Clinical Research Fellowship Grants Announced in WA

By Petrina Smith
Monday, 08 December, 2014

The Western Australian State Government has announced Clinical Research Fellowship grants of $1.08 million for 2015.
Royal Perth Hospital senior registrar Dr Edward Fysh has received a Clinician Research Fellowship grant to pursue work on the risks and benefits of performing drainage procedures on patients with pleural effusion, a condition in which fluid accumulates in the cavity surrounding the lungs.
Pleural effusions are common in intensive care, affecting 60 per cent of patients, i.e. 68,000 patients per annum. This project will prospectively evaluate the physiological and clinical effects as well as complication rates of pleural effusion drainage in patients in two Australian ICUs. It will find predictors to select the best patients for drainage.
Clinical Associate Professor Kwok-Ming Ho, an intensive care specialist from Royal Perth Hospital has received funding for his project which will assess the risks and benefits of inferior vena cava filters on patients with complicated injuries (the da Vinci Trial).
Paediatric Consultant Infectious Diseases, Princess Margaret Hospital Dr Thomas Snelling will work on improving the West Australian Immunisation Program and Mr Ulrich Steinwandel, Registered Nurse, Fremantle Hospital has received funding to determine whether ultrasound measurements of the inferior vena cava (IVC-US) by nursing staff improve assessment of intravascular volume status in the satellite haemodialysis clinic settings.

Health Minister Kim Hames said the fellowship program afforded an opportunity for targeted areas of health research to be progressed, with direct relevance to WA Health.

Now in its third year, the Clinician Research Fellowship 2015 is an alliance between WA Health and Raine Medical Research Foundation, providing up to $150,000 a year for a maximum three years, depending on the extent of the research proposal.

For more information, visit http://www.health.wa.gov.au/researchdevelopment/funding/funding_prog.cfm#crf