Two George Institute researchers have been awarded funding by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) to help make it easier to test new treatments for different forms of kidney disease.

Dr Ying Amanda Wang, Senior Research Fellow in the Renal and Metabolic Division at The Institute, has been awarded the RACP’s 2021 Jacquot Research Establishment Fellowship with a $90,000 funding boost for her work to improve acute kidney injury outcomes.

The Jacquot Awards, co-administered by the RACP and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology, support nephrologists wishing to establish or pursue a research career for the treatment and management of renal disease.

Dr Wang, who is a consultant nephrologist and general physician, said that while medical understanding of acute kidney injury had transformed over the last twenty years, there are still no treatments proven to improve patient outcomes.

“We now know that acute kidney injury doesn’t just get better – it has a long term and wide-ranging impact on health,” she said.

“There are a number of promising treatments under development, but they will all need to be tested in clinical trials to see how effective they are.

“My research aims to help build a world-leading clinical trials capability for acute kidney injury in Australia that will see our patients at the forefront of advances in treatments.”

Dr Sradha Kotwal, Research Fellow at The George Institute and senior lecturer at the University of NSW, has been awarded a 2021 RACP Research Establishment Fellowship with a $50,000 boost for her work in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The funding will allow for the development and expansion of two initiatives to facilitate larger national and international clinical trials to improve treatment options for people with CKD.

“There is no network for kidney diseases that currently operates on an Australian or international scale allowing researchers to conduct major trials in this area of medicine,” said Dr Kotwal.

“My program of work will develop such a network in Australia and globally.”

The Global Kidney Patient Trial Network is an international, prospective, observational registry-style cohort of people with CKD who are willing to participate in clinical trials.

The newly established Glomerular Disease Registry and Biobank will also benefit from the funding. It will capture and store DNA and blood samples for future research and will allow the development of precision medicine approaches for patients.

Dr Kotwal is a nephrologist at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney Australia.

An innovative study to assess whether a commonly used cholesterol lowering medication can prevent brain complications from COVID-19 has received over $2.3m from the Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.

The study, a collaboration between The George Institute for Global Health, the University of New South Wales, Monash University’s School of Public Health, University of Sydney, and Sydney Local Health District, is one of six that have been singled out for immediate support in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.

Chief Investigator Professor Craig Anderson from The George Institute said that COVID-19 can cause a range of complications to the brain.

“At the time of the acute infection, COVID-19 puts patients at high risk of strokes from intense inflammation in the body and being critically ill. However, the virus may disrupt neural pathways in more subtle ways from direct invasion of the brain” he said.

“We aim to test whether treatment with a statin, widely prescribed to prevent strokes and improve cardiovascular health, has anti-inflammatory effects that can maintain memory and thinking after COVID-19 infection.”

Neurological complications have emerged as a significant cause of ongoing ill health in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those affected complain of various symptoms such as “brain fog”, dizziness, headaches, insomnia and fatigue. They may also be at increased risk of long-term complications, such as stroke and memory impairment. 

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed medications globally which help to control the body’s production of cholesterol, but they are also known to reduce the activity of certain cell proteins that are involved in the body’s response to infection and inflammation. Some studies also suggest they may reduce the risk of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease.

The trial - codenamed STRONGER (Statin TReatment for COVID-19 to Optimise NeuroloGical recovERy) - aims to determine if a particular statin (atorvastatin) helps improve neurological recovery in 410 adults after who have had COVID-19 infection in the last year. The study will partner with colleagues in Santiago, Chile - supported by local funding - to recruit people with more recent infection.

“We know from other serious viral infections and the way that the brain’s vascular system can be impacted, that COVID complications could lead to neurological problems,” added Prof Anderson.

“If we can prevent this using a well-studied, widely available and low-cost treatment, the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on cognitive function could be avoided.”

As 2020 draws to a close and we look back on our most read stories of the year, its perhaps not surprising that so many of them relate to COVID-19.

The pandemic has impacted people around the world, but particularly those with pre-existing medical conditions or limited access to medical care. We’re proud of the important contributions we have been able to make to the global fight against COVID-19 including:

• The DARE19 trial, seeking to prevent disease progression in hospitalised patients;
• The HOPE study evaluating protective therapy for healthcare workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2;
• The CLARITY trial testing whether low-cost blood pressure-lowering medications can reduce the severity of COVID-19, and
• A study monitoring the risks of suicide during the pandemic, part of the SMART Mental Health project.

We look forward to continuing this contribution into 2021, but in the meantime, here are the top five most-read stories of 2020.

1. Social distancing and exercise – is 1.5 metres enough?

With gyms closed, many more people are taking to the streets to get their daily exercise, but what does this mean for social distancing?

Our respiratory expert Prof Christine Jenkins explains the science behind the 1.5 metre rule and how best to protect yourself when exercising outdoors.

READ MORE

2. Frontline health workers in COVID-19 prevention and control: rapid evidence synthesis

Our rapid evidence synthesis reports the recommendations for the role of frontline health workers during COVID-19. The findings go beyond research evidence and integrate multiple types and levels of evidence from across the world and highlight what we can learn from recent pandemics such that we are prepared for potential scenarios and challenges due to COVID-19. 

