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   An Auxilliary of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
 


































      
      Dr Danielle Wurzel

     
     Dr Naveen Pillarisetti

Research Department Update February 2008


 Cystic Fibrosis research at the Royal Children’s Hospital will receive a fantastic boost from the Research Trust in 2008/2009 with the funding of 2 significant research projects over this 2 year period.

Dr Naveen Pillarisetti has recently arrived at the Children’s Hospital from the United Kingdom to continue the work of Dr Barry Linnane who recently returned to his home land of Ireland to take up a consultant post.

Dr Pillarisentti will continue our work examining early markers of airway inflammation and lung damage in infants with cystic fibrosis. This detailed study performed in conjunction with our colleagues in Western Australia is examining markers of early inflammation and lung damage in new-born babies and young infants with cystic fibrosis through very specialised techniques including infant lung function studies, CT Scanning and bronchoscopy with sampling of airway secretions. We welcome Dr Pillarisentti and hope that he enjoys his time with us.

Dr Danielle Wurzel will join the research team in February 2008 and will spend 12 months examining the use of MRI scanning of the infant lung in assessing lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis. The current method of examining lung damage through medical imaging is CT scanning however this radiation based technique is limited in the number of times it can be safely performed during infancy and is particularly unsuitable for use in short term assessments of the affects of therapy such as new inhaled therapies or physiotherapy techniques. MRI scanning, which is a non-radiation based technique, offers the promise of an imaging technique which can be used on a frequent basis to assess lung damage and inflammation. The Dr Wurzel will attend a training course in MRI scanning in Europe in January and will continue her work on that programme with her commencement at the Children’s Hospital in mid February.