What We Do

Medical Research Week

Friday, 03 June 2011 12:55

This week we acknowledge the extraordinary work of the researchers helping work wonders for sick kids.

A microscopeFor many of us, ‘medical research’ conjures up images of microscopes and laboratories – but did you know that these are just part of the wide-ranging and ground-breaking medical research funded by the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation each year?

The Foundation supports research across a range of areas including respiratory illnesses, burns and trauma, infectious diseases, telepaediatrics and online health, cerebral palsy, cancer and children’s nutrition.

While the ‘Bug Detectives’ at the Queensland Paediatric Infectious Diseases laboratory hunt for new bugs that could cause serious respiratory illnesses, and improve our understanding of how to fight existing bugs, other researchers have studied the impact that these illnesses can have on kids’ mental health. Children with recurring or long-term respiratory illnesses can feel lonely and ‘different’ – so researchers developed a web-based program to help these kids feel connected, supported and better able to manage their condition.

As well as working in the lab to understand the effect that first aid treatment has on severe burns, and the best ways to improve healing, our burns and trauma researchers are looking at the social challenges faced by kids with burn scars, and how we can help them to feel confident and included throughout their lives. They’re also working hard to promote prevention messages throughout the community, so that fewer kids end up with painful and life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Centre for Online Health have developed an innovative method of delivering healthcare to children in remote parts of Queensland, making use of computers and the internet to connect specialists in Brisbane with sick kids around the state and saving families the stress and cost of travelling to the Royal Children’s Hospital. New research is beginning, to determine whether ‘telemedicine’ can improve outcomes for kids who are critically ill or injured in regional and remote areas.

June 4-11 2011 is Medical Research Week, an initiative of the Australian Society for Medical Research. This week we’d like to acknowledge the extraordinary work of every researcher devoting their time to finding faster diagnoses, better treatments and ultimately cures for childhood illnesses.

promo

Meet Jack

To see Jack playing with his younger brother Luke, you’d never imagine he has a chronic, life-threatening disease.

Read more