ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision system ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision systems with applications in industry and national security. Other knowledge will develop novel diagnostic technologies, for application in health delivery.Read moreRead less
Targeting brain lipid homeostasis to treat Alzheimer's disease. Dementia affects approximately 250,000 people in Australia at an estimated cost (in 2002) of $6.6 billion per annum. The major cause of dementia (accounting for approximately 70% of all cases) is Alzheimer's disease (AD); a progressive neurodegenerative illness for which there is no curative or disease-stalling treatment. Due to increases in life expectancy, the incidence of AD is predicted to triple by 2050 unless disease-modifying ....Targeting brain lipid homeostasis to treat Alzheimer's disease. Dementia affects approximately 250,000 people in Australia at an estimated cost (in 2002) of $6.6 billion per annum. The major cause of dementia (accounting for approximately 70% of all cases) is Alzheimer's disease (AD); a progressive neurodegenerative illness for which there is no curative or disease-stalling treatment. Due to increases in life expectancy, the incidence of AD is predicted to triple by 2050 unless disease-modifying treatments are developed. This research program will provide novel realistic pharmaceutical approaches to treat AD. Even if the onset of AD could be delayed by a few years the personal and financial benefits would be enormous. The potential for this research to generate commercially viable Australian intellectual property is also significant.Read moreRead less
Role of the complement system in the healthy and diseased central nervous system. The investigation into the role of the immune system in the central nervous system will increase our understanding of the causes behind the neurodegenerative process in aging individuals. This research will also indicate the potential for new types of anti-inflammatory drugs, to be used to slow the neurodegenerative process occurring naturally in the aging brain. These drugs could also be useful in treating drastic ....Role of the complement system in the healthy and diseased central nervous system. The investigation into the role of the immune system in the central nervous system will increase our understanding of the causes behind the neurodegenerative process in aging individuals. This research will also indicate the potential for new types of anti-inflammatory drugs, to be used to slow the neurodegenerative process occurring naturally in the aging brain. These drugs could also be useful in treating drastic neurodegenerative diseases such as motor neuron disease, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease. Of these, only Parkinson's disease currently has some effective treatments. Community and National benefits would be increased health, decreased stress and major economic savings.Read moreRead less
Novel cellular functions of the microtubule-associated protein tau: Physiological and pathological implications. The social and economic burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is enormous, and by 2040 more than 500,000 Australians will suffer from this disease. A key histopathological hallmark of this and many other related diseases are insoluble deposits of the protein tau. Research into novel functions of tau in signalling and transport (both of which are heavily compromised in diseased brains) wi ....Novel cellular functions of the microtubule-associated protein tau: Physiological and pathological implications. The social and economic burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is enormous, and by 2040 more than 500,000 Australians will suffer from this disease. A key histopathological hallmark of this and many other related diseases are insoluble deposits of the protein tau. Research into novel functions of tau in signalling and transport (both of which are heavily compromised in diseased brains) will be followed directly by assay development for tau-directed drug screening. The national benefit of this research is manifold by (a) patenting new data, (b) developing treatment strategies for an un-curable disease, and (c) establishing links to the growing Australian biotech industry (in addition to existing links to international pharmaceutical companies).Read moreRead less
Prediction of tissue fate and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke with advanced imaging analysis - experimental validation and translational studies. Stroke is predominantly a disease of ageing and the commonest cause of adult disability. In Australia, 55,000 people have a stroke each year (>80% are over age 65). The total number of strokes per year worldwide will rise 60% within the next two decades as the proportion of elderly in our population increases. This research will improve bra ....Prediction of tissue fate and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke with advanced imaging analysis - experimental validation and translational studies. Stroke is predominantly a disease of ageing and the commonest cause of adult disability. In Australia, 55,000 people have a stroke each year (>80% are over age 65). The total number of strokes per year worldwide will rise 60% within the next two decades as the proportion of elderly in our population increases. This research will improve brain imaging selection for acute stroke therapies in clinical trials and practice. Better acute stroke therapies limit the size of brain damage from stroke and reduce long-term disability. Thus, this research will directly translate into allowing our population to 'age well and productively'.Read moreRead less