DNA sequencing allows us to see into the microbial world in fine detail. This enables us to investigate how bugs like bacteria cause infections and other diseases. In this fellowship, I will use DNA sequencing and analysis to investigate how bacterial infections are transmitted in hospitals and cities, how bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic drugs we use to treat infected people, and how the bacteria that live in our nose and throat contribute to development of asthma in young children.
Discovering The Genetic Causes Of Congenital Heart Disease Using Systems Biology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,180.00
Summary
Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects one in one hundred live-born babies, representing a significant health burden in Australia and worldwide. My research team is using state-of-the-art DNA sequencing technology to sequence the entire genome of hundreds of patients with CHD and their family members. My research program develops fast and reliable computer software to accelerate the discovery of the genetic causes of CHD, and make personalised genome-based medicine a reality.
Unravelling Gene Networks In Heart Development And Congenital Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,724.00
Summary
One in 100 Australian babies are affected by heart malformations. The heart is a complex organ and its formation is likewise orchestrated by a complex network of genes. As our current knowledge of this network is limited, I aim to employ cutting-edge bioinformatics approaches to draw a comprehensive picture of genes required to build a healthy heart and to reveal which gene interactions are altered in congenital heart disease, thereby opening new perspectives for network biology-based therapies.
Improving Bioinformatic Methods For Studying Gene Regulation In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,652.00
Summary
New methods for analysing genome-wide data will be developed to ease the data analysis bottleneck that currently exists in medical research. Modelling variation in gene expression from single cells, in screens designed to uncover gene function and assays that measure the factors that turn genes on or off will be the focus. Free software will be developed and made available to researchers worldwide to help them interpret the large and complex data sets that are now routine in genomic medicine.
Understanding The Impact Of Age And Chronic Infection On The T Cell Recognition And Control Of Infectious Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$506,151.00
Summary
The effectiveness of immune responses to infectious diseases and vaccines declines during prolonged infection and is compromised in the very young and elderly. This research aims to better understand the compromise of the immune recognition and control of chronic infections and age-related defects in immunity. Such understanding is crucial to the development of strategies to improve the outcome of infections across the lifespan and the design of vaccines for chronic infections such as HIV.