Research Opportunities - New South Wales
John Hunter Hospital
Renal Transplantation
Basic Science:
Early prediction and evaluation
- reperfusion injury
- acute rejection
- chronic allograft nephropathy using molecular techniques for b6-integrin and metalloproteinases in tissue and urine
Clinical Studies
- steroid withdrawal in stable renal transplants
- the use of IV gancyclovir prophylaxis in prevention of CMV disease
- the use of Mycophenolate in attenuating chronic graft insufficiency
- epidemiology of cancer in renal transplant recipients
- subclinical acute rejection on routine protocol biopsies
- national survey of early post transplant management practices
- nutritional protocols in renal transplantation
Clinical Nephrology
- immunopathology and treatment of glomerulonephritis
- renovascular hypertension
- patient education
Contact:
Dr Paul Trevillian
Ph: +61 2 4921 4333
Fax: +61 2 4921 4339
Email: trendy@ozemail.com.au
Clinical Nephrology
- effect of angiotensin II blockade on renal function with mechanisms of action in renal failure
- role of dietary protein in transplant renal function
Hypertension
- self/home blood pressure V 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure
- effects of diverse pharmaceutical agents in essential hypertension
- diagnosis and treatment of renovascular hypertension
- patient education
Contact:
Drs Shane Carney and Al Gillies
Ph: +61 2 4921 4333
Fax: +61 2 4921 4339
Email: agillies@ozemail.com.au
Liverpool Hospital
Transplantation Immunology
Basic research:
- mechanisms of transplantation tolerance
- role of cytokines and interleukins in tolerance and rejection
- molecular biology of cytokines
- mechanisms of rejection
Glomerulonephritis
Animal model research into:
- role of CD8+ T cells as mediators of glomerular injury
- role of cytokines, especially Th2 in induction of tolerance in nephritis
Contact:
Professor Bruce Hall
Ph: +61 2 9828 4172
Fax: +61 2 9828 4970
Email: b.hall@unsw.edu.au
Clinical Research:
- cytokines in human glomerular injury
- erythropoietin studies
- hypertension in diabetes
- CAPD with infection complication
- renal bone disease
- lipids in renal disease
- diabetes outcomes
- haemodialysis and CAPD practice
Contact:
Dr Michael Suranyi
Ph: +61 2 9828 3708
Fax: +61 2 9828 3718
Email: Michael.Suranyi@swsahs.nsw.gov.au
Prince Of Wales Hospital
Basic Science:
Glomerulonephritis
- intracellular complement behaviour and proximal tubular cell function
- inter-compartmental signalling between complement activation products and chemokines within the kidney
- studies of metalloprotinases and their auto-inhibitors in disorders of the mesangium
Complement Biology
- the development of therapeutic complement inhibitors for use in human subjects with immune disease
- studies of the relevance of complement biology to adipocyte function
Contact:
Associate Professor John A Charlesworth
Ph: +61 2 9382 4480
Fax: +61 2 9382 4409
Email: j.charlesworth@unsw.edu.au
Clinical Research:
- trials of therapy in sytemic vasculitis
- differential gene expression by peripheral and visceral human fat cells
- studies of intra-renal complement production in patients with heavy proteinuria
Contact:
Assoc. Professor John A. Charlesworth
Ph: 61 +2 9382 4480
Fax: +61 9382 4409
Email:j.charlesworth@unsw.edu.au
Professor Bruce Pussell
Ph: 61 +2 9382 4418
Fax: +61 2 9382 4409
Email: b.pussell@unsw.edu.au
The Children's Hospital At Westmead
The Centre for Kidney Research houses several groups including both the Cochrane Renal Group of Cochrane Collaboration and the Caring for Australians with Renal Insufficiency (CARI) guidelines editorial offices. Active research projects span primary studies, data synthesis, guideline writing and implementation for both adults and children with kidney disease. There are potential research opportunities in the following areas
Clinical Research Themes
- Diagnosis, treatment and management of children with urinary tract infection
- Imaging of the renal tract and bladder dysfunction in children
- Perceptions of paediatricians, general practitioners and parents of children's participation in randomised controlled trials
- Antecedents of renal disease in Aboriginal children in NSW (ARDAC)
- Trial methodology in nephrology and transplantation
- Systematic reviews of interventions in nephrology and transplantation
- Systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies in nephrology and transplantation
- Barriers to guideline implementation in chronic kidney disease
- Cancer incidence and survival in people with chronic kidney disease
- Bowel cancer screening in chronic renal failure patients
- Screening and diagnostic test evaluation
- Health economic evaluation of care strategies in chronic kidney disease
- Monitoring tests as predictors of serious events in a paediatric intensive care unit
- Consumer involvement in health research, guideline development and care in chronic kidney disease
- Caregiver experiences and support
- Community preferences for organ allocation
- Media coverage of chronic kidney disease/transplantation
There are a limited number of PhD and Clinical Epidemiology scholarships available. Please contact Prof Jonathan Craig via email jonc@health.usyd.edu.au for further information or phone Sandra Puckeridge on 02 9845 1469.
