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Coinciding with the Institute’s 35th year of research to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families, the 2025 Impact Report celebrates research which has been translated into policy or practice, and which has led to a paradigm shift in the way we respond to childhood health and wellbeing.
During exacerbations, when symptom and treatment burden are increased, individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are likely to prefer airway clearance techniques (ACTs) that require minimal effort. Therefore, in adults with CF who were hospitalised with an exacerbation, we sought to compare the effect of the MetaNeb with usual ACTs on respiratory function and expectorated sputum.
Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of mortality among children under five years of age, with over 99 % of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Poor water quality, inadequate sanitation, poverty, undernutrition, and limited healthcare access contribute to this lingering problem, together with emerging environmental stressors driven by climate change.
Human cutaneous leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania braziliensis, presents treatment challenges due to varying therapeutic responses. Current therapies often encounter limited efficacy and treatment failure, demanding a deeper understanding of immunopathogenesis and predictive markers.
Identifying individuals at high risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is crucial as disease-delaying medications are available. Here we report a microRNA (miRNA)-based dynamic (responsive to the environment) risk score developed using multicenter, multiethnic and multicountry ('multicontext') cohorts for T1D risk stratification. Discovery (wet and dry lab) analysis identified 50 miRNAs associated with functional β cell loss, which is a hallmark of T1D.
Nirsevimab is a long-acting monoclonal antibody used to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in infants and high-risk children. During the 2024 RSV season in Western Australia, 21 922 doses were administered to infants entering their first season and 1221 doses to at-risk children. In this context, the selection and spread of escape variants are a potential concern. This study aimed to investigate nirsevimab binding site mutations using clinical and wastewater data.
Early childhood wheeze is a major risk factor for asthma. However, not all children who wheeze will develop the disease. The airway epithelium has been shown to be involved in asthma pathogenesis. Despite this, the airway epithelium of children with acute wheeze remains poorly characterized.
An Australian-first study, funded by Perth Children's Hospital Foundation, demonstrating the effectiveness of a new immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for babies found it to be almost 90 per cent effective in reducing hospitalisation rates.
Imagine you had a healthy daughter one day and the next being told she has an incurable condition that requires day-to-day care and insulin treatment to stay alive.
Two new members have joined The Kids Research Institute Australia Executive team, each tasked with helping the Institute realise its vision to drive greater health impact where kids and families need it most, sooner.