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Research

The Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit (CEBU) is involved in a range of both applied and methodological research in the area of children's health in collaboration with researchers and clinicians at RCH and at other institutions both nationally and internationally.  Large scale projects are listed below along with lead investigators, but we are also involved in many smaller-scale clinical research projects not listed here.

Applied Research

• Mental health, social development and substance abuse in adolescents and young adults.  (John Carlin with George Patton and colleagues, MCRI Health Development Theme).
• Early life determinants of health and disease, including twin studies. (John Carlin with Ruth Morley, MCRI Early Development & Disease Theme)
• Growing Up in Australia (Longitudinal Study of Australian Children) with current focus on overweight and obesity in pre-school children; and child’s sleep behaviour on parents’ mental health. (John Carlin and Pollyanna Hardy with Melissa Wake and Harriet Hiscock,  MCRI Healthy Development Theme)
• A multi-centre, randomised, controlled trial of Broncho-Alveolar Lavage (BAL) directed therapy in young children with cystic fibrosis. (John Carlin and Suzanna Vidmar with Claire Wainwright, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane and national collaborators.)  
• Estimating the hospital burden of gastroenteritis and rotavirus infection in Australia, and providing an updated cost-effectiveness analysis of rotavirus vaccination in Australia based on a vaccine presently being developed by Merck Inc. Funded by CSL Ltd. (John Carlin and John Galati).
• Estimating probabilities of compatible heart donors becoming available within specified times for recipients of given blood type and weight. (John Galati with James Tibballs, RCH Intensive Care Unit).
• International Young Infants Study: validation of simple algorithms for detection of life-threatening disease in sick young infants.  (John Carlin with World Health Organisation and other international partners).
• Reducing the body mass index of overweight and obese children.  (Live Eat and Play - LEAP II, - http://www.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ccch/LEAP.pdf).  (Obioha Ukoumunne with Zoë McCallum, MCRI Healthy Development Theme).
• Outcomes associated with bilateral slight/mild sensorineural hearing loss in elementary school children.  (Hearing in Schools Study - HISS)  (Obioha Ukoumunne with Melissa Wake, MCRI Healthy Development Theme).
• Interventions for reducing infant sleep problems.  (Infant Sleep Study - ISS)  (Obioha Ukoumunne with Harriet Hiscock and Jordana Bayer, MCRI Healthy Development Theme).
• Interventions for reducing the incidence of preschool externalising behaviour problems.  (Toddlers Without Tears - TWT)  (Obioha Ukoumunne with Harriet Hiscock and Jordana Bayer, MCRI Healthy Development Theme).
   

Methodological Research

• Statistical methods for handling missing data in large epidemiological studies, using multiple imputation.  Funded by NHMRC.  (John Carlin and John Galati with international collaborations including the Department of Social Medicine and Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, University of Bristol (UK) and Joe Schafer, Pennsylvania State University (USA)).
• Simulation study comparing methods for analysing dichotomous outcomes from cluster randomised trials. (Obioha Ukoumunne).

Recent publication highlights

• Morley R, Moore VM, Dwyer T, Owens JA, Umstad MP, Carlin JB. Association between erythropoietin in cord blood of twins and size at birth: does it relate to gestational factors, or to factors during labor or delivery? Pediatric Research.  2005; 57:680-684.
• Cherian T, Mulholland EK, Carlin JB, Ostensen H, Amin R, de Campo M, Greenberg D, Lagos R, Lucero M, Madhi SA, O'Brien KL, Obaro S, Steinhoff MC.  Standardized interpretation of paediatric chest radiographs for the diagnosis of pneumonia in epidemiological studies. Bull World Health Organ.  2005; 83(5):353-359.
• Carlin JB, Gurrin LC, Sterne JAC, Morley R, Dwyer T.  Regression models for twin studies: a critical review. Int J Epidemiology.  2005; 34:1089-1099
•  Morley R, Carlin JB, Dwyer T. Maternal calcium supplementation and cardiovascular risk factors in twin offspring. Int J Epidemiol.  2004; 33:1304-1309.
• Smibert E, Carlin JB, Vidmar S, Wilkinson LC, Newton M, Weintraub RG. Exercise echocardiography reflects cumulative anthracycline exposure during childhood. Pediatric Blood & Cancer.  2004; 42:556-562.
• Nugent AW, Daubeney PEF, Chondros P, Carlin JB, Cheung M, Wilkinson LC, Davis AM, Kahler SG, Chow CW, Wilkinson JL, Weintraub RG. The epidemiology of childhood cardiomyopathy in Australia. The New England Journal of Medicine.  2003; 348(17):1639-1705.
• Weber W, Carlin JB, Gatchalian S, Lehmann D, Muhe L, Mulholland K and the WHO Infants Study Group. Predictors of neonatal sepsis in developing countries. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal.  2003; 22:711-716.
• Carlin JB, Li N, Greenwood P and Coffey C. Tools for analyzing multiple imputed datasets. The Stata Journal.  2003: 3 (3); 226-244.
• Patton GC, Coffey C, Posterino M, Carlin JB, Bowes G. Life events and early onset depression: cause or consequence? Psychological Medicine. 2003; 33(7):1203-1210.
• Patton GC, Coffey C, Carlin JB, Degenhardt L, Lynskey M, Hall W. Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study.  BMJ. 2002; 325:1195-1198.