Royal North Shore Hospital
The Role of Cytokines and the Mechanisms of Intracellular Signalling in the Tubulointerstitium
Diabetic nephropathy:
- the role of hyperglycaemia in the regulation of human proximal tubular growth and sodium-hydrogen exchange activity by insulinlike growth factor-1
- the regulation of sodium-hydrogen exchange (NHE) activity by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in an invitro model of diabetes mellitus
- the interaction between hypoxia and hyperglycaemia in renal injury
- the effects of agiotensin II in an invitro model of diabetic nephropathy
- cloning of the human NHE-4 transporter in proximal tubular cells
Clinical Research:
- intraperitoneal; amino acids in malnutrition in CAPD
- the rational Start of Dialysis and Nutritional Intervention
Contact:
Associate Professor Carol Pollock
Ph: +61 2 9926 7126
Fax: +61 2 9436 3719
Email: carpol@med.usyd.edu.au
Pathogenesis of Pre-eclampsia
- interactions between invading placental cytotrophoblasts and uterine endothelium
- maternal endothelial cell dysfunction
- function of peripheral blood monocytes in normal and pre-eclamptic human pregnancies
Clinical Research:
- assessment of renal function (including glomerular, proximal and distal tubular) in women with a wide variety of renal problems
- assessment of maternal and foetal outcome of pregnancies in women treated for acute hypertension and other disorders in the late antepartum period
- development of appropriate management protocols for women with various medical disorders in pregnancy
Contact:
Professor Eileen Gallery
Ph: +61 2 9926 8948
Fax: +61 2 9436 3719
Email: eileeng@med.usyd.edu.au
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Tubular Physiology
- the physiological importance of urea transport mechanisms in the renal tubule
Contact:
Dr Adrian Gillin
Ph: +61 2 9515 7650
Fax: +61 2 9515 6250
Email: agillin@renal.rpa.cs.nsw.gov.au
Chronic Rejection in Renal Transplantation
- the pathogenesis of chronic renal graft rejection in humans
Contact:
Dr Josette Eris
Ph: +61 2 9515 6600
Fax: +61 2 9515 6250
Email: jeris@renal.rpa.cs.nsw.gov.au
Hypertension in Pregnancy
- investigation of the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia
Contact:
Dr Annemarie Hennessy
Ph: +61 2 9515 7653
Fax: +61 2 9515 6250
Email: ahennese@renal.rpa.cs.nsw.gov.au
1. Basic research into acute rejection - focus on macrophages
2. Clinical research into long-term allograft survival
3. Epidemiology of early renal disease
Current team includes 2 scientists, one PhD fellow, two transplant fellows and several active collaborators in clinical and basic studies. Positions are available for suitable PhD candidates and research fellows.
Contact:
Dr Steve Chadban
Phone (02) 9515 6600
Fax: (02) 9515 6250
Email: steve.chadban@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
St George Hospital
- hypertension and renal disease in pregnancy - clinical and physiology studies
- clinical studies of blood pressure measurement and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, including white coat hypertension
Contact:
Professor Mark Brown
Ph: +61 2 9350 2622
Fax: + 61 2 9553 8192
Email: mbrown@unsw.edu.au
- mechanisms of steroid mediated hypertension
- nutrition, energy expenditure and body composition in pre-dialysis chronic renal failure
- hypertension and vascular disease in chronic renal failure
Contact:
A/Professor John Kelly
Ph: +61 2 9350 2290
Fax: +61 2 9553 8192
Email: j.kelly@unsw.edu.au
- mechanisms of steroid-induced hypertension
- vascular reactivity in women with previous pre-eclampsia
- cardiovascular risk factors in women with previous pre-eclampsia
Contact:
Dr George Mangos
Ph: +61 2 9350 2019
Fax: + 61 2 9350 3998
Email: g.mangos@unsw.edu.au
Westmead Hospital
Basic Research - Renal Transplant Immunology
- Study of the cognate and innate immune mechanisms involved in cellular xenograft rejection.
- Study of the mechanisms involved in the induction and maintenance of graft tolerance.
Clinical Research:
- Renal-pancreas transplantation
- Immunosuppression therapy for renal and renal -pancreas transplantation.
Contact:
Associate Professor Philip O'Connell
Ph: +61 2 9845 6962
Fax: +61 2 9633 9351
Email: philip_oconnell@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Clinical Research:
- Chronic allograft nephropathy
- Renal function after transplantation
- Diabetic complications after pancreas transplantation
- Subclinical rejection
Contact:
Dr Brian Nankivell
Ph: +61 2 9845 6962
Fax: +61 2 9633 9351
Email: brian_nankivell@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Basic Research - Progressive Tubulo-interstitial injury
- The role of proteinuria
- Tubular cell injury
- Tubular cell cytokine production, including signal transduction pathways and transcriptional regulation.
- Interstitial inflammatory cells
- Co-stimulation
- Novel treatment strategies, including DNA vaccination
Clinical Research:
- Dialysis delivery
- Dialysis-related complications
- Pre-endstage care
Contact:
Professor David Harris
Ph: +61 2 9845 6962
Fax: +61 2 9633 9351
Email: dch@medicine.usyd.edu.au
Clinical Research:
- Renal osteodystrophy
- Post transplant osteoporosis
Contact:
Dr Grahame Elder
Ph: +61 2 9845 6962
Fax: +61 2 9633 9351
Email: g.elder@garvan.unsw.edu.au
For information about research work conducted as part of the Centre for Kidney Research based at The Children's Hospital at Westmead contact:
Dr Angela Webster
Ph: +61 2 9036 9125
Fax: +61 29351 5049
Email: awebster@health.usyd.edu.au
