College of Medicine & Dentistry
Semagn Abate
- Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
- semagn.abate@my.jcu.edu.au
Joseph Kamara
- Senior Lecturer Disaster Health and Humanitarian Assistance
- joseph.kamara@jcu.edu.au
Eric Kalo
- Lecturer Medical Education
- eric.kalo@jcu.edu.au
Erin Waters
- JCU Associate Professor
- erin.waters@jcu.edu.au
Dennis Asante
- Research Fellow
- dennis.asante@jcu.edu.au
Kannan Maharajan
- Associate Professor, Pharmacy
- kannan.maharajan@jcu.edu.au
Fahmida Begum Mina
- Doctor of Philosophy (Medical, Molecular and Veterinary Sciences)
- fahmidabegum.mina@my.jcu.edu.au
Kootsy Canuto
- Principal Research Fellow, Indigenous Men's Health Promotion
- kootsy.canuto@jcu.edu.au
Lynsey Brown
- Adjunct Senior Lecturer
- lynsey.brown@jcu.edu.au
Ali Isin
- Adjunct Senior Research Fellow
- ali.isin@jcu.edu.au
Establishing the North Queensland Liver Cancer Library (Old ID 27086)
This project will develop a North Queensland Liver Cancer Library. Liver tumours and non-tumour tissues will be resected from patients and fixed and frozen. The tissues will also be dissociated and cultured in three dimensions to make tumour organoids that will be used in future in vivo experiments in mice, drug trials and biochemical assays.
Metformin for treating peripheral artery disease-related walking impairment (MERIT) (Old ID 24975)
Blockage of the lower limb arteries (peripheral artery disease; PAD) leads to severe leg pain, walking impairment, and a substantial risk of leg amputation and death. Approximately 200 million people worldwide and approximately 1 million Australians have blocked leg arteries. This problem has recognised treatment deficiencies in comparison to other common diseases, including the absence of effective medications to increase blood supply to the legs, reduce leg pain, improve walking ability and reduce the risk of major amputation. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that metformin, a cheap and safe medication, promotes formation of new vessels, improves microcirculation and muscle function, and limits pain. In preliminary studies, metformin significantly increased blood supply to the limb of a pre-clinical model of blocked leg arteries. We have also associated metformin prescription with a 4-fold reduction in the rate of major lower limb amputation in patients with blocked arteries. This placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial will examine the efficacy of metformin in improving walking ability in patients with blocked leg arteries over 6 months. Positive findings from this trial will identify a new treatment for a problem that affects 10-20% of adults aged over 50 years.
A student-led service model to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults in East Arnhem (Old ID 26276)
Older persons from remote Aboriginal communities experience disabling consequences of chronic diseases at a disproportionally higher rate than mainstream Australians (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2017). Paradoxically, there is limited and fluctuating availability of allied health professional (Battye & McTaggart, 2003) services to support them. The primary aim of this study is to pilot a student-led service model to improve the health and wellbeing of older persons from East Arnhem who live with the disabling consequences of chronic diseases. The Triple Aim framework will be used to determine health benefits in terms of a) older persons, family and community satisfaction b) health outcomes and c) cost. The secondary aim is to collect preliminary data on the feasibility of the service model and trial protocol within the remote community context. This project will lead to development of a specific protocol for a proposed full-scale multi-site project across northern Australia.
A framework for healthy ageing in the Torres Strait (Old ID 26175)
The aim of this project is to develop a culturally appropriate framework of healthy ageing for Torres Strait Comjmunities to enable older persons to remain living well at hme and on Country for as long as possible. Participatory Action Research (PAR) within a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) framework will be the overarching lmethodology for this project. The scope of the framework will be guided by the World Health organisation Framework of Healthy Ageing encompassing both intrinsic capacity and environmental characteristics that influence health outcomes.
Exploring GP medical educator and trainee perceptions of benefits, challenges and enablers to on-line and face to face teaching and learning in vocational GP training (Old ID 27345)
With the COVID pandemic, the choice of face-to-face (FTF) teaching has been severely restricted, and previous reluctance to use alternative online (OL) modalities, is no longer an option. The teaching and learning processes used in our GP training programs have had to change to adapt. This necessity-driven change will of course alter the teaching and learning experiences of trainers and trainees resulting in both positive and negatives experiences for those involved. Utilising focus groups and in-depth interviews, our aim is to explore and understand the experiences of Medical Educators (MEs) and General Practice (GP) trainees, with OL and FTF teaching and learning in the changing GP vocational training environment to identify and understand the benefits, challenges and enablers to both the delivery of, and learning via FTF and OL teaching. Findings will support the development of effective and appropriate blended educational modalities by Regional Training Organisations (RTOs).
