Early life overfeeding - mechanisms for programming obesity and long-term immune dysfunction. Early life overfeeding can lead to obesity and related changes in adulthood. With this study we will discover how overfeeding can permanently alter an animal's development so that its body weight and immune functions are dysregulated. The outcomes will facilitate appropriate design of animal experiments considering the impact of neonatal programming. They will also contribute to more efficient feeding p ....Early life overfeeding - mechanisms for programming obesity and long-term immune dysfunction. Early life overfeeding can lead to obesity and related changes in adulthood. With this study we will discover how overfeeding can permanently alter an animal's development so that its body weight and immune functions are dysregulated. The outcomes will facilitate appropriate design of animal experiments considering the impact of neonatal programming. They will also contribute to more efficient feeding protocols for meat production in agriculture and identify targets for risk management and for preventing and ameliorating early life overfeeding effects in humans. This investigation therefore has clear benefits to the social, economic, and health aspects of obesity and to basic science and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Muscling in on the brain. This project investigates an enzyme that 'matures' neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate food intake, energy expenditure and blood pressure by the brain; these neurotransmitters arise from the same precursor molecule. This project will show the physiological relevance of this enzyme in obesity.
Dopamine Neuron Ontogeny: Convergent Neurobiological Pathway For Risk Factors Of Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$337,214.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is associated with changes in dopamine (a signalling molecule in the brain). These changes are present prior to psychosis, suggesting they begin early in development. Our aims are to manipulate key factors in the development of brain dopamine systems to clarify their role in psychosis and schizophrenia. This work has the potential to identify early brain changes that lead to schizophrenia, which in turn may generate better diagnoses and outcomes for people with this disorder.
The neural basis of the cognitive effects of prefrontal cortex stimulation. This project aims to discover what exactly happens to brain cells (neurons) when transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is administered. Direct current stimulation of prefrontal cortex has gained much attention as an easy to use and self-administered brain stimulation technique for improving learning and performance in tests, and even for management of conditions such as overeating and gambling. Despite the wides ....The neural basis of the cognitive effects of prefrontal cortex stimulation. This project aims to discover what exactly happens to brain cells (neurons) when transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is administered. Direct current stimulation of prefrontal cortex has gained much attention as an easy to use and self-administered brain stimulation technique for improving learning and performance in tests, and even for management of conditions such as overeating and gambling. Despite the widespread use of tDCS the neural basis of its effects remain unknown. By applying tDCS in animals performing cognitive tasks, this projects aims to address fundamental unanswered questions about 'where' and 'how' the tDCS influences neural information encoding and behaviour using cellular- and neural circuit-level evidence.Read moreRead less
Centre For Research Excellence In Stroke Rehabilitation And Brain Recovery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,595,746.00
Summary
The Centre of Research Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation and Brain Recovery will transform the stroke research and practice landscape in Australia, and accelerate the development of new interventions strongly supported by neuroscience. This unique collaboration will improve patient selection and rehabilitation research methods, create a training culture for the next generation of rehabilitation researchers and effectively implement proven cost effective interventions for Australians.
Salt (sodium) is an essential electrolyte. Our convincing and complementary findings provide compelling evidence for a link between evolutionarily ancient “instincts” and substance abuse. This proposal is translational, including studies in opiate dependent humans. Our studies will establish how and where in the brain endogenous opioids are implicated in the gratification of salt appetite, how salt appetite is altered in opiate dependency and if salt appetite recovers following opiate withdrawal
How appetite-suppressing brain cells maintain normal function and prevent the development of obesity. The brain plays a critical role in body weight gain by balancing appetite-inducing and appetite-suppressing signals. An imbalance in this process causes obesity and promotes diabetes. The aim of this research is to identify how appetite-suppressing brain cells maintain normal function and prevent the development of obesity.
Computational neuroanatomy: analysis of neural connections in the primate brain. This project will map the full network of connections between brain cells, using a computer graphics database that will consolidate data from hundreds of experiments. This will allow the first realistic simulations of neural activity, and will provide new insights about the structure and function of the nervous system.
Understanding complex networks of connections in the primate cerebral cortex. The most fundamental characteristic of brain cells is that they can interchange information through electrical pulses, which run along cable-like membrane specialisations. This creates a hugely complex network of cell-to-cell connections. Understanding this network is necessary to allow new insights on how the brain works as an integrated system, and on how information processing in the brain changes as result of disea ....Understanding complex networks of connections in the primate cerebral cortex. The most fundamental characteristic of brain cells is that they can interchange information through electrical pulses, which run along cable-like membrane specialisations. This creates a hugely complex network of cell-to-cell connections. Understanding this network is necessary to allow new insights on how the brain works as an integrated system, and on how information processing in the brain changes as result of diseases and normal ageing. This project will produce the first comprehensive digital map of the connections in a primate brain. This project will use advanced statistical techniques to determine how to best subdivide the brain into processing nodes, and the logic behind the network of connections that integrates these nodes. Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanisms of GABA type-A receptor activation and drug modulation. There is currently little understanding of how sedative and anxiolytic drugs, including valium, interact with their receptors in the brain. This project will dramatically increase our understanding of how these receptors work and how drugs affect their activity. This will provide new insights into drug discovery and design.