Robinson Research Institute

84 Pages·2015·12.07 MB·English

Robinson Research Institute
Annual Report 2014
Our vision is to achieve life-time health
for all children and families, through
research excellence
Our mission is to deliver world-class
advances in knowledge of human
reproduction, pregnancy and child
health, and to inform clinical care,
policy and practice that will improve
health across generations and global
communities.
Contents
Who we are 1 Community and Sector Engagement 24
RRI at a glance 2 Science Stories 27
Message from the Deputy Media Impact 28
Vice-Chancellor Research 3
Research Groups 29
Message from the Chair 3
Advisory Board 4 Fertility and Conception 31
Pregnancy and Birth 40
Message from the Director 5
Early Origins of Health 45
Executive Committee 6
Child and Adolescent Health 50
Research Highlights 9
Fostering Research Excellence 58
2014 Discovery Highlights 10
Core Facilities 58
Funding Highlights 12
Investing in People and Building Capacity 59
Fellowships and Awards 13
Financials 14 Robinson Research Foundation 63
Key Collaborations 16 Robinson Research Institute Member List 64
International Visitor Spotlight 18 Publications 66
Support us 79
Clinical translation 19
Commercial Development 22
Who we are
The Robinson Research Institute is a collective of internationally renowned
researchers in human reproduction, pregnancy and child health at the University
of Adelaide.
We focus on the early stages of life to improve the health and well-being of children and families over the life course and across
generations, in Australia and around the world.
We seek to enable a healthy start through fertility choices and mindful conception, nurturing the baby during pregnancy and birth,
strengthening the brain and body in early life, and advancing child and adolescent health to treat and prevent disease.
The Robinson Research Institute Structure
University of Adelaide
Vice-Chancellor & President
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
(Research)
Advisory Board
Director
Deputy Director
Executive Committee
Professional
Research Themes Core Facilities
Research Support
> F ertility & > A delaide Research > M anagement /
Conception Assay Facility (ARAF) Finance
> P regnancy & Birth > B ioinformatics > R eputation &
> E arly Origins > B iostatistics Communication Robinson
of Health > C ohort & > R esearch Funding Foundation
> C hild & Adolescent Intergenerational & Support Committee
Health Studies (CIS) > E xecutive
> G ene Silencing & Assistance &
Expression (GSEx) Administration
> S A Genome
Editing (SAGE)
Annual Report 2014 1
RRI at a glance
$16.5m+ 4 370+
funding in 2014 Research Themes publications
$34,000+
10 Embedded in
raised for the Robinson Research Priorities 5 SA hospitals
Research Foundation
Affiliations
48 100+
the School of Paediatrics
Research Leaders PhD students
and Reproductive Health
Collaborations
400+ 20+
multiple national and
Members Honours students
international
2 Robinson Research Institute
Message from the Deputy
Vice-Chancellor Research
The University of Adelaide is committed to expanding and further investing into
strategic research.
Our goal is to deliver world-class research and and bridging the gap between research discoveries
to translate our research findings to bring about and clinical practice.
improvements in people’s lives. Our five research As you read through the stories within this report you
institutes are set-up to address national, state and will appreciate the great breadth and depth of the
global priorities, focussing on the key challenges of research being undertaken at The Institute.
critical value to society. One of those challenges is
I would personally like to commend the members of
securing a healthier future for our children. This is
the Institute for their commitment and drive to solving
closely aligned with one of the highest-level objectives
major health burdens that impact upon society across
of the South Australian State Government in
the globe. I am confident they will continue to bring to
recognising that ‘good health is everything’ and that
light new discoveries, and make major contributions
we are ‘giving our children every chance to achieve
toward the transformation of clinical care and policy
their potential in life’.
for the health of all children and families.
The Robinson Research Institute aims to uncover the
factors that influence health across our lifetime and
Professor Mike Brooks
across generations. With over 400 talented scientists
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and
and clinicians, the Institute is advancing knowledge
Vice-President Research
Message from the Chair
2014 was a year of consolidation, enhanced collaboration and preparation for the future.
As members embrace the model of collaboration, I government and the community on the importance
am witnessing a renewed vitality and an emerging of investing in and raising funds for health, medical
appetite to challenge the boundaries of research, tackle research and infrastructure.
new areas and to develop diverse partnerships to I wish to acknowledge and thank each of the
enable this. following:
The Institute continues to lead the way and build > RRI Board Members for their commitment,
on past strengths. It remains proactive in reviewing considered contributions and general ‘value-add’
and adapting to the dynamic environment in which to the Institute
it operates. This year has seen investments in
> RRI Members who have again made many great
research funding programs re-focused and refined
strides in their research work
to deliver increased value to the research efforts and
competitive standing of members. > RRI Director – Professor Sarah Robertson, she
has shown great leadership, tenacity and insight
Financial support for medical research continues
in progressing and implementing fundamental
to be a significant challenge. In 2014, the Federal
initiatives that are serving the interests of the
Government announced it would establish a Medical
Institute well, both now and into the future
Research Future Fund valued at $20 billion by
2020. The deregulation of University fee structures The Institute has much to celebrate and much to look
is another key policy on the drawing board. At the forward to in 2015. It will be exciting. It will be challenging.