Traditional Knowledge about Climate and Food Security in Kwaio, Malaita, Solomon Islands (Old ID 27270)
This project will be implemented in conjunction with Baru Conservation Alliance in Malaita, Solomon Islands. Traditional Knowledge and experience of weather, the seasonal interaction of plants, animals and people will be explored and documented. The use of tradiitional 'disaster food' after natural disasters will also be documented. The local scale production of flour from locally grown fuits and vegetables will be piloted; usage and spoilage monitored, and dishes made from flour trialled for acceptability and feasibility with Kwaio tribal groups. The project links food security, health and ecological sustainability to inform local level disaster and climate resilience measures in Malaita, Solomon Islands.
Research capacity building for control of neglected tropical diseases: A path for sustainable societies on the tropics (Old ID 27483)
The international community has pledged through the Sustainable Development Goals to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030. NTDs are distributed in several regions in the world, including Oceania and The Americas, and are estimated to affect close to 2 billion people. Guatemala and Queensland, Australia share similar ecological and tropical environments that enhances their susceptibility to epidemics caused by NTDs, particularly considering the effect of climate change. The Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) and James Cook University (JCU) will conduct a project to build NTDs data analysis capacity and support the efforts of early and middle career researchers to conduct collaborative research in Australia and Guatemala. The project consists of a mixture of online workshops and online research meetings.
Peak Wall Stress as a prognostic indicator of abdominal Aortic Aneurysm rupture risk (Old ID 26250)
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) affects 20 million people worldwide and 100,000 people in Australia. Annually, AAA rupture leads to 200,000 deaths worldwide and 2000 deaths in Australia. In clinical practice, maximum AAA diameter is the preferred surrogate measure for disease progression and rupture risk, and is used to guide surgical intervention. Approximately 10% of AAAs will rupture before they reach the current threshold for repair, whereas 60% of large AAAs remain stable during their lifetime, suggesting that diameter alone is an imperfect tool to decide which AAAs require surgical intervention. The specific aims of the project are Aim 1: To investigate if PWS is greater in patients with ruptured compared to intact AAAs matched for diameter; Aim 2: To evaluate the impact of a common anti-hypertensive medication {Telmisartan) on PWS and rupture risk in patients with small AAAs.
Effect of Topical Sodium Thiosulphate on Healing of Chronic Foot Ulcers in Patients with Diabetic Foot Syndromne: A prospectie, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. (Old ID 20914)
10% of diabetic patients develop chronic foot ulcers, an expensive compliction threatening life and liimbs. Foot pressure relief, wound debridement, infection control and hyperbaric oxygen therapy remain alternative options in the treatment of Diabetic Foot Syndrome (DFS) but successes are suboptimal and are expensive. Sodium thiosulphate (STS), an effective antiocidant and chelating agent for free radicals could prove useful in this regards. They have been found to be beneficial in treatment of woulds caused by calciphylaxis. We aim to sudy the effects of STS on ulcer healing this pilot study.
Clinical and Economic Impact of Telemedicine in Management of Diabetes Foot Ulcer in Rural/Remote areas of North Queensland: A Pilot Study (Old ID 21930)
Currently subjects with Diabetic foot ulcers living in rural/remote areas in the region have to travel long distances to Townsville Hospital Diabetes Centre (THDC) on a weekly basis for would care. The annual Medicare cost for care in patients with diabetes who have foot ulcer is 3 times, with inpatient care accounting for 70% of ulcer care costs. We aim to undertake a program that effectively manages foot ulcers and reduces hospital admissions could substantially reduce costs of care in diabetes. We plan to use telemedicine to help solve the scarcity of specialist diabetes would care in underserved communities.
Functionality of physical activity referral schemes (PARS): a systematic review
- 2020
- Frontiers Research Foundation
- Researchers:Melissa Crowe
Pacific women, HIV, and me: a positioned critical poetic inquiry
- 2021
- Sage Publications
- Researchers:Michelle Redman-MacLaren
Early childhood anaemia more than doubles the risk of developmental vulnerability at school-age among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children of remote Far North Queensland: findings of a retrospective cohort study
- 2020
- Dietitians Association of Australia
- Researchers:Dympna LeonardRobyn McDermott
The consequences of paradigm change and poorly validated science: the example of the value of mangroves to fisheries
- 2020
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:Alison SheavesNathan WalthamMichael Bradley
Comparative transcriptomic analyses of Chromera and Symbiodiniaceae
- 2020
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:Ira CookeDavid Miller
Title:
Men are shaving off their eyelashes on TikTok, here's why that might be a bad idea, The Conversation
Start Date:
14 May 2025
Start Date:
15 May 2025
Start Date:
03 Jun 2025
Start Date:
01 Jan 2012
Title:
Grants Review
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Title:
Public Health Advocacy
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
16 Jun 2025