Prevention and treatment options for mental health disorders in children, using probiotic yoghurt to treat depression and a trial of a new Buruli ulcer treatment are among the Deakin research projects that have shared in over $7.25 million through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
The funding follows the $10.8 million in MRFF grants awarded to Deakin earlier this month.
Associate Professor Lisa Olive, Associate Professor Serene Yoong, Dr Amelia McGuinness, Dr Hannah Jarman, Professor Eugene Athan and Professor Susan Brumby will each lead research projects that seek to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians.
2023 MRFF Childhood Mental Health
Associate Professor Lisa Olive, SEED - Lifespan
CALM-Kids: Co-design and evaluation of family-based lifestyle therapy versus placebo control for reducing child anxiety - $998,924.41
Approximately 14% of Australian children aged 4-11 have mental health disorders, with anxiety and mood disorders being two of the most common, often leading to significant adverse outcomes for children and their families. This project will co-design and pilot test CALM-Kids; an innovative, evidence-based program developed by Assoc Prof Lisa Olive that explores how physical activity, diet, sleep and screen time can improve symptoms of mental ill health in children.
Associate Professor Serene Yoong, Institute for Health Transformation
The BLOOM program: A digital intervention integrating social and emotional learning, physical activity, and nutrition, in early years settings to enhance preschoolers' wellbeing - $999,805.60
Social and emotional skills in early childhood are some of the most important protective factors to prevent mental health problems. Children's physical activity and nutrition in their early years are also important influences on long-term health outcomes. Assoc Prof Yoong believes child mental health could be improved through population health programs that promote the development of social and emotional skills, active play and healthy eating. Yoong will use this funding to develop the Building Lifestyle skills and Optimising emOtional Mastery (BLOOM) program to support primary carers to embed social and emotional learning, active play and healthy eating in everyday interactions.
Dr Amelia McGuinness, Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation
ZenZone: a randomised placebo-controlled trial of fermented dairy for adolescent depression - $999,777.32
Childhood depression is a public health crisis - particularly for adolescent girls - and current treatments are often ineffective, inaccessible or costly. Dr McGuinness' project is focused on the gut microbiome - the trillions of microorganisms in our gastrointestinal system. In adults, targeting the gut microbiome with probiotics can improve depressive symptoms and can affect neurobiological pathways that are also involved in childhood depression. Dr McGuinness and the research team will test if a probiotic-enriched yoghurt, which contains bacteria associated with health benefits, is a feasible treatment option for depressive symptoms in adolescent girls.
Dr Hannah Jarman, SEED - Lifespan
Leveraging implementation science and systems thinking for eating disorder risk reduction in primary schools - $711,819.40
Eating disorders (EDs) impact approximately 10% of Australians, with severe medical, personal and economic consequences. Existing ED risk reduction programs mostly target adolescents, missing the critical stage of childhood. The Butterfly Foundation created the Butterfly Body Bright program to target individual and environmental risk factors for body dissatisfaction in children, one of the key predictors of future ED onset. Dr Jarman's project will evaluate the effectiveness of Butterfly Body Bright with students, schools and families, as well as the barriers to implementing ED risk reduction programs and explore implementation across the primary school system.
2023 MRFF Clinical Trials Activity Grant
Professor Eugene Athan, Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation
An open-label pilot trial of Telacebec as a treatment strategy for adults with Buruli Ulcer: The TREAT-BU Trial - $796,762.40
Buruli ulcer is a devastating infectious disease that is spreading throughout Victoria. Current treatment for Buruli ulcer involves a long course of multiple antibiotics which often have toxic side effects and interact with people's other medications. In partnership with Barwon Health, Prof Athan's team will conduct a clinical trial to test whether a ground-breaking new antibiotic called Telacebec is a safer, better-tolerated, and shorter treatment option that can effectively treat Buruli ulcer with fewer drug interactions.
MRFF 2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care
Professor Susan Brumby, School of Medicine
Co-designing and evaluating the pilot, implementation and impact of a scalable model of care to support farmer health, wellbeing and safety - $2,746,360.90
Professor Brumby and the research team will develop, pilot and evaluate the implementation and impact of Agrisafe 2.0, a scalable, community-based, preventive health model of care. The project aims to address risks to the health, wellbeing and safety of Australia's farming population. The team will work in collaboration with farming community members and health professionals to improve consumers' experience with local health services and to engage and empower farmers.
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