Marianne Mullane
Program Advisor, SToP Trial
BSc (OT)
marianne.mullane@telethonkids.org.au
Marianne’s passion for social justice has seen her pursue a career in translational research focusing on community-driven outcomes. Marianne has over 10 years’ clinical research experience, both on the ground and in coordinating multiple national and international projects, spanning from disability and chronic conditions to acute infections.
At The Kids, Marianne has overseen the development and implementation of >$5million research grants in her roles as Program Manager and Program Advisor of the Skin Health Team. This portfolio focuses on projects that support the healthy skin of Aboriginal children, including in remote Western Australian communities. Marianne was also seconded in 2020 to work in partnership with the WA government to design and manage the DETECT Schools Study, which assessed the asymptomatic transmission and psychological impact of COVID-19 in 79 schools across WA.
Projects
DETECT Schools
The DETECT-Schools Study was launched in May 2020 as a partnership between the WA Government Departments of Education and Health with The Kids Research Institute Australia.
July 2021
Skin health situational analysis to inform skin disease control programs for the Kimberley
Skin Health Situational Analysis to inform skin disease control programs for the Kimberley - outcomes
The Skin Health Situational Analysis was conducted in 2017 with and for stakeholders in the Kimberley region as a precursor to the SToP Trial to highlight all that was already known prior to commencement in 2018. It was completed to be a resource for communities in the Kimberley who would like to de
Honey as a potential topical treatment for skin infections: a literature review
Development of methods to rapidly track pathogen and antibiotic resistance profiles from skin sores in Northern Australia (Hot North)
SITting with communities to SToP skin infections
National Healthy Skin Guideline; for the Prevention, Treatment and Public Health Control of Impetigo, Scabies, Crusted Scabies and Tinea for Indigenous Populations and Communities in Australia
Consultation to Translation: Evaluation of an environmental health video to promote the role of environmental health activities for healthy skin
See, Treat, Prevent Skin Sores and Scabies (SToP) Trial
Healthy skin is important for maintaining overall health and wellbeing. Some skin infections, if untreated, can lead to serious downstream health complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, or sepsis.
Aboriginal Urban Healthy Skin study
Published research
Tonsils at Telethon: developing a standardised collection of tonsil photographs for group A streptococcal (GAS) research
Group A streptococcus (GAS) infections, such as pharyngitis and impetigo, can lead to rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations experience high rates of RHD and GAS skin infection, yet rates of GAS pharyngitis are unclear.
HipHop2SToP a community-led health promotion initiative empowering Aboriginal youth in the Kimberley region of Western Australia: a process evaluation
For millennia, Aboriginal people's ways of knowing, doing and being were shared through art, song, and dance. Colonisation silenced these ways, affecting loss of self-determination for Aboriginal people. Over the past decade in Australia, hip-hop projects have become culturally appropriate approaches for health promotion.
A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studies
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis (sore throat) and impetigo (skin sores) GAS pharyngitis triggers rheumatic fever (RF) with epidemiological evidence supporting that GAS impetigo may also trigger RF in Australian Aboriginal children. Understanding the concurrent burden of these superficial GAS infections is critical to RF prevention. This pilot study aimed to trial tools for concurrent surveillance of sore throats and skins sore for contemporary studies of RF pathogenesis including development of a sore throat checklist for Aboriginal families and pharynx photography.
Missing Piece Study protocol: Prospective surveillance to determine the epidemiology of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western Australia
Group A β-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS), a Gram-positive bacterium, causes skin, mucosal and systemic infections. Repeated GAS infections can lead to autoimmune diseases acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia have the highest rates of ARF and RHD in the world.
Western Australian adolescent emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been vast and are not limited to physical health. Many adolescents have experienced disruptions to daily life, including changes in their school routine and family’s financial or emotional security, potentially impacting their emotional wellbeing.
DETECT Schools Study Protocol: A Prospective Observational Cohort Surveillance Study Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 in Western Australian Schools
Amidst the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the transmission dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is key to providing peace of mind for the community and informing policy-making decisions. While available data suggest that school-aged children are not significant spreaders of SARS-CoV-2, the possibility of transmission in schools remains an ongoing concern, especially among an aging teaching workforce. Even in low-prevalence settings, communities must balance the potential risk of transmission with the need for students' ongoing education.
Education and Qualifications
- BSc (OT) – Curtin University