. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) on gas exchange and right-to-left shunt in the neonatal period, and its evolution over the first year of life. ...
Physical activity is essential for children’s healthy development, yet COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions such as school closures and staying at home, playground closures, and the cancelling of organised community sport have dramatically altered children’s opportunities to be physically active. This study describes changes in levels of physical activity and screen time from February 2020 (i.e., before COVID-19 restrictions were introduced in Western Australia) to May 2020 (i.e., when COVID-19 restrictions were in place). Parents of children aged 5 to 9 years from Western Australia were eligible to participate and recruited through convenience sampling. ...
Young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) can face significant challenges in their lives, including overrepresentation in the justice system from a young age. Police questioning and court proceedings can be difficult for these young people to navigate. Practice and policy responses are necessary to identify these individuals, provide appropriate support/rehabilitation, and upskill the justice workforce. The aim of this research was to determine the unmet workforce development needs of a regional workforce providing care and support to youth involved with the justice system. ...