About the team / contacts

Principal Investigator
A/Prof Robert Fitridge
Head, Vascular Unit
Department of Surgery
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
28 Woodville Road
Woodville South, SA 5011
T: +61 8 8222 7711
F: +61 8 8222 6028
E: evar.trial@adelaide.edu.au

Rob Fitridge was a member of the ASERNIP-S reference group of vascular surgeons involved with the first Australian audit of EVAR from 1998. He has been the contact vascular surgeon since this time and has been involved in developing the data sets and regularly reviewing the data. More recently, Fitridge, Boult, Barnes and Maddern have studied factors predicting mid-term outcomes and survival in the audit. This group has also developed the predictive model which forms the basis of this study.

He will be recruiting sites and surgeons to participate in the study and liaise with Professors Golledge and Thompson regarding the potential role of biomarkers in predicting outcomes. Rob Fitridge's role will be to oversee the establishment and management of the project. As a vascular surgeon, he will bring his clinical expertise to the study and will oversee the publication of any results.

Chief Investigator B
Ms Maggi Boult
Basil Hetzel Institute
28 Woodville Road
Woodville South, SA 5011
T: 61 8 8222 6852
F. 61 8 8222 6028
E: evar.trial@adelaide.edu.au

Maggi Boult was involved with the original Australian EVAR study from its inception in 1998 in her role as morbidity audit manager with ASERNIP-S. She will help establish and manage the study and will oversee the collection and management of data, ensuring all requirements regarding patient privacy are followed. She will be involved with the analysis and reporting of results.

 Chief Investigator C
Professor Jonathon Golledge
School of Medicine
James Cook University
Douglas Campus
Townsville, QLD 4811
T: 61 7 4796 1417
F: 617 4796 1401

Professor Golledge has developed the biomarker assays to be used in this study. He will oversee the analysis of samples in his laboratory in Townsville. He will also be involved in data analysis and reporting.

 Chief Investigator D
Professor Guy Maddern
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Department of Surgery
28 Woodville Road
Woodville South, SA 5011

Professor Maddern is the Surgical Director of ASERNIP-S and was instrumental in establishing the original Australian audit of EVAR. He will be involved with establishing the project at the Basil Hetzel Institute in Adelaide. As an international expert on the assessment of new technology he will convene a data safety and management committee. He will be involved in reporting.

Chief Investigator E
Professor Matthew Thompson
Dept of Vascular Surgery
St George's Hospital
Blackshaw Rd
London, UK SW17 0QT

Professor Thompson is a UK-based vascular surgeon with an active interest in research. He will recruit patients in his unit in the UK into the study. He will be involved in the analysis of data, publication of data and refinement of model.

 Chief Investigator F
Ms Mary Barnes
CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences
Private Bag No 2
Glen Osmond, SA 5064

Ms Barnes is a statistician and undertook the statistical analysis of data from the Australian audit of EVAR. She developed the predictive model on which this study is based.

She will be responsible for:
1. Ensuring statistical methodology of project is valid
2. Directing statistical analysis of results
3. Updating and refining model
4. Collaborating with publications and reports

 State (& UK) co-ordinators:

SA:
Co-ordinating centre: Adelaide University, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Surgeon leader: Associate Professor Robert Fitridge
Project Co-ordinator: Maggi Boult
Data Manager: To be appointed

NSW:
Co-ordinating centre: Westmead Hospital
Surgeon leader: Professor John Fletcher
Data assistant: TBA

VIC:
Co-ordinating centre: Box Hill Hospital
Surgeon leader: Professor Michael Grigg
Data assistant: TBA

 WA:
Co-ordinating centre: Fremantle Hospital
Surgeon leader: Professor Paul Norman
Data assistant: TBA

QLD:
Co-ordinating centre: Royal Brisbane Hospital
Surgeon leader: Assoc. Professor Philip Walker
Data assistant: TBA

UK:
Co-ordinating centre: St Georges Hospital
Surgeon leader: Professor Matthew Thompson
Data assistant: TBA