AITHM James Cook University

AITHM’s research aspires to excellence in tropical health and medical research through better health for people in the Tropics worldwide. This requires research that moves from basic science through to translation, commercialisation and impact.

Scientific discoveries are brought to the patients through well-designed clinical trials. These trials are needed to prove the effectiveness of a new treatment. The safety of patients is a primary concern and all trials pass ethical review before proceeding.

AITHM researchers coordinate trials at both the Cairns and Townsville campuses of James Cook University, often in collaboration with other health service providers. The newly completed AITHM Translational Research Facility in Townsville enables multidisciplinary involvement from laboratory scientists, clinicians and patients. Doctors and AITHM scientists work closely together for the needs of patients. This ensures that results and outcomes are realised sooner thus speeding up the process of this knowledge being applied into health care delivery.

Some current AITHM clinical trials are detailed below.


Developing tests to rapidly diagnose stroke

This trial will test the ability of the identified biomarkers to correctly diagnose patients presenting to the Townsville Hospital with suspected strokes. We will also assess whether the blood tests are able to predict the way in which patients will recover from their stroke. Finally, we will conduct some modelling analyses to determine whether improvements in patient care made possible by our tests would reduce the economic and social burden experienced by stroke survivors and their families.
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Brief Behavioural Counselling Intervention for Peripheral Artery Disease (BIPP)

This study aims to help people with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) to improve their walking capacity, quality of life, reduce leg pain, requirement for surgery and cardiovascular events.
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Urinary Tract Infection

The aim of this trial is to assess whether Aspirin in low doses can reduce the frequency of recurrent UTIs in post-menopausal women.
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Worms and metabolism

This clinical research study compare groups of young overweight women who are at high risk for developing diabetes. The study aims to use hookworm as a possible therapy for those at risk of Type 2 Diabetes and improve overall metabolic health.
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Reliable Diagnosis of Seafood Allergy

Current allergy testing can help identify potential causes for allergic reactions, but often do not provide a reliable guide on the severity of the reaction. This study will help to identify, confirm or exclude potential triggers, narrow down specific allergens and identify the severity of the reaction prior to it occurring.
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