Preclinical Disease and Prevention

Research Overview

The Preclinical Disease and Prevention unit is devoted to helping people identify and address their risk of developing or managing two of Australia’s most prevalent chronic diseases — cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The research of the Preclinical Disease and Prevention unit is predominantly undertaken in community settings with a focus on higher risk individuals.

The Preclinical Disease and Prevention unit conducts rigorous, multi-disciplinary clinical trial research to demonstrate the benefits of nurse-facilitated models of care. Embedded within these disease management programs are the use of mobile devices (such as “apps” or avatars) and telehealth (phone or video conferencing) to promote health behaviour change and implement gold standard care to enhance management. Integral to this work is nurse management to deliver personalised care that targets risk and protective factors to help higher risk individuals.

We collaborate with eminent cardiologists, endocrinologists, leading GP academics, and Aboriginal health researchers. These partnerships, combined with the Unit’s expert team of research fellows, clinical researchers, nurses, and technical and administrative support staff enable the Unit to carry out innovative research for improving the management of cardiovascular disease.

Research Focus

  • Randomised controlled trials of disease management programs for primary and secondary prevention of cardiometabolic disease.
  • Establishing the evidence for nurse-led models of care.
  • Risk detection and surveillance using a combination of traditional and novel risk indicators.
  • eHealth to achieve optimal patient care and outcomes.
  • Mass data analyses of primary care management of cardiometabolic risk.
  • Sleep.

Staff

Associate Professor Melinda Carrington, Lab Head

Dr Stephanie Yiallourou, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Ms Carla Duarte, Research Assistant/Project Coordinator

Ms Asmita Dalal, Research Nurse

Ms Sally Kay, Research Nurse

Ms Glynis Cacavas, Research Nurse

Ms Lilly Zhu, Research Nurse

Ms Swetha Raghavan, Lab Tech Assistant

Ms Batsheva Greenbaum, PA/Admin Assistant

Mr Justin Braver, PhD Student

Mr Roberto Azcui, PhD Student

Mr Bryan Tai, Honours Student

Collaborators

Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge

Centre for Applied Health Economics, Griffith University

Curtin Medical School, Curtin University

Cardihab Pty Ltd

Medibank Private Limited

Funding

Title: Improving secondary prevention and survivorship after a coronary event through enhanced disease management in higher risk individuals

Funding Body: Heart Foundation Vanguard Grant

Grant Number: 104773

Funding Period: 2021-2022

Investigators: Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Dr Quan Huynh, Prof Tom Marwick.

Title: Reducing readmission among patients with myocardial infarction in the COVID-19 era by applying digital cardiac rehabilitation and telehealth monitoring

Funding Body: HCF Research Foundation

Funding Period: 2021-2023

Investigators: Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Prof Tom Marwick, Dr Quan Huyhn, Prof Garry Jennings, Prof David Thompson

Title: Acceptability and feasibility of risk guidance in acute myocardial infarction via a technology enabled disease management program

Funding Body: Baker Department of Cardio-metabolic Health

Funding Period: 2021-2022

Investigators: Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Assoc Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis, Prof Brian Oldenburg, Dr Dominika Kwasnicka, Dr Quan Huynh, Dr Erin Howden.

Title: Application of machine learning to the development of a metabolic risk score for cardiovascular disease and a patient/clinician interface to effectively deliver risk information

Funding Body: Heart Foundation Predictive Modelling Strategic Grant

Grant Number: 105511

Funding Period: 2021-2024

Investigators: Prof Peter Meikle, Prof Gemma Figtree, Prof Clara Chow, Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Prof Jean Yang, Prof Andrew Wilson, Prof Tom Marwick

Title: Early detection of coronary artery disease by polygenic and metabolic risk scoring (EDCAD-PMS): an opportunity to start secondary prevention without a coronary event

Funding Body: Ernest Heine Family Foundation

Funding Period: 2020-2023

Investigators: Prof Tom Marwick, Assoc Prof Michael Inouye, Prof Peter Meikle, Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Dr Prasanna Venkataraman, Ms Carla Duarte.

Title: Medibank Heart Health at Home (MHH@H) pilot program

Funding Body: Medibank Private Limited

Funding Period: 2020-2021

Investigators: Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Dr Stephanie Yiallourou.

Title: Medibank Primary Prevention of CVD Pilot Program

Funding Body: Medibank Private Limited

Funding Period: 2021-2022

Investigators: Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington

Title: Risk guided intervention to reduce readmission in CHD patients

Funding Body: Perpetual IMPACT Funding

Grant Number: IPAP 2020/0606

Funding Period: 2020-2021

Investigators: Dr Quan Huynh, Prof Tom Marwick, Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington.

Title: Multifactorial, multidisciplinary nurse led Aboriginal dementia prevention through cardio-metabolic risk reduction, behaviour change and other strategies: a pragmatic RCT

Funding Body: NHMRC Targeted Research Grant

Grant Number: 1151848

Funding Period: 2018-2022

Investigators: Prof Sandra Eades, Prof Emily Banks, Prof Kaarin Anstey, Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Assoc Prof Daniel McAulley, Prof Ofra Leibovich- Kalter, Dr Grace Joshy, Lesley Nelson.

Title: Reduction of Heart Failure Readmission in Resource-Constrained Environments: Supporting Nurse-led Disease Management by Risk-Guidance and eHealth

Funding Body: MRFF Keeping Australians Out of Hospital

Grant Number: 1176629

Funding Period: 2019-2021

Investigators: Prof Tom Marwick, Assoc Prof Melinda Carrington, Dr Quan Huynh, Dr Janette Randall, Prof Kazuaki Negishi, Prof Graeme Maguire, Prof Michael Pervan, Judith Dr Judith Hammond, Dr Paul MacIntyre, Dr Kevin Ng.

Research Opportunities

This research project is available to Honours students to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.

Research Publications

Carrington, M, Zimmet, P. Nurse co-ordinated health and lifestyle modification for reducing multiple cardio-metabolic risk factors in regional adults: Outcomes from the MODERN randomized controlled trial. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2021; (epub ahead of print).

Carrington, MJ., Cao, T., Haregu, T., Gao, L., Moodie, M., Yiallourou, SR &, Marwick, T.  CODE RED: Overturning Australia’s cholesterol complacency. June 2020, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.

Stewart, S, Ball, J., Horowitz, JD., Marwick, TH., Mahadevan, G., Wong, C., Abhayaratna, W.P., Chan, YK., Esterman, A., Thompson, D.R., Scuffham, P.A. &. Carrington, MJ. Standard versus Atrial fibrillation-specific management strategy (SAFETY) to reduce recurrent hospitalisation and prolong survival: a pragmatic, multicentre randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2015;385(9970):775-84.

Ball, J., Carrington, MJ., McMurray, JJV. & Stewart S. Atrial Fibrillation: profile and burden of an evolving epidemic in the 21st century. Int J Cardiol. 2013; 167(5):1807-1824.

Research Projects

For project inquiries, contact our research group head.


School Research Themes

Cardiometabolic



Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact Head of Laboratory Associate Professor Melinda Carrington

Department / Centre

Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health

Unit / Centre

Preclinical Disease and Prevention

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