Overview
Availability
- Dr Robert Nona is:
- Available for supervision
Research interests
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Early routine biomarkers to predict survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / motor neurone disease
This has been the core of my PhD, and following on from completing my MPhil 2022 which looked at survival in a local Queensland Cohort. I have successfully passed three milestones and am compiling my chapters to submit as a thesis before December 31st 2026. ALS is a fatal adult neurodegenerative disease. Although the typical survival is 2 to 5 years, it can be difficult to predict. Several biomarkers, including vital capacity, have shown evidence as a prognostic biomarker. The PhD thesis includes retrospective cohort analysis of survival based on routine biomarkers closest to onset of symptoms. This includes, vital capacity, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, BMI, and blood biochemicals. The prospective and most novel chapter investigated the Electronic Nose (e-Nose) as a biomarker, which can be associated with metabolic dysfunction. This was with single samples from subjects who were being managed at the MND Clinic at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital. This has included analysis as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, as well as creating a Metabolic Model using the SmellprintTM PCNose(R) software. This was in collaboration with Dept Thoracic Medicine (RBWH), and School of IT & Engineering (UQ). Publications (as well as submissions) and Conference Poster Presentations provided evidence of the findings.
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Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Medical Students.
This is in collaboration with a colleague MD Learning Facilitator at UQ SoM, and has been successful in two forms 1. Systematic review poster presentation at the ANZAHPE Conference, Christchurch 2026. 2. Student-Staff Partnership - focusing on Years 1 of UQ School of Medicine. This is in collaboration with Years 3 and 4 MD Students. This has the aim of ascertaining data which contributes to conflict, before embarking on workshops to apply simulation conflict resolution. Pending ethics approval, this is projected to begin 2027
Works
Search Professor Robert Nona’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Routine blood biochemical biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Systematic review and cohort analysis
Nona, Robert J., Henderson, Robert D. and McCombe, Pamela A. (2025). Routine blood biochemical biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Systematic review and cohort analysis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 26 (3-4), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/21678421.2024.2435976
2024
Journal Article
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at diagnosis as a biomarker for survival of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Nona, Robert J., Henderson, Robert D. and McCombe, Pamela A. (2024). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at diagnosis as a biomarker for survival of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 25 (5-6), 452-464. doi: 10.1080/21678421.2024.2351187
2022
Journal Article
Age of onset and length of survival of Queensland patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: with details of subjects with early onset and subjects with long survival
Nona, Robert J., Xu, Zhouwei, Robinson, Gail A., Henderson, Robert D. and McCombe, Pamela A. (2022). Age of onset and length of survival of Queensland patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: with details of subjects with early onset and subjects with long survival. Neurodegenerative Diseases, 22 (3-4), 1-18. doi: 10.1159/000528875
2022
Journal Article
Sex differences in Guillain Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and experimental autoimmune neuritis
McCombe, Pamela A., Hardy, Todd A., Nona, Robert J. and Greer, Judith M. (2022). Sex differences in Guillain Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and experimental autoimmune neuritis. Frontiers in Immunology, 13 1038411, 1-23. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1038411
2022
Other Outputs
Studies of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Nona, Robert (2022). Studies of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. MPhil Thesis, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/0df3a3d
2022
Journal Article
HLA and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Nona, R. J., Greer, J. M., Henderson, R. D. and McCombe, P. A. (2022). HLA and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 24 (1-2), 1-9. doi: 10.1080/21678421.2022.2078665
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Robert Nona is:
- Available for supervision
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