Menzies’ NHMRC early career fellow, Professor Anne Chang was recently awarded a competitive grant as part of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) yearly multi-million dollar funding round. Her $3.2 million project grant is titled: Preventing early-onset pneumonia in Indigenous infants through maternal immunisation: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial.

Anne shared her thoughts on the new funding.

What major health issue does your research hope to address and how?

Acute lower respiratory infections including pneumonia, remains the greatest cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. These infections in early childhood is associated with future chronic lung disease. In Australia, the burden of these acute and consequent lung problems is most marked in Indigenous children. 

We are addressing this issue through immunizing the pregnant mother with a vaccine that we have previously shown to be effective in raising the ability of the blood cells to combat two common respiratory bacteria. Immunising the mother provide protection to the mother, the  fetus and the newborn infant for several months. This is a novel strategy.   

What is the most exciting aspect of your funding win?

The possibility of making a major difference for children worldwide and in Australia for Indigenous children is the most exciting aspect. Also, it is exciting to be working with a great chief investigator team consisting of senior experts Professors Swamy (from Duke University), Marshall, Torzillo and Grimwood, Indigenous academic A/Prof Maree Toombs and early/mid career researchers Drs O’Grady, Michael Binks, Susan Pizzutto, Gabrielle McCallum and A/Prof Heidi Smith-Vaughan.

What are the proposed details of your research methodology (sample numbers, sites etc)?

We will:

  • Determine if vaccinating pregnant Indigenous women with the vaccine (compared to controls) reduce ALRI in their infants in the first year of life;
  • Evaluate the effect of the vaccination on infants’ systemic immunological responses (cytokine responses of blood cells to in-vitro pneumococcal and H. influenzae stimulation);
  • Determine the effect of the vaccination on infants’ nasopharyngeal (NP) bacterial carriage; 
  • Evaluate reasons why Indigenous pregnant women accept/refuse vaccinations (qualitative study). 
What are the broader health implications of your grant?

If the strategy works in reducing early respiratory infections in infants, the implications are large in Aus and worldwide as it will change clinical practice.

What are the timeframes for your project and any other major milestone dates?

We hope to recruit over three to four years and follow-up the infants for a year.