Clinical and Public Health

Australasian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT)

The Australasian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT) is a randomised control trial investigating the best treatments for patients hospitalised with COVID-19, with the aim of preventing deterioration to the point of needing a ventilator.

Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies (APPRISE)

APPRISE is a Centre for Research Excellence to improve Australia’s response to infectious disease emergencies. We are coordinating a network of medical, scientific, public health, and ethics researchers across Australia towards enhanced responses to COVID-19, including facilitating funding opportunities across the network.  

APPRISE has supported a number of studies, including the First Few Hundred Studies, which contributes to Australia-wide surveillance studies in an attempt to characterise the spread of COVID-19 by collecting data from households with confirmed cases. 

COVID Digital Asset (COVIDDA)

As the global death toll from COVID-19 rises, so too has the number of Australian healthcare providers seeking mental health support. Researchers from the University of Melbourne’s Integrated Mental Health Research team are working in collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Curve Tomorrow and Phoenix Australia to develop the COVID-19 Digital Asset (COVIDDA) application.

Daily resident clinical screening tool for public sector residential aged care facilities

VICNISS Coordinating Centre developed and implemented a system used by the public sector residential aged care facilities to record both process and outcome monitoring of daily clinical screening of residents and COVID-19 and influenza testing.

DISCOVER-HCW

This study will compare healthcare workers with exposure to COVID-19 patients with non-clinical healthcare workers to confirm risk factors for infections, clinical presentations, and the effectiveness of prevention and control interventions at the individual and health facility level.

Epidemiological modelling

Epidemiological models have been critical to informing national and state policy. Our experts are providing epidemiological advice, disease modelling and/or information sharing on key international working groups and national committees.

Human Infection Challenge Clinical Trial Facility

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need to rapidly accelerate clinical trials so that vaccines and treatments can be developed more quickly to prepare for and respond to future pandemics. The Human Infection Challenge (HIC) Clinical Trial Facility will establish and operate a 15-bed facility located at the Royal Melbourne Hospital that will be an extension of the Doherty Institute

The Optimise Study

The Optimise Study is a highly innovative joint study between the Doherty Institute and the Burnet Institute that will provide the Victorian and Federal Governments with timely and high-quality data to assist in making informed, precise and impactful policy during the COVID-19 response. 

The Sentinel Travellers and Research Preparedness Platform for Emerging Infectious Disease (SETREP-ID)

SETREP-ID is a clinical research platform that has been activated within hospitals across Victoria to collect key biological samples from patients with COVID-19 to understand virus shedding and the immune system response.  

Transmission dynamics, surface decontamination and disinfection

Transmission dynamics is important for understanding how COVID-19 spreads through populations and environments. There is limited knowledge of how long and under what conditions the virus is able to survive on surfaces, both wet and dry, cold and hot. 

Victorian COVID-19 Vaccinees Collection

The Victorian COVID-19 Vaccinees Collection (VC²) is a biospecimen collection – or biobank – of samples from people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Victoria.

Aerosol transmission and mitigation strategies in clinical settings

This project looks at aerosol transmission and mitigation strategies in a clinical setting.

COVID-AIMS

This is a longitudinal study collecting blood samples from COVID-19 patients to understand immune responses, household transmission and psycho-social impacts from public health interventions.

Experiences of Australian aged care workers in relation to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures during COVID-19 pandemic

In order to protect residents, staff, and the wider community, it is critical to evaluate and understand the adequacy and challenges of IPC measures in aged care outbreaks. This research project will use qualitative methodology to capture and illuminate the experiences of aged care workers using IPC measures.