Research at Monash Children's

Monash Children’s provides a comprehensive range of paediatric services across three of Southern Health hospitals. Monash Medical Centre Clayton is the tertiary centre and provides all specialist and general paediatric medical services, neonatal intensive care (NICU), paediatric intensive care (PICU), and paediatric surgery including orthopaedics, ENT, plastics and neurosurgery.

Dandenong and Casey Hospitals provide general paediatric services and newborn special care nurseries. Paediatric research is primarily conducted in conjunction with Monash University including the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR), and ensures clinical services delivered at Southern Health are of a very high standard.

Research activities

The research undertaken at Monash Children's is predominately clinically orientated and covers many areas of paediatric medicine and surgery.

Awards

  •  Dr Arvind Sehgal, Neonatologist, Monash Newborn, May 2007: Paediatrics Research Award – Clinical Science, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada.
  • Dr Gillian Nixon, Consultant, Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, CIE on NHMRC Project Grant received for ‘Impact of Sleep Disorder Breathing on Cardiovascular, Behavioural and Neurocognitive Function in Pre-school Children’.

Research projects

*All investigators from Southern Health unless otherwise noted.

  • Testing a pragmatic model of evidence-based guideline development in hospitals. Dr Claire Harris, Centre for Clinical Effectiveness; Professor Sally Green, Australasian Cochrane Centre, Monash University; Mrs Tari Turner, Centre for Clinical Effectiveness and MIHSR. This project is aiming to test a pragmatic method of evidence-based guideline development in Monash Newborn. If successful, this new approach would help support evidence-based best practice care for Southern Health patients.
  • Paediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension database (Australia & New Zealand). Dr Robert Weintraub, Tari Turner and Mrs Michelle Rose.
  • Renal tumours classification, biology and banking study. A/Prof David Ashley and Ms Joanne McKenzie. 98 Research report 2007–2008
  • Multi-centre project of regional cohort of babies with matched controls. Dr Eizabeth Carse. A project with Royal Womens Hospital, Mercy Hospital for Women, Royal Children’s Hospital and Southern Health.
  • Health in adolescence of survivors of extremely low birth weight or prematurity. Dr Elizabeth Carse.
  • The perceived effectiveness of an educational package in improving knowledge and performance of physiotherapy treatment in toddlers and young children with cystic fibrosis. Ms Claire Tipping and Dr Rebecca Scholes.
  • The impact of obstructive sleep apnoea on cardiovascular function – Are children with Down syndrome at higher risk? Dr Gillian Nixon and Dr Denise O’Driscoll.
  • Evaluation of novel fetal haemoglobin inducers in human thyroid cells for the therapy of thalassaemia. Dr Don Bowden.
  • The feasibility of clinical assessment of N-Terminal Pro B type naturatic peptide in the management of patent ductus arteriosis in patent neonates. Dr Sarah Hope.
  • Language and communication profiles in pre-school children with autism. Carlie Park, Greg Yelland and Kylie Gray.
  • Social competence in pre-school aged children, study two – social skills and executive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr Philip Graves and Dr Franziska Brenk.
  • Importance of a lateral CXR in evaluating left atrial enlargement in infants with patent ductus arteriosis. Dr Arvind Sehgal.
  • Early school-age outcome after exposure to repeat prenatal corticosteroids–a randomised controlled trial. Dr Elizabeth Carse, and Prof Caroline Crowther (Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Adelaide).
  • Cystic fibrosis on line clinical support. Dr J Morton, Ms R. McAleer, Dr D Armstrong and Mr P Gray.
  • Juvenile arthritis: the effect of internal and external psychological factors on the adjustment of siblings. A/Prof Sue Piper, Ms Heidi Tranberg and Dr Wendy Croach.
  • Prospective study of enhanced national surveillance for pneumoccocal empyema thoracis in children, in Australia and New Zealand. Dr Gillian Nixon.

Publications, awards, funding and postgraduate students summary

                       
Journal articles  
34
Conference presentations 30
Awards and prizes 3
Postgraduate research students 2

Funding

  • Alfred Cystic Fibrosis Unit
  • Australian Catholic University
  • Australian Postgraduate Award
  • Jack Brockoff Foundation
  • Monash University
  • NHMRC x 2
  • NHMRC through the Murdoch
  • Children’s Research Institute
  • Southern Health Emerging
  • Researcher Fellowship
  • Sydney Children’s Hospital