Clinical Epidemiology Unit – Alfred

Clinical epidemiology is the application of epidemiological methods to the care of patients. It includes critical appraisal, evidence based medicine and the development of clinical guidelines.

Led by Professor Michael Abramson, the activities of this Unit included undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, short courses, advisory work, clinical services, and the Cochrane Collaboration.

Research included the epidemiology of asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease, including genetic and environmental risk factors, asthma mortality, patient education and adherence to asthma management plans. This research now continues on at the Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH) and the Hazelwood Health Study.

Team members included Dr Geza Benke, Dr Martine Dennekamp, Professor Dragan Ilic, Dr Jillian Blackman, Dr Sharon Harrison, Christina Dimitriadis, and Dr Mary Redmayne.

NHMRC Grants

• Population health RESearch on Electromagnetic Energy Grant (PRESEE)
• Occupational and Environmental Exposures Associated with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Australia

Completed projects

• SABRE – Surveillance of Australian workplace Based Respiratory Events
• EXPOSURE – Mobile Phones, Radiofrequency Exposure and the Development of Cognitive Function in Primary School Children
• Curriculum renewal for evidence-based practice: implementing a blended learning approach in medicine
• Asthma and allergies among tea-packers
• Case crossover study of air pollution and asthma
• Does encasing bedding reduce house dust mite allergen and improve asthma in allergic asthmatics?
• Causes of chronic lung disease in middle aged and older adults
• Is diet responsible for the high asthma prevalence amongst adult Australians?
• Non adherence with asthma management among adolescents.
• Breast milk n-3 fatty acids and risk of atopy in breast fed infants
• Pilot study of fungal avoidance
• Clinical trial of the Buteyko Technique for asthma
• Genetic risk factors for COPD
• Spiro-GP study – The role of SPIROmetry in the management of chronic respiratory diseases in general practice
• MoRPhEUS – Mobile Radiofrequency Phone Exposed Users Study (ACRBR project)

Collaborations

• TAHS – Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study
• Childhood allergies increase the risk of adult asthma
• CSIRO – Air pollution and Chronic Respiratory Disease
• MACS – Melbourne Atopic Cohort Study
• BOLD – Burden of Lung Disease Study
• MAPCAH – Melbourne Air Pollen Children's and Adolescent Health Study
• European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS II)
• ECRHS III – European Community Respiratory Health Survey
• Air Pollution and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in Melbourne
• Cardiac Effects of Exposure to Melbourne Air Pollution Caused by 2006/2007 Bushfires in Victoria
• Causes of Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases in Older People
• Does Living Near a Major Road Increase the Risk that a Child Will Develop Eczema?