Clinical Research Network

The ASID Clinical Research Network (CRN) facilitates high quality, multi-centre, investigator-initiated studies. Its members are highly experienced clinicians and researchers across Australia and New Zealand who are dedicated to improving patient care through the advancement of infectious diseases research.

  • The CRN aims to:
    Advance and promote quality clinical infectious diseases research.

    Foster a network of local and international experts.

    Design, conduct and publish clinically relevant, evidence-based infectious diseases research.

    Build an effective research network that rapidly responds to evolving infectious diseases threats.

    Build links and collaborations with similar groups in Australia, New Zealand and overseas.

    CRN educational activities include:

    An Annual meeting highlighting current research breaking new ground in infectious diseases.

    A CRN Symposia at the ASID Annual Scientific Meeting.

    Committee:
    Chair: Prof Jason Trubiano
    Members: Prof Steven Tong, A/Prof Asha Bowen, Dr Ameneh Khatami, Prof Joe Doyle, Dr J Hanson, Dr S Morpeth, Dr J Lau, Prof Gail Matthews.
    Co-opted SIG Members:
    Prof O Morrissey (ANZMIG)
    Dr Ameneh Khatami (ANZPID)
    Dr Sophie Wen (VACSIG)
    Dr Jason Kwong (HICSIG)
    Dr Ben Teh (ICHSIG)
    Dr Sushena Krishnaswamy (VHSIG)
    Dr Kathryn Wilks (ZOOSIG)

  • PROSPECTOR Study - PROlonged versus Single dose in PEnicillin oral Challenge Testing parallel randomized feasibility placebo cOntrolled tRial

    Penicillin allergies are a major burden on patients and health care worldwide. Currently, up to 1 in 4 hospitalised patients admitted to hospital will report an antibiotic allergy, many of which limit appropriate antibiotic use and lead to poorer health outcomes. In some instances, patients will be given a single or multiple test doses to determine if a patient is truly allergic. This study will further research to determine if a single dose or multiple dose challenge (5-days) is able to elicit true penicillin allergy and examine the unintended consequences associated with each type of challenge. 

    Project leads: Austin Health, CPI: Prof Jason Trubiano 
    Endorsed: December 2024

    REROUTE Randomised Trial - direct oRal challengE versus skin testing foR LOw-risk sUlfur anTibiotic allErgy.

    The REROUTE study is an international, multicentre, randomised controlled trial that addresses a significant global health issue – sulfa antibiotics allergy – with the overall goal of addressing an important knowledge gap, leading to relevant and implementable findings to human health.

    The trial will combine our internationally validated sulfa antibiotic allergy risk assessment tool (SULF-FAST) to test the hypothesis that in low-risk patients (determined using the SULF-FAST tool) in an outpatient clinic setting, the safety of direct oral challenge is non-inferior to skin testing followed by oral challenge.
    Project leads: Professor Jason Trubiano, Austin Health; Dr Ana Copaescu
    Endorsed: August 2024

    IMPACT Study - Implementation of a Multifaceted Penicillin Allergy Community Toolkit - Improving antibiotic prescribing and infection-outcomes in priority populations
    Penicillin allergy is a global public health care concern, affecting 1 in 4 Australians and is associated with second-line antibiotic usage, antimicrobial resistance, poor infection outcomes, increased healthcare costs and mortality. Whilst penicillin allergies have a profound impact on the healthcare system, the vast majority (95%) can be removed safely by appropriate point-of-care assessment and testing – referred to as “delabelling”.
    Project lead: Professor Jason Trubiano, Austin Health
    Endorsed: July 2024

    BANDICOOT: Building Adaptive Novel Disease and Intervention Clinical trials: Optimising Overall-survival after Transplant in Children.
    The greatest barrier to overcome for children receiving a HSCT is to provide conclusive research findings in a cohort that is marred by heterogeneity. The cohort is diverse in disease type and sub-type, conditioning therapies, donor and stem cell source, supportive care and post-transplant therapies. International trials in paediatric HSCT, as currently designed, are randomised-controlled trials that rarely address the complexity of patient characteristics. BANDICOOT will overcome this by introducing a Bayesian adaptive platform trial that is better suited to answering multiple research questions simultaneously in heterogeneous cohorts and will provide operational and statistical efficiencies.
    Lead Investigator (CIA): A/Prof Rachel Conyers
    Lead PID expert: A/Prof Amanda Gwee
    Administering Institute: Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
    Endorsed: May 2024

    BALANCE Plus: Platform trial for Gram Negative Bloodstream Infection
    BALANCE Plus is a foundational multi-domain adaptive platform trial of treatment strategies for gram-negative blood-stream infection. It has an open-label pragmatic design. Launch domains include cross-cutting and sub-group focused questions.
    Australian Project Lead:
    A/Prof Ben Rogers, Monash University
    Global Leads: Dr Nick Daneman and Dr Rob Fowler
    Endorsed: April 2024

    International Network of Antibiotic Allergy Nations (iNAAN)
    The iNAAN study seeks to improve access to penicillin allergy assessment and direct oral penicillin challenge procedures for hospitalised patients with a penicillin allergy to improve antimicrobial prescribing and reduce antimicrobial resistance and negative health service outcomes.
    Chief Principal Investigator:
    Prof Jason Trubiano
    Associate Investigators: A/Prof Natasha Holmes, Dr Kyra Chua Ms Fiona James, Ms Elise Mitri (Project Manager)
    App Developer: Dr Luke Fletcher
    BioGrid Australia - CEO: Ms Maureen Turner
    Endorsed: October 2023

    Current list of ANZPID studies. Access.

  • The primary focus of our clinician-initiated research is to answer problems of direct clinical relevance. The impact of clinician-focused research within the ASID CRN is aimed at improving direct patient outcomes, facilitating physician effectiveness and providing valuable cost-savings to the health care system.

    If you are an ASID member seeking endorsement from the ASID CRN , please fill out the Endorsement Request Form and email it to submissions@asid.net.au.

    See an example of the level of study detail required (around two pages long).

    Please allow up to four weeks for your request to be reviewed.

    NOTE: For paediatric only studies, or for joint adult and paediatric studies where separate paediatric review is desirable, please complete the ANZPID Research Project Submission Form and email to submissions@asid.net.au. ANZPID endorsed studies are by default also ASID CRN endorsed and will be listed as such.

Meet the ASID CRN Chair Prof Jason Trubiano

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