time of writing this message the government reforms
remain unresolved. We must keep the conversation Professor Jock Findlay
alive and build broad understanding across Chair
Annual Report 2014 3
Advisory Board
Prof Jock Findlay AO (Chair) Prof Mike Brooks Prof Alastair Burt
A/Prof Naomi Dwyer Prof Julie Owens Prof Sarah Robertson
Prof Paul Rolan Prof Andrew Zannettino
4 Robinson Research Institute
Message from the Director
My first year as Director of the
Robinson Research Institute has
been a remarkable one. The breadth
and talent of science and research we
deliver, and the dedication and talent
of our wonderful people – the Research
Leaders and their staff and students -
is extraordinary.
Its been inspiring to get to better know many In 2014 we were committed to refining our In 2015 we will work towards establishing
of our 400 people, and to devise concrete Institute goals and to develop mechanisms our new home in the Adelaide Nursing
ways the Institute can support and enable and programs to support delivery and Medical Schools building in the West
their important work. of the best possible outcomes. We now have End precinct. We look forward to reaping
To discover, to understand, and to direct a defined series of initiatives that assist the benefits of new facilities, improved
the benefit of new knowledge to improving researchers to develop large scale funding infrastructure and equipment, and greater
the health and quality of life for children and applications, to increase project competitiveness opportunity to interact with other medical
families is our shared ambition. We have some for national funding support, to provide researchers in Adelaide’s consolidated
of the most innovative and skilled researchers seed funding and mentoring schemes to medical research precinct. The synergies
in the country. Our capacity to bring our encourage our early career researchers, as and efficiencies to be realised will assist us
collective abilities to bear on major questions well as a wide range of opportunities to help in dealing with a difficult economic climate,
spanning reproduction, pregnancy and researchers communicate their research and a contracting medical research funding
childhood is unparalleled. The Institute affords outcomes, publish in the best journals, and base. With new partnerships there will be
us the vehicle to work collaboratively to tackle better engage with media. even better opportunities to strengthen our
the important and difficult research questions These programs build on the Institute’s team-based approach to issues that have
that are beyond our scope as individual research investment in core facilities to underpin the global significance.
groups, but tractable if we pull together. research effort across all of the four Research The Institute is proud to foster and develop
Tackling the earliest phase of life is the Themes. We are now delivering advanced Adelaide’s historic leadership in reproductive
key to solving many of the major health capability in gene manipulation through the science and medicine. I am grateful to the
conditions affecting Australians and people GSEx Facility, in large-scale data analysis in University leadership for their investment in
across the globe. Focussing our efforts the Bioinformatics Facility, in measuring a our research and confidence in our research
on conception, pregnancy, and the infant wide range of analytes through the Research excellence. We are supported by the
and child will deliver great dividends in Assay Service and in delivering coordinated fantastic work of the Institute office staff, not
community and population health. We are epidemiological and mechanistic analyses least the efforts of Institute Manager Ms Kate
committed to ensuring that all intending through the Cohort and Intergenerational Irving. I also thank the Advisory Board, and
parents plan good pregnancy health from Studies Facility. New in 2014 were the particularly Chair Professor Jock Findlay, for
before conception; to reduce the toll of SA Genome Editing Service, to fast-track encouragement and guidance.
preterm birth on conditions like preeclampsia development of genetic mouse models, and I hope you enjoy this report, which
and gestational diabetes that have life-long services to deliver Biostatistics support. highlights the diversity and impact of our
consequences; to alleviate the pregnancy In 2014 we secured several new NHMRC research programs over the last 12 months.
disorders and early life events that contribute and ARC project grants and fellowships, and Our contributions continue to push the
to non-communicable conditions including were especially pleased with the award of boundaries of human knowledge, and show
obesity, diabetes, allergy and neurological two NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence the many ways we translate our discoveries
impairment; and to develop new interventions in the Protection of Pancreatic Beta Cells to make a real difference in people’s lives.
that protect children from infection, disability and in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
Professor Sarah Robertson
and neuro-developmental disorders.
