Our Research

The research philosophy of the Department is to undertake clinical, translational and basic research centred around the clinical expertise and research interests of department members.  It provides a comprehensive clinical service for inflammatory bowel disease and also viral hepatitis.  We have a number of collaborations with researchers in Victoria, throughout Australia and internationally.  

The hepatitis research group includes Prof Alex Thompson,Associate Professor Paul Desmond , Dr. Jessica Howell, Dr. Joe Doyle, Dr. Marno Ryan and Dr. David Iser is examining the natural history and treatment outcomes for patients with chronic viral hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.  Specific projects include:

 

  • The Department participates in a large number of multi-national clinical trials for new agents in the management of chronic viral hepatitis, including hepatitis C and hepatitis B, hepatocellular carcinoma and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Please arrange an appointment at the liver clinic   if you are interested to find out more.
  • Evaluation of the role of genetics, particularly IL28B genotype, and the innate immune system, in determining disease pathogenesis, as well as the response to treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. 
  • The STOP study - A study of the determinants of sustained virological response after discontinuation of long-term nucleoside analogue therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients.
  • The TAP study – the TAP study, a collaborative project with the Burnet Institute (Prof. Margaret Hellard), is an open-label randomised controlled trial evaluating the treatment of HCV infection in people who inject drugs in a community based setting using a social networks approach. The study aims to show that successful treatment of HCV in PWID can prevention transmission of HCV infection.
  • The role of deep sequencing technologies in the diagnosis and clinical management of antiviral resistance for chronic viral hepatitis B and C.
  • The role of novel software solutions for the primary care management of chronic viral hepatitis B and C.
  • Studies of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Studies of the pathogenesis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease research is coordinated by Professor Michael Kamm  and Dr Sally Bell .  Specific projects include:

  • The Department participates in multi-national clinical trials for new agents in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Please arrange an appointment at the IBD clinic   if you are interested to find out more.
  • The POCER study, now published in the Lancet,  evaluated the causes and treatment of recurrent Crohn’s disease after bowel resection.  The POCER study was a multi-centre clinical trial of various therapeutic options in patients who have undergone bowel resections for active Crohn’s disease.  Follow-on studies are now looking at the changes in bowel microbiota that may be responsible for early recurrence of Crohn’s after surgery.  
  • The GECCO study is examining the incidence, prevalence and natural history of inflammatory bowel disease in a defined Australian population in the Barwon district.  
  • Evaluation of the differences in prevalence and natural history of inflammatory bowel disease in South East Asia and Australia.  
  • A study of the potential for faecal transplantation to alter the natural history of ulcerative colitis.  

The Interventional Endoscopy Research program is led by Dr Andrew Taylor  and Dr. Bronte Holt. Research in Barrett’s Oesophagus is looking at the diagnosis, staging and endoscopic treatment of people with severe dysplasia and early cancer of the oesophagus associated with Barrett’s.