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Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg awarded 2025 Jian Zou MedalCongratulations to Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, who was today recognised as one of Australia’s rising leaders in health and medical sciences upon being awarded the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences 2025 Jian Zou Medal.
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Health and climate change MJA–Lancet Countdown report: Australia gets another failing grade in 2020 but shows signs of progressAt the end of 2019 and into 2020, catastrophic fires in Australia consumed homes, lives, wildlife, and land. Just as the fires subsided, Australia, like the rest of the world, faced another emergency—the COVID-19 pandemic. It is instructive to reflect on lessons from the health disasters of the past year. Following publication of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA)–Lancet Australian Countdown was published in December, 2020. This annual report on health and climate change in Australia is in its third year and comprises the efforts of five Australian institutions, in collaboration with University College London, UK, facilitated by a partnership between The Lancet and the MJA.
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Research opportunities for the primordial prevention of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease - streptococcal vaccine development: a national heart, lung and blood institute workshop reportStreptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus (StrepA), is a bacterium that causes a range of human diseases, including pharyngitis, impetigo, invasive infections, and post-infection immune sequelae such as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. StrepA infections cause some of the highest burden of disease and death in mostly young populations in low-resource settings. Despite decades of effort, there is still no licensed StrepA vaccine, which if developed, could be a cost-effective way to reduce the incidence of disease.
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Subcutaneous infusion of high-dose benzathine penicillin G is safe, tolerable, and suitable for less-frequent dosing for rheumatic heart disease secondary prophylaxis: a phase 1 open-label population pharmacokinetic studySince 1955, the recommended strategy for rheumatic heart disease secondary prophylaxis has been benzathine penicillin G injections administered intramuscularly every 4 weeks. Due to dosing frequency, pain, and programmatic challenges, adherence is suboptimal. It has previously been demonstrated that BPG delivered subcutaneously at a standard dose is safe and tolerable and has favorable pharmacokinetics, setting the scene for improved regimens with less frequent administration.
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Exploring associations between life course geo-social exposures and rheumatic heart disease in Great BritainThis project aimed to identify the primordial determinants of RHD to inform prevention strategies.
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Development of a longer acting formulation of Penicillin G for the treatment and prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseaseThis project aims to develop a longer acting formulation of penicillin, such that frequency of the injection can be increased up to 3-6 months.
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BPG Formulation Preferences Study: Exploring patient, family and clinician reformulations preferences for BPGThe key objective of this study is to collect data about patient and clinician preferences about reformulations.
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Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative (ASAVI)The Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative (ASAVI) is an Australian-led global initiative with the goal of reducing the disease burden caused by Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) infection through effective vaccination.
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Interventions to eliminate rheumatic heart diseaseFunded by a 5-year NHMRC Investigator grant to implement a strategy to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as a public health problem in Australia.
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RHD Screening Program - GE HealthcareThis project aims to empower local clinicians with skills and knowledge of using handheld echocardiography (HAND) that will allow for mobile service provision into remote Indigenous communities.