• Shah S, Bell RJ, Savage G, Ades R, Papalia M-A, Kulkarni J, Donath S, Davis S.  Testosterone aromatization and cognition in women: a randomized placebo controlled trial.  Menopause.  2006; 13(4):600-608.
• McDonnell CM, Donath SM, Vidmar SI, Werther GA, Cameron FJ. A novel approach to continuous glucose analysis utilising glycemic variation. Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics.  2005; 7:253-263.

• Field D, Elbourne D, Hardy P, Fenton AC,  Ahluwalia J,  Halliday HL,  Subhedar N, Heinonen K, Aikio O, Grieve R, Truesdale A,  Tomlin K, Normand C,  Stocks J.  Neonatal ventilation with inhaled nitric oxide versus ventilatory support without inhaled nitric oxide for infants with severe respiratory failure born at or near term: The INNOVO multicentre randomised controlled trial.  Neonatology.  2007; 91:73-82.
• O'Grady JG, Hardy P, Burroughs AK, Elbourne D et al.  Randomized controlled trial of tacrolimus versus microemulsified cyclosporin (TMC) in liver transplantation: Poststudy surveillance to 3 years.  American Journal of Transplantation.  2006.  Advanced online publication.
• Wake M, Hardy P, Canterford L, Sawyer M, Carlin JB.  Overweight, obesity and girth of Australian preschoolers: prevalence and socio-economic correlates.  International Journal of Obesity.  2006; 1-8.
• Ahluwalia J, Tooley J, Cheema I, Sweet DG, Curley AE, Halliday HL, Field D, Al'Malik H, Annamalai S, Midgley P, Hardy P, Tomlin K, Elbourne D.  A dose response study of inhaled nitric oxide in hypoxic respiratory filaure in preterm infants.  Early Human Development.  2006; 82(7):477-483.
• Dangour AD, Clemens F, Elbourne F, Fasey N, Fletcher AE, Hardy P, Holder GE, Huppert FA, Knight R, Letley L, Richards M, Truesdale A, Vickers M, Uauy R.  A randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive and retinal function in cognitively healthy older people: the Older People And n-3 Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (OPAL) study protocol.  Nutrition Journal,  2006; 5:20.
• Sethi D, Aljunid S, Sulong BS, Clemens F, Hardy P, Elbourne D, Zwi A.  Comparison of the Effectiveness of Trauma Services Provided by Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals in Malaysia.  Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2006.
• Hardy P, Clemens F.  Commentary - Stopping a Randomized Trial Early:  From Protocol to Publication.  Biology of the Neonate.  2006; 90:226-228.
• Hardyman R, Hardy P, Brodie J, Stephens R. It's good to talk: comparison of a telephone helpline and website for cancer information. Patient Education and Counseling.  2005; 315-320.
• Field D, Elbourne D, Truesdale A, Grieve R, Hardy P, Fenton,A, Subdhedar N, Ahluwalia J, Halliday H, Stocks J, Tomlin K, Normand C.Neonatal ventilation with INhaled Nitric Oxide versus Ventilatory support without inhaled nitric oxide for preterm infants with severe respiratory failure: The INNOVO multicentre randomised controlled trial. Pediatrics.  2005; 115:926-936.
• Ryan P, Hill R, Anczewska M, Hardy P, Kurek A, Nielson K, Turner C.  Team-based occupational stress reduction: A European overview from the perspective of the OSCAR Project.  International Review of Psychiatry.  2005; 17(5):401-408.
• Boudioni M, Mossman J, Boulton M, Hardy P. Differences in enquiries to CancerBACUP information service by living arrangements. European Journal of Cancer Care (English Language Edition).  2004; 6-10.
• O'Grady JG, Burroughs,A, Hardy P, Elbourne D, Truesdale A.Tacrolimus versus microemulsified ciclosporin in liver transplantation: the TMC randomised controlled trial. Lancet.  2002; 360(9340):1119-1125.    

