Making a wee difference Dr Jonathan Kaufman was inspired to solve a tricky problem – how to easily collect a urine sample from a baby to test for urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Jonathan, a final year PhD student with MCRI’s Health Services Research Group and the University of Melbourne, came across the difficulty of diagnosing UTIs in his work as a paediatrician at Sunshine Hospital and The Royal Children’s Hospital. UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections of early childhood worldwide; of all children with a fever, seven per cent will have a UTI. But fever can indicate lots of things in childhood, which makes a urine test essential. Unfortunately, taking a urine sample can be incredibly difficult. Jonathan’s research focuses on a new method that gently triggers bladder reflexes to allow for sample collection. Importantly, the method’s simplicity means it can be used in low-resource settings, such as in low and middle-income countries. This idea evolved into Jonathan’s PhD and ignited a new passion for research. He has been able to see his research in action, benefiting children around the world – his findings have been included in guidelines in Australia, the UK, Canada, Italy and Finland.
“It’s hard to believe that five years ago this was just an idea, and now it’s a successful research series. There are eight publications so far, including the main trial published in The BMJ. The research has been recognised with over 20 awards and prizes,” he says. “There have been challenges as well, but when you’re part of an amazing team at a place like MCRI, doing great research becomes possible.”
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