The report and inventories provided serve as a ready resource guide for any country considering the use of community health workers to control COVID-19.

READ MORE

3. Challenges facing individuals and researchers: suicide in India in the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable impact on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals. Researchers suggest a spike in deaths by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has emphasized the importance of identifying changes to the risk of suicide and working towards its prevention by extending more help to the distressed people.

There are numerous reasons responsible for the mental health impact of the pandemic in India. Many daily wage labourers and migrant workers have lost their jobs due to the lockdown, have little to sustain their livelihoods, are starving to death and in general are very stressed.

Pallab Maulik and Sudha Kallakuri summarise key considerations from an article published in The Lancet.

READ MORE

4. Almost a day’s worth of calories hidden in fast food meal combos, study shows

New research and report from The George Institute for Global Health shows some popular fast food chains are serving up almost all your daily energy needs in a single meal.

According to the FoodSwitch: State of the Fast Food Supply report, the Red Rooster Bacon and Cheese Rippa single meal consisting of one Bacon and Cheese Rippa Roll, large (by default) fries and coke contained 7730kJ per serving, or 89 percent of the average adult daily energy intake.

READ MORE

5. The vital contribution of nurses to the COVID-19 response

Contribution of nurses and midwives to healthcare delivery and as health systems around the world work to boost their workforce capacity to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic has never been more vital.

In Australia, nurses who left the workforce were recalled to duty and those already in the workforce were asked to retrain so they can work in intensive care where they will be needed most.

Frances Bass, ICU Research Nurse (Royal North Shore Hospital) and Project Manager, Critical Care Division at The George Institute talks about the challenges and opportunities nurses faced.

READ MORE

Read other research, resources, news, and opinions on COVID19 from The George Institute

The George Institute for Global Health welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of $2.9 billion in funding for Australian university research over the next year.

The $2.9 billion announcement represents a $1 billion increase from last year that will be used to support student scholarships, academic salaries, laboratories and research equipment.

The George Institute’s Executive Director Professor Bruce Neal supported the increase in funding, particularly as universities were financially impacted by COVID-19.

“The increased investment in our universities will help our world-leading Australian researchers to carry on their work,” he said.

“I am pleased that The George Institute’s affiliated university, UNSW Sydney, will receive $286 million, an increase on last year’s funding of $109 million, or 62 percent.”

“The funding for UNSW will benefit The George Institute and our researchers, as we share a strategic vision to drive change through impactful research,” Professor Neal said.

The impacts of COVID-19 are an alarming reminder of the urgent need for leaders to make good on their commitments to Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

“It is important that the meaning of Universal Health Coverage advances the Alma Ata vision of health for all and links it to the Sustainable Development Goal of leaving no one behind. Health is a human right and should not be impoverishing for anyone. At the systems level, health for all is good for the economy, for solidarity, and security,” says Dr. Devaki Nambiar, Program Head – Health Systems and Equity at the George Institute for Global Health, India.

“TGI has been a signatory to the Reclaiming Comprehensive Public Health call – which brings an important set of values with relevance to UHC in the COVID-19 context. These include principles of collaboration, community engagement, support and protection for workers on the frontline and attention to local context, all in a broader framework of human rights and social protection for all.” she adds.

Currently, at least half of the world’s people lack access to essential health services, and millions of people will be trapped in extreme poverty as a result of having to pay for basic health care.

“COVID-19 is proving that emergencies and pandemics are only exacerbated by frail health systems. It has highlighted inadequacies in health facilities related to infrastructure, workforces and equipment, and more importantly, how the most vulnerable are being left behind, in stark contrast to what UHC stands for,” says Dr. D Praveen, Program Head, Primary Health Care at the George Institute for Global Health, India.

Progress towards UHC commitments is needed now more than ever. The George Institute for Global Health, India calls on leaders to make good on their UHC commitments and support countries to make real progress towards UHC by 2030.

Amidst the greatest health emergency of our generation and to mark UHC Day 2020, join us to express solidarity for efforts towards achieving UHC, and to hold leaders accountable for the areas of commitment covered in the 2019 Political Declaration:

Commitment 1: Ensure political leadership beyond health. Commit to achieve UHC for healthy lives and well-being for all at all stages, as a social contract.

Commitment 2: Leave no one behind. Pursue equity in access to quality health services with financial protection.

Commitment 3: Legislate and regulate. Create a strong, enabling regulatory and legal environment responsive to people’s needs.

Commitment 4: Uphold quality of care.  Build quality health systems that people and communities trust.

Commitment 5: Invest more, invest better. Sustain public financing and harmonize health investments.

Commitment 6: Move together. Establish multi-stakeholder mechanisms for engaging the whole of society for a healthier world.

Commitment 7: Gender equality. Emphasize gender equality, redress gender power dynamics and ensure women’s and girl’s rights as foundational principles for UHC.

Commitment 8: Emergency preparedness. Promote strong and resilient health systems for enhancing health emergency preparedness and response.

The George Institute conducts research to support progress towards the UHC commitments. Learn more about our work here.