Team leader, Neonatal Health
MD, PhD, FRACP
Clinical Professor Tobias Strunk is a Consultant Neonatologist with a clinical research focus on infection and inflammation in newborn infants. His research examines the mechanisms underlying preterm infants’ heightened risk of severe infections and explores new ways to prevent and treat infections in newborns more effectively.
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Projects
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Publications
March 2024
Physicochemical compatibility of caffeine citrate and caffeine base injections with parenteral medications used in neonatal intensive care settings
To investigate the physicochemical compatibility of caffeine citrate and caffeine base injections with 43 secondary intravenous drugs used in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit settings.
Published research Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Neonatal Health Strep A VaccinesMarch 2024The Physicochemical Compatibility of Sildenafil Injection with Parenteral Medications Used in Neonatal Intensive Care Settings
Sildenafil is used to treat pulmonary hypertension in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) settings. As multiple intravenous (IV) medications are co-administered in NICU settings, we sought to investigate the physicochemical compatibility of sildenafil with a range of IV drugs.
Published research Neonatal Health Child and adolescent health Maternal healthDecember 2023Protocol for the development of a core outcome set for neonatal sepsis (NESCOS)
Neonatal sepsis is a serious public health problem; however, there is substantial heterogeneity in the outcomes measured and reported in research evaluating the effectiveness of the treatments. Therefore, we aim to develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) for studies evaluating the effectiveness of treatments for neonatal sepsis.
Published research Neonatal Health Child and adolescent healthNovember 2023Skin-Microbiome Assembly in Preterm Infants during the First Three Weeks of Life and Impact of Topical Coconut Oil Application
The structure and function of infant skin is not fully developed until 34 weeks of gestation, and this immaturity is associated with risk of late-onset sepsis (LOS). Topical coconut oil improves preterm-infant skin integrity and may reduce LOS. However, data on early-life skin-microbiome succession and potential effects of emollient skin care in preterm infants are scarce.
Published research Early Childhood Development Skin Infections Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Neonatal Health Pre-term birthDecember 2023Neonatal sepsis and cardiovascular dysfunction I: mechanisms and pathophysiology
The highest incidence of sepsis across all age groups occurs in neonates leading to substantial mortality and morbidity. Cardiovascular dysfunction frequently complicates neonatal sepsis including biventricular systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction, vasoregulatory failure, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Published research Neonatal HealthJuly 2023Health service utilisation for acute respiratory infections in infants graduating from the neonatal intensive care unit: a population-based cohort study
Despite advances in neonatal intensive care, babies admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) suffer from adverse outcomes. We aim to describe the longer-term respiratory infectious morbidity of infants discharged from NICU using state-wide population-based linked data in Western Australia.
Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Children's Lung Health Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Subsite: WalyanFebruary 2023Outcomes to 5 years of outborn versus inborn infants <32 weeks in Western Australia: A cohort study of infants born between 2005 and 2018
We compared mortality and morbidity of inborn versus outborn very preterm infants <32 weeks' gestation in Western Australia (WA) between 2005 and 2018
Published research Early Childhood Development Neonatal HealthFebruary 2023Retinopathy of prematurity and placental histopathology findings: A retrospective cohort study
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a biphasic vaso-proliferative disease that has the potential to cause blindness. In addition to prematurity and hyperoxia, perinatal infection and inflammation have been reported to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ROP. The aim of this study was to assess the association between placental inflammation and the severity of ROP.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Neonatal HealthJanuary 2022Look Who's Talking: Host and Pathogen Drivers of Staphylococcus epidermidis Virulence in Neonatal Sepsis
Preterm infants are at increased risk for invasive neonatal bacterial infections. S. epidermidis, a ubiquitous skin commensal, is a major cause of late-onset neonatal sepsis, particularly in high-resource settings. The vulnerability of preterm infants to serious bacterial infections is commonly attributed to their distinct and developing immune system.
Published research Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A Disease Neonatal Health Pre-term birth Immune systemMarch 2022Composition of early life leukocyte populations in preterm infants with and without late-onset sepsis
Composition of leukocyte populations in the first month of life remains incompletely characterised, particularly in preterm infants who go on to develop late-onset sepsis (LOS). The aim of the study was to characterise and compare leukocyte populations in preterm infants with and without LOS during the first month of life.
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Neonatal Health Pre-term birthJune 2021Plasma secretory phospholipase A2 as an early marker for late-onset sepsis in preterm infants—a pilot study
Preterm infants are particularly susceptible to bacterial late-onset sepsis (LOS). Diagnosis by blood culture and inflammatory markers have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity and prolonged reporting times. There is an urgent need for more rapid, accurate adjunctive diagnostics in LOS to improve management and minimise antibiotic exposure.
Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group Neonatal HealthJanuary 2021Impaired Cytokine Responses to Live Staphylococcus epidermidis in Preterm Infants Precede Gram-positive, Late-onset Sepsis
Late-onset sepsis (LOS) with Staphylococcus epidermidis is common in preterm infants, but the immunological mechanisms underlying heightened susceptibility are poorly understood. Our aim is to characterize the ontogeny of cytokine responses to live S. epidermidis in preterm infants with and without subsequent Gram-positive LOS.
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Neonatal HealthAugust 2020Lactoferrin Expression Is Not Associated with Late-Onset Sepsis in Very Preterm Infants
Preterm infants are at a high risk of developing late-onset sepsis (LOS). Lactoferrin is one of the most abundant endogenous antimicrobial proteins expressed in breast milk, stools, and blood, and a candidate for preventive intervention. Large clinical trials have recently investigated whether enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin reduces LOS.
Published research Breastfeeding Vaccine Trials GroupOctober 2020RSV prophylaxis use in high-risk infants in Western Australia, 2002-2013: a record linkage cohort study
The monoclonal antibody, palivizumab is licensed for use in high-risk infants to prevent severe illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The level of its use and compliance with current jurisdictional guidelines which were amended in 2010, is unknown.
Published research Allergy & Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJune 2020Whole blood transcriptional responses of very preterm infants during late-onset sepsis
Blood responses in very preterm infants with LOS are characterised by altered host immune responses that appear to reflect unbalanced immuno-metabolic homeostasis
Published research Infectious Diseases Neonatal HealthMay 2020Plasma cytokine profiles in very preterm infants with late-onset sepsis
Very preterm infants have a marked innate inflammatory response at the time of late-onset sepsis
Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Gut Health, Nutrition and Development Neonatal HealthNovember 2019Effectiveness of Palivizumab against Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Cohort and Case Series Analysis
Palivizumab appeared effective for reducing virologically confirmed respiratory syncytial virus in this high-risk cohort
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Health -
Education and Qualifications
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