THE development of a vaccine for Chlamydial infection by a Queensland Univesity of Technology research team has been given a huge boost, with $90,000 in the Australian Research Council (ARC)'s Linkage grants going towards the project.
The grant was one of 10 ARC grants, reaching a total of $2.2million, given to QUT for research commencing in July this year.
This was the second-highest number of grants allocated in the state and the sixth-highest in the country.
QUT'S Professor Peter Timms, Ken Beagley, Associate Professor Louise Hafner, Celia Berry and Chris Barker, from the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI)'s Cells and Tissue domain are all working on the project.
They have already identified certain proteins that were able to protect against Chlamydia infection, which have been tested during animal trials.
Professor Timms said as rates of Chlamydia infection in some Australian communities was as high as 12 per cent of the female population, there was a "real need" to develop a vaccine.
"Chlamydia is the most common infectious disease in the world and results in infertility in women and long-term chronic pelvic pain," he said.
"There are antibiotics to treat Chlamydia, but there's no vaccine to prevent it. In many cases women don't know they are infected because there are not really any physical signs or symptoms, so by and large they don't get treatment."
He said once a vaccine had been developed it could be administered via a patch, similar to ones used by smokers for nicotine.
Other projects receiving the grants include:
- Public Health and Health Services, $296,399: The neglected dimension of community liveability: Impact on social connectedness and active ageing.
- Journalism, Communication and Media, $91,880: Promoting youth wellbeing through participatory digital media: A multidisciplinary assessment of the mental health outcomes of cyber-participation.
- Public Health and Health Services, $75,000: Development and evaluation of an Occupational Health and Safety framework for work-related driving.
- Economic Theory, $188,342: Using heart rate variability measurements to identify the effects of stress on decision-making.
- Architecture and Urban Environment, $402,630. Assimilation of architectural and services design in early design modelling.
- Education Studies, $199,893: Developing culturally-fair assessment practices to achieve greater equity and success for Indigenous students.
- Education Studies, $258,000: Sustainable Selves: A new Assessment model for marginalised secondary students.
- Psychology, $283,384: Promoting resilience in employees working in high-stress occupations.
- Public Health and Health Services, $316,028: An evaluation of the environmental health risk of heatwaves associated with global warming.
Media contact: Sharon Thompson - Media Officer - 3138 4494 or sharon.thompson@qut.edu.au
**Hi-res pic of Professor Timms available for media.
