Welcome to the AREST CF quarterly newsletter!

The Australian Respiratory Early Surveillance Team for Cystic Fibrosis, or AREST CF, is a team of doctors, nurses, scientists and researchers who are dedicated to the improvement of the general health of children with CF.  We have two centres, one in Perth (Perth Children's Hospital) and one in Melbourne (Royal Children's Hospital).

FEATURE ARTICLE: 

Pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis are flare ups where the respiratory symptoms become more severe. During these flares ups the airways in the lungs become inflamed and which may cause irreversible lung damage. Early identification of such flare ups may allow treatment to be started earlier, which may reduce the long-term effects of inflammation on the lungs. Research question: Is it possible to predict flare ups (pulmonary exacerbations) in children with cystic fibrosis, using inflammatory markers in the fluid obtained from Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)?

Authors: Alya Ishak, Stephen M Stick, Lidija Turkovic, Sarath C Ranganathan, Louise King, Joanne Harrison, Peter D Sly, Daan Caudri , André Schultz, AREST CF

FEATURED RESEARCHER

Professor Stephen Stick

Director, Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre

MB BChir PhD MRCP FRACP

​Professor Stephen Stick, who is the Northern Star Professor of Children’s Respiratory Health Research, is a career clinician and clinical researcher who holds a NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science. He graduated in Medicine from Cambridge University and completed his paediatric training in the UK before obtaining a PhD in respiratory physiology at the University of Western Australia.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR OUR MELBOURNE FAMILIES:

The Melbourne Research team invites you to a Zoom webinar.

When: Apr 22, 2021 07:30 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Topic: Melbourne AREST CF research parent information night

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_38_UZjt-RWGYlwP5TfDrDg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar

A MESSAGE TO OUR MELBOURNE FAMILIES:

In light of the past year with COVID-19 and our reduction in face-to face-contact at the Royal Children's Hospital, the Melbourne AREST CF Team have recently implemented an online system for participating families to complete electronic questionnaires and consent forms.  

You may have already received an email asking you to complete an e-consent form and/or a Cystic Fibrosis Respiratory Symptom Questionnaire. 

Please keep an eye out for emails from the Melbourne AREST CF Research Team and complete any surveys that have been sent to you at your earliest convenience. The response rate has been great so far, thank you! 

If you have any questions regarding this, please don't hesitate to contact our Melbourne Research Team  and we will be in touch with you as soon as we are able. 

Find out what our AREST CF researchers and collaborators have been working on