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News & Events

The Kids Easy Breathing Study kickstarts this month, with the aim of finding out how the airway surface is different between infants who develop chronic lung disease after contracting bronchiolitis compared with those who don’t.

News & Events

Study shows climate change will devastate children’s health without fast global action

Increased numbers of preterm births, higher incidence of respiratory disease and death, and more children in hospitals are some of the stark health outcomes the world is facing from the impacts of extreme climate change.

News & Events

Unique twin study reveals clues to childhood allergies

A study published in Science Advances has revealed that while genetics play a significant role in shaping children's immune systems, environmental factors also influence key immune responses, offering opportunity for preventing allergic diseases.

Phage WA Artificial Intelligence Team

Our team uses AI to quickly analyse large amounts of genetic data to help discover alternate medications and improve existing treatments.

Research

Streptococcus pyogenes Surveillance Through Surface Swab Samples to Track the Emergence of Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome in Rural Japan

Japan recently experienced a record surge in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Our environmental surveillance study reveals that Streptococcus pyogenes persists seasonally, peaking in autumn and winter in rural Japan. The dominant emm1 M1UK sublineage and csrS mutations heighten virulence, highlighting the urgent need for targeted surveillance and interventions.

Research

Complete genome sequence of Burkholderia cenocepacia bacteriophage Karil-mokiny-1

Burkholderia cepacia complex causes life-threatening respiratory infections. Here, a bacteriophage with activity against B. cenocepacia was isolated from wastewater. It has a genome size of 70,144 bp and has the taxonomic classification Irusalimvirus. It has no genes associated with lysogeny, bacterial resistance, or virulence.

Fighting lung disease

Culturally secure intervention to facilitate medical follow up for Aboriginal children, after being hospitalised with chest infections, have proven to improve long-term lung health outcomes.

Research

Factors influencing participation in home, school, and community settings by 6- to 9-year-old children born preterm: a qualitative descriptive study

There is no published information on preterm children's activities and participation during middle childhood, a time when growth and development are characterised by increasing motor, reasoning, self-regulation, social and executive functioning skills. This study explored the health, activities and participation of children born very preterm during middle childhood (6-9 years) from the perspectives of their parents.

Research

Pre-Post Intervention to Strengthen and Sustain the Paediatric ESCALATION System (The SPECS): Study Protocol

Promptly recognising changes in an acutely unwell child’s condition is fundamental to prevent tragic outcomes. Western Australian (WA) healthcare facilities used inconsistent and varied paediatric early warning systems. To improve care consistency, a standardised ESCALATION system, inclusive of family involvement and sepsis recognition, was developed.

Research

Partial amelioration of a chronic cigarette-smoke-induced phenotype in mice by switching to electronic cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes ("e-cigarettes") are often marketed as smoking cessation tools and are used by smokers to reduce/quit cigarette smoking. The objective of this study was to assess the health effects of switching to e-cigarettes after long-term smoking in a mouse model and compare these effects with continued smoking, or quitting entirely.