Annual Report 2014 5
Executive Committee
Prof Sarah Robertson (Chair) A/Prof Simon Barry Prof Jenny Couper
Prof Jodie Dodd Kate Irving A/Prof Helen Marshall
Prof Julie Owens Prof Claire Roberts Prof Ray Rodgers
A/Prof Darryl Russell A/Prof Michael Stark
6 Robinson Research Institute
Associate Professor Helen Marshall
Preterm infants are at risk of severe
whooping cough
While most countries have a vaccine In Australia a program has recently been introduced
program against whooping cough (pertussis), to protect infants by immunising pregnant mothers in
epidemics still occur every 3 – 4 years. the third trimester of their pregnancy. Helen’s research
findings strengthen the evidence for the value of this
Currently there is no effective treatment for whooping
new approach.
cough. Those who present to hospital with symptoms
receive supportive treatment – which may include “By immunising pregnant mothers against whooping
antibiotics, oxygen and intravenous fluid – and wait cough, the mother transfers protective antibodies to
for the infection to pass. However, those with severe the fetus which protect the infant during the few few
infection may need to be managed in the intensive months of life, when they are most at risk, prior to
care unit, and may be sick for up to 3-6 months. For developing their own active protection through infant
some, the infection can lead to death. Ten Australian immunisation,” said Helen.
babies died in the last whooping cough epidemic. For those mothers who do not receive the vaccine in
Research led by Associate Professor Helen Marshall, pregnancy or who deliver preterm infants, their babies
who leads the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases are at highest risk of severe infection.
Group, studied 120 children with whooping cough This also raises questions about alternative strategies
who were admitted to hospitals across Australia. They such as whether the immunisation could be given earlier
set out to find whether they could predict earlier the - at birth. Helen’s group recently investigated this as
children who are more likely to become severely unwell part of a large national study, the largest study of its
from whooping cough. kind in the world. Further research is required to better
“We found the most severe cases of whooping cough understand the immunisation strategies that will provide
were in infants less than two months of age and those the best overall protection for our most vulnerable babies.
born prematurely, who had almost five times the risk The last whooping cough epidemic occurred in
of severe disease compared to older infants and those Australia in 2010, where more than 34,000 cases were
born at term.” notified nationally.
“The dilemma is that those at highest risk of severe “Australia has not experienced a whooping cough
disease are too young to be protected by immunisation, epidemic of that size since, but we are well overdue
as childhood vaccines in current national programs for another one.”
start at six to eight weeks of age,” said Helen. “I am also interested in looking at strategies for improving
uptake in pregnant women so our most vulnerable are
protected when the next epidemic hits,” said Helen.
Annual Report 2014 7
Associate Professor Rebecca Robker
Passing on obesity – can we
reverse the damage?
There is a growing body of evidence “Understanding the type of stress involved,
suggesting that one’s susceptibility we were able to utilise compounds known
A/Prof Rebecca Robker and Dr Linda Wu
to becoming overweight or obese is to alleviate endoplasmic reticulum stress in
established very early in life. Associate cells.”
Professor Rebecca Robker leads the “These compounds were highly successful
Ovarian Cell Biology group and has in preventing the stress response – they
60% of Australian studied the ovary for many years. Her restored egg quality, embryo development
understanding of the ovary’s importance for and mitochondrial DNA levels to those
women are overweight women’s health led her to look at the effect equivalent of a healthy mother,” said Linda.
of maternal obesity on egg development.
or obese. This is a Rebecca and Linda’s research has been
“When examining the oocytes of obese undertaken largely in mice, however, they
major concern as type mice we noticed there was a reduced level believe similar mechanisms are at play in
of mitochondrial activity. This was an humans. Through restoring egg quality,
2 diabetes is projected important discovery as all of the mitochondria offspring from obese women will be less
in the subsequent offspring must be generated susceptible to obesity later in life.
to be the leading cause from those in the egg,” said Rebecca.
“Although this research offers relief for
Mitochondria are energy-producing obese women struggling to conceive and
of disease burden in ‘organelles’ within living cells. They are who are concerned for their children’s long-
essential for the normal functioning of our term health, we believe it highlights that a
Australia by 2023. body tissues, and Rebecca has shown that woman’s nutritional state prior to getting
obesity leads to an endoplasmic reticulum pregnant matters greatly.”
stress response in ovarian cells that causes
“Women are urged to eat healthy diets
damage to the mitochondria.
to optimise their chances for a healthy
“The reduced levels would affect an conception and to prevent multi-generational
offspring’s metabolism, potentially pre- disease risk passing onto their children.”
disposing them to obesity later in life. In
While this research sends an important
support of this, we found that the offspring
message to would-be mothers, it is important
conceived from the eggs of obese mothers
to note that nutritional cues are also passed
were heavier,” explained Rebecca.
on through sperm from the father.
Once Rebecca and Postdoctoral Researcher
“The next piece of the puzzle is
Dr Linda Wu uncovered the type of stress
understanding how the male and female
involved, they were the first to test whether
cues interact in programing the offspring -
candidate drugs could protect the eggs and
not just for obesity, but a range of metabolic
improve embryo development.
conditions,” said Rebecca.
8 Robinson Research Institute