Welcome to the August Edition of #TALK.Research

Tēnā koutou

 

Its nearly time to celebrate the extensive and impressive research that staff from Middlemore Hospital have been involved in over the past 12 months. Research Week will be upon us in mid October 2024. This year there is a focus on the research that each department is involved in. The theme is Whakahonohono - making connections. Research is all about working as a team and this year we want to make this the central theme of the week.

 

The need to stay agile in the research space is reflected in ACTT’s new partnership with Care Access - a partnership designed to enable us to take clinical trials into the wider community.

 

Additionally, the need to support new technology has meant the development of an onsite compounding facility to aid us in the delivery of exciting new CRISPR gene editing trials in respiratory disease.

 

We look forward to your involvement in Research Week to help highlight the extraordinary research work taking place at Middlemore Hospital.

 

Ma te wa

 

Dr Edward Watson

CEO

What’s In This Issue:

• Research Week 2024

• Welcome Dr May Lim

• Aotearoa Clinical Trials Update

• Recent Publications by CMH Investigators

• Trials Starting at ACTT and Trial Statistics

 

Research Week 2024

Aotearoa Clinical Trials is excited to bring Research Week to Middlemore Hospital from 14th to 18th October 2024.

 

Middlemore Hospital has a strong research culture and a proud history of engagement and success in research across many therapeutic areas and research types.

 

Research Week will provide the opportunity for researchers, research managers, hospital managers, partners and sponsors to discuss research and make connections. Through such connections we hope to see research at Middlemore flourish enabling more options for our community and providing answers to the health challenges that affect us all.

 

Research Week 2024 will spotlight departmental research, with each of the 23 departments hosting a session. Spend an hour delving into the latest research that piques your interest, presented by your colleagues (and gain valuable CME points) This event offers a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge developments across various fields, fostering collaboration and inspiration within our community.

 

The full programme will be available end of August.

View the programme here.

Researchers will have a chance to showcase their work through posters and digital presentations, with the opportunity to win valuable research prize money.

 

Click here to submit your research by Saturday 31st August

 

A Minute with Dr May - ACTT’s Latest Research Physician

 

Tell me about your career background and background in clinical research?
I am a GP in South Auckland for the past 11 years. I began my journey in clinical research when I joined Aotearoa Clinical Trials as their Research Physician in early July 2024.

What motivates you to work in clinical research?
Although I enjoyed my GP work very much and loved building relationships with my patients, I was looking to diversify my medical career and advancing my medical knowledge. I proceeded to explore my options and learned of the role of a Clinical Research Physician. It resonated with me, my work values and my clinical background. I was very excited to be part of ground breaking medical advancement to improve patient outcomes and shape the future of healthcare. I like that there is still a large element of patient contact when assessing trial participants, mixed with non-patient facing work. I also like that the nature of this job gives me a better work life balance.

 

What are you looking forward to being as an investigator?
I am looking forward to having meaningful impact on patient health outcomes through research initiatives. To that end, I am excited to learn the ropes of running research and working alongside other team members here at ACTT.

 

If you are a young researcher or interested in pursuing a career in clinical research, Dr May suggests, ‘if you are inquisitive, meticulous, and are a team player, give research a go. It’s a unique platform that allows you to care for patients at ground-level and make a difference to the future of healthcare at the same time”.

 

ACTT News Highlights

ACTT partners with Care Access

 

ACTT is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with U.S – based Care  Access. a global health research company providing access to innovative therapies through decentralised clinical trials (DCTs) in partnership with over 100 research sites globally. DCTs enable parts of the clinical trial to be conducted remotely, allowing participants to take part from their homes or local clinics instead of traveling to centralised research centres. This approach uses technologies like mobile health apps, telemedicine, and home health devices to collect data and monitor participants, making participation more convenient and accessible, especially for those in remote or underserved areas. ACTT is planning to use Care Access’s experience and reach to help more remote communities access clinical trials.

 

Research Day Whangārei

In May, the ACTT team visited our Whangārei Hospital site to collaborate with current investigators on their ongoing research. The day was a resounding success, highlighting both the need for robust research initiatives in Whangārei and the enthusiastic support from local doctors. These dedicated professionals are eager to improve healthcare access for the Northland community through innovative research efforts. The visit underscored the potential for impactful partnerships and the importance of bringing advanced healthcare solutions to this region. Presentations by the ACTT team and investigators not only showcased current projects but also inspired further collaboration, reinforcing the shared goal of improving health outcomes in Northland.

 

Recent Publications

Alexander, T., Asadi, S., Meyer, M., Harding, J. E.,Jiang, Y., Alsweiler, J. M., Muelbert, M., Bloomfield, F. H., & Group, D.T. (2024). Nutritional Support for Moderate-to-Late-Preterm Infants - ARandomized Trial. N Engl J Med, 390(16), 1493-1504.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2313942

Anpalagan, K., Dotel, R., MacFadden, D. R., Smith, S., Voss, L., Petersiel, N., Marks, M., Marsh, J., Mahar, R. K., McGlothlin, A., Lee, T. C., Goodman, A., Morpeth, S., Davis, J. S., Tong, S. Y. C., Bowen, A. C., Group, S. A. C. D.-S. W., & Committee, S. T. G. T. S. (2024). Does adjunctive clindamycin have a role in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia? A protocol for the adjunctive treatment domain of the S. aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) randomized controlled trial. Clin Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae289

 

de Kretser, D., Mora, J., Bloomfield, M., Campbell, A., Cheng, M. P., Guy, S., Hensgens, M., Kalimuddin, S., Lee, T. C., Legg, A., Mahar, R. K., Marks, M., Marsh, J., McGlothlin, A., Morpeth, S. C., Sud, A., Ten Oever, J., Yahav, D., Tong, S. Y., . . . Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform Study Group, m. (2023). Early oral antibiotic switch in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: The Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) Trial Early Oral Switch Protocol. Clin Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciad666

Docherty, K. F., McMurray, J. J. V., Diaz, R., Felker, G. M., Metra, M., Solomon, S. D., Adams, K. F., Bohm, M., Brinkley, D. M., Echeverria, L. E., Goudev, A. R., Howlett, J. G., Lund, M., Ponikowski, P., Yilmaz, M. B., Zannad, F., Claggett, B. L., Miao, Z. M., Abbasi, S. A., . . . Teerlink, J. R. (2024). The Effect of Omecamtiv Mecarbil in Hospitalized Patients as Compared With Outpatients With HFrEF: An Analysis of GALACTIC-HF. J Card Fail, 30(1), 26-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2023.08.020

Pinter, J., Smyth, B., Stuard, S., Jardine, M., Wanner, C., Rossignol, P., Wheeler, D. C., Marshall, M. R., Canaud, B., & Genser, B. (2024). Effect of Dialysate and Plasma Sodium on Mortality in a Global Historical Hemodialysis Cohort. J Am Soc Nephrol, 35(2), 167-176. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.0000000000000262

Interested in Applying for Funding?

A range of grant funding opportunities are available for research projects. If you are interested in applying or not sure which grant is right for you, please email the Grants Team.

Trials starting at ACTT

List of upcoming trials that are planned to start recruitment in the next three months:

To learn more about the trials we are undertaking at Middlemore Hospital and Whangārei Hospital, please visit our website to see what trials and what disease areas we are currently working on.
 

Together through research we can improve the lives of many of the patients in Counties Manukau and Te Tai Tokerau.

Total Number of Patients in Commercial Trials by Department in FY24

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