Education in the CRCAA

The partners in the CRCAA have the skills and resources to make significant contributions to the training of graduates, developing validated educational tools, upskilling health professionals and enhancing community asthma education. The major components of this program are:

- Postgraduate Scholarships
- Education Outreach
- Asthma in the Older Person
- Characterisation in lung health in older Australians

Postgraduate Scholarships

The CRCAA aims to attract outstanding PhD scholars to complete their studies at the various research nodes. Scientists employed by the industry partners will act as co-supervisors and where appropriate and scholars will be encouraged to undertake part of their research in the industry laboratories. These scholars will receive top-up scholarships and will be provided with additional funding for travel to enable them to present their work at important meetings, visit research facilities to acquire new skills and establish links with other units working in their areas of research. The students also receive training in IP and project management, and will be exposed to opportunities for scientific careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. It is anticipated that 45 scholarships will be awarded during the term of the CRCAA.

To apply for a top-up scholarship, please click here for an application form and information regarding the scholarships. The scholarships are advertised in October of each year, with applicants being notified in December.

GlaxoSmithKline Australia and Asthma CRC
PhD Scholars Program Travel Grants

GlaxoSmithKline Australia (GSKA) in collaboration with the Asthma CRC is pleased to offer up to two CRC PhD scholars per year, a grant of up to $20,000 to work in a GSK laboratory overseas. These travel grants will provide support for up to 6 months, and is intended to allow the PhD Scholar the opportunity to develop their skills in a commercial environment and be exposed to procedures and protocols within GSK.

For further information and application forms please visit
www.gsk.com.au/crcasthma

Current Scholarships for 2009

	Title of Project	University/Organisation	Supervisor
David Chapman	Airway closure, ventilation heterogeneity and airway hyperresponsiveness in respriatory disease	Woolcock Institute	Dr Cheryl Salome
Faang Yann Cheah	Characteristics of bradykinin receptor expression in asthmatics and non-asthmatics cells	University of WA	Dr Carolyn Williams
Li Ping Chung	Pharmacogenenetics of severe asthma	University of WA	Prof Phil Thompson
Adam Collison	Role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of allergic and pulmonary diseases	University of Newcastle	A/Prof Joerg Mattes
Adeline Foo	Viral Injectors and Exacerbators of Emphysema	University of Newcastle	Prof Paul Foster
Anita Fuhrmann	Respiratory health and lung function of wind musicians	University of WA	Prof Phil Weinstein
Karryn Grafton	The role of angiogenesis in Asthma	University of Sydney	Dr Brian Oliver
Vanessa Kelly	The effects of heteriogeneity and airway closure on airway distensibility measurements in asthma	Monash University	Dr Bruce Thompson
Ms Jessica Kermode	The effect of airway wall properties on airway hyper-responsiveness in respiratory disease	Woolcock	Dr Cheryl Salome Dr Greg King Prof Norbert Berend
Richard Kim	Identification of early-life signals induced in response to infection that predispose to allergic airways disease in later life	University of Newcastle	A/Prof Phil Hansbro
Jeanne LeMasurier	Characterisation of ultra-fine nanoparticles which inhibit experimental asthma	Monash University	Prof Jenny Rolland
Vanessa McDonald	Problem based management of airways disease in people over 55 years	University of Newcastle	Prof Peter Gibson
Kendle Maslowski	The role of novel GPCRs in the innate immune system	Garvan Institute	Dr Charles Mackay
Hong-An Nguyen	Regulartory factors of airway remodeling in a mouse model of chronic allergic asthma	Monash University	Prof Robyn O'Hehir
Gavin Pereira	Illness profiles in children exposed to vehicle emissions	University of WA	Dr Angus Cook
Maximilian Plank	miRNA profiling of lung tissue, macrophages and Tcells during primary and secondary infection with viruses or bacteria	University of Newcastle	Prof Paul Foster
Heidi Schilter	Role of airway epithelium in allergic airway inflammation	Garvan Institute	Dr Michael Rolph
Doris Shim	Suppressors of cytokine signalling and their role in allergic airway inflammation	Garvan Institute	Prof Charles Mackay
Malcolm Starkey	Early life chlamydial infections and asthma	University of Newcastle	A/Prof Phil Hansbro Prof Paul Foster
Alison Thorburn	Prevention and treatment of asthma by bacterial vaccination	University of Newcastle	A/Prof Phil Hansbro
Louis Tsai	Novel mechanisms for the control of B cell differentiation and function	Garvan Institute	Prof Charles Mackay

Any further information may be obtained from:
Ms Dianne Goeman
CRC for Asthma and Airways
Email: D.Goeman@alfred.org.au

Education Outreach

Access to continuing education and training, as well as educational resources are essential to ensuring health professionals are able to provide the most effective asthma care. The CRCAA will develop, evaluate and disseminate validated clinical tools to enhance the treatment of older people with asthma and airways diseases and assist patients in achieving optimal adherence with medication and treatment regimens. These training activities will be undertaken in conjunction with the relevant professional bodies. Training will be provided to health professionals to enhance their capacity to accurately diagnose asthma and airways disease, using tools and strategies developed and validated within the CRCAA. Information generated by the Environmental Program will be disseminated through courses on indoor and outdoor air quality. This will be coordinated with the education programs run by NSW Health and the WA Departments of Health and Environment.

Community education takes place through local programs developed at each node. These include public seminars and lectures on aspects of asthma and chronic airways disease, focusing on better awareness and management.

Asthma in the Older Person


Professor Christine Jenkins Woolcock Institute	Associate Professor Jo Douglass Monash University/Alfred Hospital

The ageing population of Australia is increasingly recognised to have widespread social and healthcare ramifications, leading to the promotion of ageing as a National Health Priority Area. This is true in relation to respiratory diseases where asthma is an increasingly recognised problem in older people who now comprise over 70% of those dying of asthma. Asthma is common in the elderly and is often under diagnosed and under treated. Moreover older people with asthma have poorer quality of life and higher admission rates to hospital compared to younger individuals. The prevalence of COPD is also increasing and this condition overlaps with asthma in many instances in the elderly.

Specific Aims

To develop and disseminate new community education programs tailored to the specific requirements of older people with asthma.

To develop and disseminate a clinical tool for assessing and enhancing adherence with inhaled corticosteroids and management interventions amongst patients with asthma.

To develop and provide educational courses for community and health professionals based on these and other CRCAA projects.

Characterisation of Lung Health in Older Australians


Associate Professor Jo Douglass Monash University/Alfred Hospital	Professor Michael Abramson Monash University/Alfred Hospital

Ageing well and ageing productively is a National Research Priority. Respiratory disease is the third most common reason for a general practice consultation in people over 65 years. In Australia, despite substantial public investment and improvement in overall mortality, people older than 65 constitute 64% of those dying of asthma. Over half a million Australians suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and this burden will increase with our ageing population. Respiratory function in older age groups is very poorly understood with resulting poor precision of the diagnosis of respiratory disease in older age-groups.

Associate Professor Jo Douglass, Professor Michael Abramson, Associate Professor Bruce Thompson and Associate Professor Greg King are conducting an epidemiological study to define normal respiratory function in Australians aged over 65. The study will provide normal values for use in calculation of spirometry, gas transfer and static lung volume measurements and determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and abnormal lung function in this age group.

Overall, this study will provide an internationally robust framework to assess lung health and disease in older Australians. The findings will inform health policy and the planning of health care services. The study will also demonstrate the utility of the forced oscillation technique in this age group and obtain normative data for future clinical applications.