Associate Professor David Roxby, Associate Professor Tina Noutsos and Dr Romi Sinha
Congratulations to Chief Investigators: Associate Professor David Roxby (Flinders University), Associate Professor Tina Noutsos (Flinders and NT Health), and Dr Romi Sinha (SA Health and Flinders) who have been awarded a National Blood Sector Research and Development Program research grant
The research grant is for a multijurisdictional project looking red blood cell transfusion requirements and patient outcomes in Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous people across the Northern Territory and South Australia.
The study will examine three important groups: Northern Territory wide mothers and babies, NT wide patients admitted to intensive care, and patients undergoing heart surgery at Flinders Medical Centre (the tertiary referral centre for many NT Indigenous residents needing heart surgery). This project partners with NT Health and FMC clinician co-investigators in haematology, intensive care, obstetrics, and cardiac surgery, embedded within the health care services serving these patient groups.
Co-investigators:
- Professor Robert Baker, Director Perfusion Services Cardiac Surgery – FMC
- Dr Magdalena Sobieraj-Teague, Haematology, FMC
- Dr Lewis Campbell – ICU Royal Darwin Hospital
- Dr Paul Secombe – ICU Alice Springs Hospital
- Dr Jeremy Chin – Obstetrics, Royal Darwin Hospital
- Dr Unger Holger – Obstetrics, Royal Darwin Hospital
- Dr Megan Halliday – Obstetrics, Alice Springs Hospital
This research aims to address significant research gaps in patient blood management for First Nations people, for whom existing high-quality evidence on blood groups, transfusion use and outcomes is lacking. In addition, this project is the first to address transfusion evidence across the jurisdictions of the Northern Territory and South Australia, forming a collaboration between researchers and other stakeholders to build Australian research capacity relating to blood management. It will ensure two-way knowledge transfer and research translation through an Indigenous Reference Group, and employment of an Aboriginal research assistant.