Rong Zeng
Rong's doctoral research aims to better understand the association of vitamin D in early life and the subsequent childhood and adolescent asthma and allergic disease, and to identify potential effect modifiers in the pathway from vitamin D to allergic disease outcomes.
The role of vitamin D in the development of asthma and allergic diseases
Principle supervisor: A/Prof. Adrian Lowe
Co-supervisors: Dr. Caroline Lodge, Dr. Jennifer Koplin
Allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and food allergies, are a leading cause of chronic illness in children. The increasing prevalence of allergic diseases over the past decades has made these conditions a global public health issue. Allergic diseases in children impact on the patients, their families and the healthcare system and cause a loss of life quality and finance pressure. Some studies suggest that vitamin D may influence the immune system and lung development and therefore play an important role in the development of asthma and other allergic diseases.
Utilising the information from two population-based longitudinal studies, the Melbourne Atopy Cohort Study (MACS) and HealthNuts, my doctoral research aims to better understand the association of vitamin D in early life and the subsequent childhood and adolescent asthma and allergic disease, and to identify potential effect modifiers in the pathway from vitamin D to allergic disease outcomes.
PhD scholarship title and funding body: Research Training Program Scholarship (RTP)
The Australian Commonwealth Government & The University of Melbourne