Some of the projects, which are either led by Monash Health researchers, or are part of major international collaborations, include:
Researchers: Maryza Graham, Tony Korman, Rhonda Stuart and Michelle Francis
Department: Infectious Diseases
Research type: Lab based
Study population: COVID-19 fever clinic outpatients
Expected outcome: Determine the sensitivity of saliva as a specimen for diagnosis of COVID-19
Researchers: Yahya Shehabi and Wisam Al-Bassam
Department: Intensive Care
Collaborators: Monash University and University of Melbourne
Research type: Clinical trial – drugs or therapies
Study population: Patients with severe COVID-19 infection
Expected outcome: Evaluation of new possible treatments for COVID-19
A simple question motivates our research program: Why is COVID-19 less severe in children than in adults? In our interdisciplinary study, a team of clinician-scientists, immunologists and microbiologists will determine the underlying pathophysiological pathways influencing COVID-19 severity in the context of age and gender, with a particular focus on the microbiome. As its outcome, the program will advance knowledge on the mechanisms that drive COVID-19, thus identifying prognostic biomarkers and promising therapeutic strategies to guide the implementation of novel immune therapies that will prevent COVID-19’s severe morbidity and mortality.
Researchers: Prof Marcel Nold (Hudson, Monash Health, Monash University), Dr Sam Forster (Hudson), Dr Felix Oberender (Monash Health), A/Prof Claudia Nold (Hudson), Prof Paul Hertzog (Hudson), Prof Jim Buttery (Monash Health), Prof Phil Bardin (Monash Health), Dr Kirsten Palmer (Hudson, Monash Health), A/Prof David Armstrong (Monash Health), Prof Jose Polo (Monash University) and Dr Samar Ojaimi (Monash Health).
Departments: Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Respiratory and Sleep, Paediatrics, Infection and Immunity, Monash University
Collaborators: Monash Health, Monash University, School for Clinical Sciences, Rockefeller University
Research type: Clinical, lab based, immunology, observation, genomic
Study population: Adult and paediatric COVID + patients
Expected outcome: Understanding why children get less severe disease and why some recover while others get seriously ill
Researchers: Ian Woolley, Sarah Luu (student), Zoe McQuilten, Ashwini Bennett, Sanjeev Chunilal, Erica Malan, Andrew Wallace
Departments: Haematology
Collaborators: Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD)
Research type: Lab based
Study population: COVID + patients
Expected outcome: Understanding changes in plasminogen consumption in COVID patients
Researchers: Ben Rogers
Department: Infectious Diseases
Collaborators: Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI)
Research type: Clinical, Lab based
Study population: 3 populations planned: COVID + patients; healthcare workers; patients receiving investigational therapies
Expected outcome: Detailed long-term profile of immunological response through COVID-19 infection
Researchers: Gabriela Khoury, Stephen Turner, Ben Rogers, Samar Ojaimi, Tony Korman, Nicole LaGruta, Mariapia Degli-Esposti, Anthony Purcell, Jamie Rossjohn
Department: Infectious Diseases, University, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology
Collaborators: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Monash University
Research type: Clinical, lab based, immunology, observation, database studies, genomic
Study population: Adult COVID-19 + patients; high risk and/or exposed healthcare workers
Expected outcome: Understanding of how pre-infection immune status and post-infection immune response change disease progression and health outcomes in patients and at risk healthcare workers
Researchers: Marie Backstrom, Ben Rogers
Department: Infectious Diseases
Collaborators: Melbourne University, Doherty Institute
Research type: Clinical trial – drugs or therapies
Study population: Adult COVID-19 patients
Expected outcome: Assessing the effectiveness and safety of two existing drugs in patients hospitalised with COVID-19
Researchers: Jessica O’Bryan, Tony Korman, Rhonda Stuart, Grant Jenkin, Ben Rogers
Department: Infectious Diseases
Collaborators: Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Research type: Clinical Trial – drugs or therapies
Study population: Health Care Workers
Expected outcome: investigate whether the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination protects against COVID-19 or reduces the severity of symptoms of COVID-19 in healthcare workers