The Nepean Cardiac Research group specialises in multidisciplinary cardiovascular research encompassing cardiovascular intervention, echocardiography, cardiac CT, cardiac magnetic resonance and projects on population health.

Our specific areas of research include:

• therapeutic application of cardiac ultrasound (REDUCE and MUSIC program)
• application of advanced multimodality imaging for early identification of subclinical myocardial insults
• cardio-oncology
• environmental cardiology (effects of air pollution and heat on cardiovascular system)
• myocardial mechanics
• ischaemic heart disease
• heart failure
• atrial fibrillation
• interaction between obesity and heart disease
• work place health interventions targeted to improve exercise uptake 

We're actively involved in health economics and appropriate use of cardiac imaging.

The Department of Intensive Care Medicine has a large and active research program. The main areas of research that drive our program are:

• the use of genomics, with the Nepean Genomics Unit researching molecular biological patient responses in sepsis, with a particular focus on respiratory viral infections using transcriptomics of circulating white cells.
• the Nepean Intensive Care Unit has gained an international reputation in the field of critical care echocardiography research, which runs parallel to an extensive educational program nationally, Asia and Europe.
• for over two decades, the department has participated in multiple large multicentre studies on critically ill patients, many of these being hallmark studies in the field of intensive care medicine.
• the Nepean Cardiopulmonary Research Program (NCPRP) which focuses on the conduct of cardiopulmonary research in critically ill patients. Our team benefits from a broad multidisciplinary representation to include physicians from cardiology, respiratory and intensive care medicine, critical care nursing, physio and echosonography, alongside scientists. Our collaborative group includes experience in advanced respiratory and cardiac monitoring modalities, laboratory-based work and methodological expertise to include biostatistics and experience in the conduct of large clinical trials

The Nepean Gastroenterology Research group has a strong academic and clinical focus in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology and drug and alcohol, and is involved in many clinical trials both locally and worldwide.

Our research includes:

• the natural history, pathogenesis and therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases
• hepatitis C and primary biliary cirrhosis
• non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
• liver disease and liver cancer
• dyspepsia and chronic constipation.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Did you know that people with increased fat in their liver due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can suffer from cardiovascular related death before suffering from liver related death?

NAFLD is the most common type of liver disease, affecting an estimated 5.5 million Australians, including 40% of all adults aged 50 years and above.

Learn more about NAFLD and our research (pdf, 300KB).

The Haematology group is researching key challenges in cancer and inflammation through three complementary projects.

1. In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), we are identifying protein signatures that predict disease progression and resistance to therapy, using advanced proteomic profiling. 
2. A second project focuses on the P2X7 receptor, a key driver of inflammation. We are using engineered receptor constructs and cholesterol-modulated environments to discover new binding sites for next-generation anti-inflammatory therapies.
3. Finally, we are exploring how metabolic interventions, like ketogenic diets, can accelerate immune recovery after chemotherapy in cancers including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This includes analysing patient samples to pinpoint molecular drivers of bone marrow regeneration and reduced infection risk. 

Together, these projects offer students opportunities in proteomics, receptor biology, drug discovery, and translational haematology using cutting-edge techniques such as mass spectrometry, molecular modelling, and patient-derived cellular assays.

The Nepean Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Group provides a busy consultative and in patient service, dealing with a wide variety of complex conditions including travel associated infections, sepsis, HIV infection and post-operative infectious complications.

The department has a strong commitment to teaching medical students as well as physician trainees. Our research interests include:

• zoonotic and intracellular pathogens, especially Chlamydia psittaci, Staphylococcal blood stream infections and prosthetic joint infection
• combination antibiotic treatment
• HIV and HCV co-infection
• necrotising fasciitis and the use of a mobile nursing application to enhance the hospital in the home program experience.

The Nepean Medical Imaging Group aims to, through education and research, promote the appropriate use of radiology and nuclear medicine/PET in modern investigation and management of patients.

This specialty is at the forefront of new technologies, which requires in-depth knowledge of basic sciences (particularly anatomy, physics and pathology) that is fundamental to the study of medicine.

Our research includes:

• radiology and nuclear medicine/PET
• informatics
• interventional radiological procedures
• radionuclide therapies and cardiac imaging
• CT coronary angiogram.

We are a collection of like-minded healthcare professionals and researchers with an interest in better understanding metabolic health and disease. We have a focus across the lifespan and on the impacts of social determinants of health. 

Specific conditions that are a focus for our group include:

• obesity, with a focus on severe obesity
• pre-diabetes and diabetes
• metabolic dysfunction associated liver disease
• cardio-respiratory disease and cardiovascular risk

Our research aims to both understand the development of and management of these conditions and how to address issues with access to healthcare, with a focus on equity.

