Michaela Meade
An Australian-first infant study has scaled up its intake, commencing at Northern Hospital in Epping this month.
The Generation Victoria (GenV) project, run by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), is a research project that aims to provide a better approach to child and adult health and wellbeing in the state.
GenV is scaling up its scope to include all Victorian birthing hospitals in 2021, with Northern Health’s site in Epping joining earlier this month.
Northern Health GenV area manager Azita Keytash said the diverse community would assist in the project’s goal.
“GenV partnering with Northern Health provides a fantastic opportunity to increase diversity in research to benefit the health of all families in the future,” Ms Keytash said.
“The GenV team at the Northern Hospital is diverse, with some of us coming from non-English speaking backgrounds.
“This helps us to better understand the expectations and questions of potential participants.”
GenV scientific director, Professor Melissa Wake, said the project’s vision is to help create a “happier and healthier future” for children and parents by 2035.
“By involving children and families in this once-in-a-generation initiative, GenV can help solve pressing problems like asthma, food allergies, obesity, and mental illness,” Professor Wake said.
“In addition, we are seeking to address the inequities that face so many children and families across Victoria.
“GenV truly is a collaborative study and a partnership of many.
“We are profoundly grateful to the team at Northern Health for partnering with us.”
Northern Health’s chief nursing and midwifery officer Debra Bourne said: “We are pleased to partner with the [MCRI] on this important project which will benefit babies and families in our northern community.”
Every family with a newborn baby is able to join up over a two-year period to the birth and parent cohort study.
The opt-in project will mostly use data that is routinely collected, with about 100 new jobs expected to be created in clinical settings across the lifespan of the study.
Northern Hospital joins 32 other birthing hospitals already participating in the project.
Details: genv.org.au
