Study lead Professor Sue Crengle (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha), co-director of Otago’s Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit, says the team is “super-excited” to receive the funding.
“We are all really committed to this research and really want to design a lung cancer screening programme that works for those that most need it.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of death for Māori women in Aotearoa New Zealand and the second leading cause of death for Māori and non-Māori men. Screening enables the disease to be diagnosed at an early stage, reducing lung cancer deaths by 20 to 26%,” she says.
This funding will, among other things, enable researchers to investigate using a biomarker to improve lung cancer risk prediction, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in screening.
“We only offer lung cancer screening to people considered to be at high risk of developing lung cancer, but predicting this risk relies heavily on people’s recall of their personal tobacco use over their lifetime.
“The biomarker we are looking at is known to be an accurate marker for tobacco exposure – both personal tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure – and is associated with cardiovascular disease outcomes. We are looking to see if it improves the accuracy of risk prediction for use in lung cancer screening,” Professor Crengle says.
The AI project will seek views of community members and health professionals on using the technology to read scans, alongside a human radiologist. Māori and European CT scans will also be compared to see if there are any differences in lung tissue which may bias AI models.
Director of Health Equity at Health New Zealand Dr Karen Bartholomew says this programme grant is designed to directly inform planning for a national lung cancer screening programme.
“The work draws on high profile national and international expertise, and puts New Zealand at the forefront of screening innovation focused on equitable outcomes.”
Otago’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Richard Blaikie says it is fantastic to see such critical research being funded.
“Otago has world-leading researchers, carrying out work which benefits New Zealanders across their life course – this programme and all the other grants announced are testament to that.
“I am also pleased to see exceptionally talented emerging researchers receiving recognition for their work, alongside established research leaders – I look forward to following all of them with interest,” Blaikie says.
Projects grant recipients:
Returning to productive life and work: an investigation of the impacts of cancer
Dr Jerram Bateman, Department of Preventive & Social Medicine (Dunedin School of Medicine)
36 months, $1,193,292
This research aims to investigate how cancer impacts the productivity of survivors, and identify ways to better support survivors in their return to work and other productive activities.
Exploring the mental health impacts of climate change on kai sovereignty
Dr Ken Taiapa, Department of Preventive & Social Medicine (Dunedin School of Medicine) and Dr Christina McKerchar, Department of Population Health (UoO Christchurch)
36 months, $1,199,912
Global climate change will undermine public health initiatives and outcomes at population levels and the ability to grow and gather food is a critical dimension of this challenge. Weather instability, rising temperatures, ocean acidification, extreme droughts, and floods have and will continue to apply pressure on humanity’s ability to survive on planet Earth.
From health crisis to balance: Evaluation of a national Falls Prevention Pathway
Dr Rebbecca Lilley, Department of Preventive & Social Medicine (Dunedin School of Medicine)
36 months, $1,199,894
As our population ages rapidly, falls in community dwelling older persons, already highly prevalent, are expected to dramatically increase demand on New Zealand’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Protecting Mum: hormone-driven neural plasticity to regulate mood and behaviour
Dr Rosemary Brown, Department of Physiology (School of Biomedical Sciences)
36 months, $1,199,922
Healthy growth and development of newborn infants requires significant investment in caregiving by mothers. However, transition into motherhood is difficult for many women with maternal mood disorders affecting 14% of new mothers in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Te Hao Hou: Rangatahi Maori experiences and perceptions of smoking and vaping
Associate Professor Andrew Waa and Lani Teddy, Department of Public Health (UoO Wellington), and Dr Karyn Maclennan, Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit, 36 months, $1,199,950
There is rising concern about burgeoning vaping rates among rangatahi, in particular rangatahi Māori.
Translational ‘omics of the hidden genome for equitable precision medicine
Dr Megan Leask, Department of Physiology (School of Biomedical Sciences)
36 months, $1,199,988
Cardiometabolic diseases (eg. type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and gout) are increasing in prevalence worldwide at an alarming rate. A precision medicine approach to tackling metabolic disease, informed by an individual’s genetics, promises to save lives, improve quality of life and lower medical costs.
Programmes grant recipients:
Te Oranga Pūkahukahu: Future directions for lung cancer screening in Aotearoa
Professor Sue Crengle, Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit
54 months, $4,999,898
Lung cancer is the second leading cause of death for non-Māori and for Māori men. It is the leading cause of death for Māori women.