• Davidson AJ, Huang GH, Czarnecki C, Gibson M, Stewart SA, Jamsen K, Stargatt R.  Awareness during anesthsia in children: a prospective cohort study.  Anesthesia and Analgesia.  2005; 100(3):653-661.
• Griffiths AL, Jamsen K, Carlin JB, Grimwood K, Carzino R, Robinson PJ, Massie J, Armstrong DS.  Effects of Segregation on an Epidemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain in a Cystic Fibrosis Clinic.  American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine.  2005; 171(9):1020-5.
• Orme LM, Bond JD, Humphrey MS, Zacharin M, Downie P, Jamsen KM, Mithchell SL, Robinson JM, Grapsas NA, Ashley DM.  Megestrol Acetate in Pediatric Oncology patients may lead to severe, symptomatic adrenal suppression.  American Cancer Society.  2003; 98:397-405.

• Wake M, Tobin S, Cone-Wesson B, Dahl HH, Gillam L, McCormick L, Poulakis Z, Rickards FW, Saunders K, Ukoumunne OC, Williams J.  Slight/mild sensorineural hearing loss in children.  Pediatrics.   2006; 118:1842-1851.
• Reilly S, Eadie P, Bavin EL, Wake M, Prior M, Williams J, Bretherton L, Barrett Y, Ukoumunne OC.  Growth of infant communication between 8 and 12 months: A population study.  Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.  2006; 42:764-770.
• Hafen GM, Ukoumunne OC, Robinson PJ.  Pneumothorax in cystic fibrosis: a retrospective case series. 
  Arch Dis Child.  2006; 91:924-925.
• Fiander M, Burns T, Ukoumunne OC, Fahy T, Creed F, Tyrer P, Byford S.  Do care patterns change over time in a newly established mental health service?  A report from the UK700 trial.  European Psychiatry.  2006; 21:300-306.
• Gulliford MC, Adams G, Ukoumunne OC, Latinovic R, Chinn S, Campbell MJ.  Intraclass correlation coefficient and outcome prevalence are associated in clustered binary data.  Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.  2005; 58:246-251.
• Metcalfe C, White IR, Weaver T, Ukoumunne OC, Harvey K, Tattan T, Thompson SG.  Intensive case management for severe psychotic illness: is there a general benefit for patients with complex needs?  Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol.  2005; 40:718-824. 
• Adams G, Gulliford MC, Ukoumunne OC, Eldridge S, Chinn S, Campbell MJ.  Distribution of intraclass correlation coefficients from 31 research studies in primary health care.  Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.  2004; 57:785-794.
• Eldridge SM, Ashby D, Feder GS, Rudnicka AR, Ukoumunne OC.  Lessons for cluster randomised trials in the 21st century: a systematic review of trials in primary care.  Clinical Trials.  2004; 1:80-90.
• Ukoumunne OC, Davison AC, Gulliford MC, Chinn S.  Non-parametric bootstrap confidence intervals for the intraclass correlation coefficient.  Statistics in Medicine.  2003; 22:3805-3821.
• Adams G, Gulliford MC, Ukoumunne OC, Chinn S, Campbell MJ.  Geographical and organisational variation in the structure of primary care services: implications for study design.  Journal of Health Services Research and Policy.  2003; 8:87-93.

• Fink AM, Vidmar S, Kumbla S, Pedreira CC, Kanumakala S, Williams C, Carlin JB, and Cameron FJ. Age related pituitary volumes in prepubertal children with normal endocrine function: Volumetric magnetic resonance data. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2005; 10.1210/jc.2004-1558.
• Gibb S, Nolan T, South M, Noad L, Bates G, Vidmar S. Evidence against a synergistic effect of desmopressin with conditioning in the treatment of nocturnal enuresis.  Journal of Pediatrics.  2004; 144:351-357.
• Massie J, Efron D, Cerritelli B, South M, Powell C, Haby MM, Gilbert E,  Vidmar S, Carlin JB, Robertson CF, on behalf of the ICAAM Study Group.  Implementation of evidence based guidelines for paediatric asthma management in a teaching hospital. Archives of Disease in Childhood.  2004; 89:660-664.
• Vidmar S, Carlin JB, Hesketh K. Standardizing anthropometric measures in children and adolescents with new functions for egen.  Stata Journal.  2004; 4(1):50-55.

• Galati JC, Tibballs J, Carlin JB, Weintraub R, Carter BG.  Probabilities of heart donors arising within specified times for child receipients.  Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.  2007; 43:49-54.
• Galati JC, Harsley S, Richmond P, Carlin JB.  The burden of rotavirus-related illness among young children on the Australian health care system.  ANZ Journal of Public Health.  2006; 30:416-421.