Neuroepidemiology
Dr Sandra Neate
+61383442173
Research Overview
The Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) at the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics was formed in 2015, building on the international profile in multiple sclerosis (MS) prevention of its head, Professor George Jelinek. The NEU has developed novel methods of accessing unique preventive medicine data from large communities of people with MS utilising Web 2.0 platforms. It leads research into the potential for lifestyle-based preventive medicine approaches to reducing the disease burden of MS nationally and internationally.
The NEU conducts a number of studies related to primary and secondary prevention of MS. These include: the longitudinal HOLISM Study (Health Outcomes and Lifestyle In a Sample of people with MS) of around 2,500 people with MS from 57 countries, followed up at 2.5 yearly intervals from baseline in 2012, and the STOP-MS Study (Studying Outcomes Of People attending MS programs) following several hundred people with MS who have attended residential community education programs on MS prevention at 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 years from attendance, including examination of the lifestyle behaviours of a subset of that group. The NEU is also planning to design and conduct randomised controlled trials examining novel methods of delivery of lifestyle-based secondary and tertiary preventive measures, including web-based educational applications; qualitative studies of preventive medicine aspects of the health of people with MS and their partners; and other studies developed in discussion with the Unit’s Scientific Advisory Group.
The NEU is a multidisciplinary team with medical doctors, psychologists, biostatisticians, and public health researchers. You can find out more about our team here.
Student projects
Please contact A/Prof Sandra Neate, Dr Nupur Nag and Dr Steve Simpson-Yap to discuss available projects.
Many projects on offer, including
1.Prospective relationships of lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes
2.Longitudinal trajectories of health and clinical outcomes
3.Inter-relationship of lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes
Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics contact details
Level 3, 207 Bouverie Street
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
The University of Melbourne
Victoria, 3010, Australia
Tel: +61 3 8344 0637
Email: neu-research@unimelb.edu.au
Staff
Dr Sandra Neate (Unit Head)
Dr Nupur Nag(Unit Deputy Head)
Mr Xin Lin
Professor George Jelinek (Honorary)
Dr Keryn Taylor (Honorary)
Dr Alysha De Livera (Honorary)
Dr Pia Jelinek (Honorary)
Funding
It is currently funded largely by philanthropic donations.