Dr Michael Binks

Senior research fellow, Child and Maternal Health Division

Qualifications:

PhD, Charles Darwin University, 2015; Bachelor of Health Sciences (Natural Medicine), Australian College of Natural Medicine, 2006; Bachelor of Science, Monash University, 1996.

Approved level of HDR supervision at Charles Darwin University:

Primary Supervisor

Location:

Darwin - Royal Darwin Hospital campus

Biography:

Dr Michael Binks is a senior research fellow and program leader within the Child Health Division at Menzies School of Health Research. With expertise in biomedical science, clinical trials and epidemiology, Michael leads a collaborative and multidisciplinary research program dedicated to achieving sustainable improvements in the respiratory health of Indigenous children.

The program focuses on practical and translatable interventions for the prevention of acute respiratory infections coupled with innovative science to address knowledge gaps in aetiology and pathogenesis. Current projects are evaluating perinatal vitamin D supplementation, antenatal vaccination and neonatal probiotic therapy as key preventative strategies against early childhood acute respiratory infections.

For this collective body of innovative work Michael was recently awarded the Charles Darwin University Prize for Exceptional Performance in Research. Michael currently supervises and has successfully supervised several PhD students to completion on projects including ‘Safety of vaccination in pregnancy’ and the ‘Microbiology of otitis media among Indigenous Australian children”.
 

Dr Michael Binks
Email
Research Themes
  • Child and Maternal Health
  • Respiratory Immunology

 

  1. Binks MJ, Bleakley AS, Pizzutto SJ, Lamberth M, Powell V, Nelson J, Kirby A, Morris PS, Simon D, Mulholland EK, Rathnayake G, Leach AJ, D'Antoine H, Licciardi PV, Snelling T, & Chang AB. (2023). Randomised controlled trial of perinatal vitamin D supplementation to prevent early-onset acute respiratory infections among Australian First Nations children: the 'D-Kids' study protocol. BMJ Open Respir Res, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2023-001646 
  2. Regan A, Moore HC, Binks MJ, McHugh L, Blyth CC, Pereira G, Lust K, Sarna M, Andrews RM, Foo D, Effler P, Lambert S, & Van Buynder P. (2023). Estimated effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination and impacts on pediatric vaccine effects: an Australian record linkage cohort study. Pediatrics. 
  3. McHugh L, Regan AK, Sarna M, Moore HC, Van Buynder P, Pereira G, Blyth CC, Lust K, Andrews RM, Crooks K, Massey P, & Binks MJ. (2023). Inequity of antenatal influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage in Australia: the Links2HealthierBubs record linkage cohort study, 2012-2017. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 23(1), 314. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05574-w 
  4. Marsh RL, Binks MJ, Smith-Vaughan HC, Janka M, Clark S, Richmond P, Chang AB, & Thornton RB. (2022). Prevalence and subtyping of biofilms present in bronchoalveolar lavage from children with protracted bacterial bronchitis or non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a cross-sectional study. Lancet Microbe, 3(3), e215-e223. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(21)00300-1 
  5. Leach AJ, Wilson N, Arrowsmith B, Beissbarth J, Mulholland EK, Santosham M, Torzillo PJ, McIntyre P, Smith-Vaughan H, Chatfield MD, Lehmann D, Binks MJ, Chang AB, Carapetis J, Krause V, Andrews R, Snelling T, Skull SA, Licciardi PV, Oguoma VM, & Morris PS. (2022). Immunogenicity, otitis media, hearing impairment, and nasopharyngeal carriage 6-months after 13-valent or ten-valent booster pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, stratified by mixed priming schedules: PREVIX_COMBO and PREVIX_BOOST randomised controlled trials. Lancet Infect Dis, 22(9), 1374-1387. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00272-9 
  6. Bleakley AS, Licciardi PV, & Binks MJ. (2021). Vitamin D Modulation of the Innate Immune Response to Paediatric Respiratory Pathogens Associated with Acute Lower Respiratory Infections. Nutrients, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010276 
  7. Binks MJ, Beissbarth J, Oguoma VM, Pizzutto SJ, Leach AJ, Smith-Vaughan HC, McHugh L, Andrews RM, Webby R, Morris PS, & Chang AB. (2020). Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in Australia's Northern Territory across three eras of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use (2006-15): a population-based cohort study. Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(6), 425-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2352-4642(20)30090-0 
  8. Goyal V, Grimwood K, Byrnes CA, Morris PS, Masters IB, Ware RS, McCallum GB, Binks MJ, Marchant JM, van Asperen P, O'Grady KF, Champion A, Buntain HM, Petsky H, Torzillo PJ, & Chang AB. (2018). Amoxicillin-clavulanate versus azithromycin for respiratory exacerbations in children with bronchiectasis (BEST-2): a multicentre, double-blind, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 392(10154), 1197-1206. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31723-9 
  9. Binks MJ, Smith-Vaughan HC, Marsh R, Chang AB, & Andrews RM. (2016). Cord blood vitamin D and the risk of acute lower respiratory infection in Indigenous infants in the Northern Territory. Med J Aust, 204(6), 238. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja15.00798 
  10. Binks MJ, Moberley SA, Balloch A, Leach AJ, Nelson S, Hare KM, Wilson C, Morris PS, Nelson J, Chatfield MD, Tang ML, Torzillo P, Carapetis JR, Mulholland EK, & Andrews RM. (2015). PneuMum: Impact from a randomised controlled trial of maternal 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination on middle ear disease amongst Indigenous infants, Northern Territory, Australia. Vaccine, 33(48), 6579-6587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.10.101 
Click here to view more Michael Binks publications in PubMed.

 

  1. Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in the NT

    Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in the NT

    Date

    Menzies senior research fellow Dr Michael Binks examined acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) hospital admissions among Indigenous infants in the Northern Territory from 2006 to 2015, across three periods of different pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) use.

  2. Youth leaders learn about health hurdles of NT

    Youth leaders learn about health hurdles of NT

    Date

    Th Sun Newspapers | The Ship for World Youth Leaders (SWY) program, have visited the Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies)

  3. International youth leaders sail into Menzies School of Health Research

    International youth leaders sail into Menzies School of Health Research

    Date

    The Ship for World Youth Leaders (SWY) program, have visited the Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) to learn about some of the key public health challenges in the region.

  4. $12 Million NT Investment aims to save lives

    $12 Million NT Investment aims to save lives

    Date

    Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt AM today announced the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding for researchers at Darwin’s Menzies School of Medical Research, covering Indigenous-specific and broader health projects.

  5. Focus on infections

    Focus on infections

    Date

    RESEARCH by a Charles Darwin University PhD candidate into a respiratory disease that hospitalises indigenous children throughout the NT is aimed at helping these kids breathe easier.