Please contact Dr Kathryn Williams if you would like to learn more about our current projects.

The Department of Renal Medicine at Nepean Hospital has an active clinical research program with ongoing collaborations with the Australasian Kidney Trials Network, George Institute for Global Health, Kolling Institute, ANZDATA, Kidney Healthg Australia and Sydney Health partners.

At any time, there are numerous investigator initiated and industry sponsored clinical trials for research in diverse areas of nephrology, including dialysis, chronic kidney disease, glomerular disorders, rare kidney diseases, medical disorders of pregnancy, renal supportive care, nutrition in kidney disease, shared decision making and telemedicine.

The department has an impressive track record of publications and members of the department are on the editorial boards of medical journals.

The medical oncology department has an increasing interest and capacity for research, particularly research embedded into our clinical roles. Areas of interest and activity include:

• clinical trials: Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, and in most subspecialties (breast, gastrointestinal. lung, genitourinary)
• translational research
• biobanking of tissue and blood samples
• biomarkers
• drug development
• health services and Implementation research
• regional and rural oncology

We currently supervise clinical research fellows and are keen to expand that to PhD students in the near future

Paediatric research at Nepean has a strong focus on the developmental origins of health and disease in the context of allergy and immune development, metabolic health and behavioural disorders, including ADHD and stimulant medication.

This research is conducted in a multi-disciplinary environment fostering collaborations with the Charles Perkins Centre, the Brain and Mind Centre and the Faculty of Engineering.

Areas of research activity and interest of the Nepean Psychiatry Research Group include:

• problematic risk-taking with emerging technologies
• conceptualisation of problematic online behaviours
• cyberchondria (health anxiety associated with online health information seeking)
• dysphoria
• psychopathology and borderline personality disorder
• use of benzodiazepines in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders
• anxiety disorders during pregnancy
• cognitive and coping styles associated with anxiety disorders
• group cognitive-behaviour therapy for hoarding disorder
• subtyping of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The Nepean Translational/Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology Group collaborates with the Charles Perkins Centre, the Brain and Mind Centre, Reproduction and Perinatal Centre, Nepean Paediatric Unit, and UNSW Microbiome Research Centre.

Our research includes:

• the effect of behavioural therapies in women with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain
• aetiology of endometriosis
• gynaecological ultrasound for endometriosis and other pelvic pathology
• advanced endosurgery
• early pregnancy complications (miscarriage, pregnancy of unknown location, ectopic pregnancy)
• interventions for pelvic pathology.
• pre-eclampsia prevention clinical trials and systematic reviews
• global maternal health: intrapartum care algorithms and postpartum haemorrhage clinical trials

We also conduct research into pelvic floor trauma in childbirth, including:

• diagnosis, prediction, prevention, surgical correction
• urinary incontinence
• prolapse
• vaginal birth after caesarean.

The Nepean Neonatology group’s research interests include:

• neonatal nutrition particularly probiotics
• parental nutrition
• intravenous lipids
• evidence-based medicine, systematic reviews. 

Recently our focus was:

• introducing routine probiotics in preterm neonates for the prevention of necrotising enterocolitis
• meta-genomics
• randomised controlled trials of newer lipids
• evaluation of body composition after selective nutritional interventions in preterm neonates.

The Nepean Institute of Academic Surgery is a research active group encompassing urology, vascular, general surgery, orthopaedics, surgical oncology, ophthalmology, plastics, neurosurgery and thoracic surgery.

Research directions are in the following areas:

• artificial intelligence and the role of technology in surgery
• robotics in surgery
• surgical oncology including prostate cancer
• vascular surgery
• orthopaedics and plastic surgery
• health services research
• hernia and advanced reconstructive techniques in the abdomen
• acute pancreatitis
• cancer epidemiology including oesophageal cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, and thyroid cancer.

 There is a strong focus in fundamental and translational research. Telehealth, surgical safety and quality are recent additions, with Nepean Hospital being one of the four pilot sites for the introduction of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Safety and Quality Improvement program (NSQIP).

The Nepean Oral Surgery Research Group works closely with the Sydney and Westmead dental institutes.

It is a recent and rapidly growing group at Nepean with special interests in service-education in rural and regional areas and provision of appropriate oral surgery training both in Australia and overseas.

Our teaching interests include correction of oral anomalies and evidence-based practice in dentistry and oral surgery. Our research includes:

• fibrosis as a result of unresolved epithelial injury triggering a 'reparative' response in the underlying interstitial tissue
• e-cigarette use in Australia
• medication related to osteonecrosis of the jaw.