Names of investigators
Nick de Klerk, Kim Carter, Michelle de Klerk.
Infectious diseases are the leading cause of childhood death and health service use worldwide. Why some children develop more severe infection is largely unknown. The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to common childhood infections severe enough to require hospitalisation is largely unexplored. This is the overall aim of this project. In the first part, we are examining these questions using WA population-level hospital admission data for brothers and sisters, but will exclude twins and multiples. In the second distinct and separate part of our study, we will be examining these questions in twin families.
Funders of the project
NHMRC
External collaborators
Jessica Miller & David Burgner (MCRI, Melbourne).