Imaging, Fluid And Genetic Markers Of Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,519,004.00
Summary
Markers of pathology and inflammation are useful tools for the diagnosis and staging of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. This approach will deepen our basic understanding of this disease, improving early detection and prediction of cognitive impairment. This work will make possible more accurate diagnosis, and improved monitoring of therapeutic interventions.
Uncovering The Neural Mechanisms Of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Using Brain Modelling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$581,628.00
Summary
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an incurable mental illness and current therapies only mitigate its symptoms for a portion of individuals. Thus, there is a need to identify the neural causes of OCD to develop personalised therapies. We will combine mathematical modelling, computer simulations, and clinical and neuroimaging data to develop the first model of OCD. Outcomes from this study will enable targeted OCD research and the discovery of brain mechanisms supporting treatment response.
Dissecting Brain Network Ageing Using Whole Brain Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$692,964.00
Summary
In this proposal, we will make the first attempt to map the whole brain activity change during ageing using a series of state-of-the-art techniques. We will also identify genetic and pharmacological interventions that improve brain network function during ageing. Outcomes from this research will provide an unprecedented understanding of functional ageing within the brain and identify therapeutic interventions to prevent this process.
Next-generation Smart Wound Dressings For Real-time, Non-invasive Monitoring Of Infection And Neovascularisation In Burns
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$899,877.00
Summary
Real-time assessment of infection and wound progression in burns is critical to reduce complications and improve long-term recovery. We propose a smart dressing that can assess a wound without needing to remove the dressing. It consists of a biocompatible silk membrane enriched with nanodiamonds and pH-sensitive fluorophores to detect infection, and allow optical assessment of blood vessel regrowth. This project will prototype and validate the smart dressing in preparation for human trials.
Serial Imaging Of Molecular And Microstructural Changes In Atherosclerosis: Tracking Plaques Towards Destabilisation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$992,112.00
Summary
Most heart attacks are caused by high-risk plaques in coronary arteries. A significant unmet need in cardiology is to reliably detect high-risk plaques before they are life-threatening. This project will generate unique insights into plaque pathogenesis over time to see how plaques become high-risk and cause heart attacks. This project will also develop a clinically applicable tool to detect high-risk plaques, leading to significantly reduced complications and cost in heart disease.
Developing Smart Nanomedicine To Enable Advanced Diagnosis And Stimuli-responsive Treatment For Atherosclerosis And Thrombosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$523,342.00
Summary
The early detection and accurate characterization of life-threatening diseases such as cardiovascular diseases are critical to the design of treatment. A therapeutic approach that provides an efficient treatment with minimal side-effects is highly desired by both patients and healthcare systems. This project aims to develop smart nanomedicine with incorporated diagnostic sensor and external stimuli-responsive treatment mechanisms for cardiovascular diseases.
Are Oligodendrocytes The Missing Link In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathogenesis?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,054,405.00
Summary
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating and progressive neurodegenerative disease. Recent research suggests important cells of the central nervous system called glia play a role in disease onset and progression. We are interested in a type of glia called oligodendrocytes; they are crucial for supporting the survival of the cells that die in ALS. Only through understanding the underlying biology of ALS can we aim to identify effective therapies that will benefit patients.
Targeting Nerves In Tumours To Enhance Anti-cancer Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,090,190.00
Summary
The cancer journey is an incredibly stressful experience for patients. We discovered that stress stops immune cells and helps cancer spread. The goal of this study is to reveal how stress signals alter anti-cancer immunity and impacts cancer treatments. We will use elegant tools from neuroscience and immunology to define if blocking stress helps the immune cells that kill cancer and explore how blocking stress can improve standard anti-cancer drugs, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Serum Neurofilament Light As A Biomarker To Improve Management Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,092,781.00
Summary
There is increasing awareness that mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs), such as concussions, can lead to persistent or permanent neurological symptoms. Nonetheless, the identification and management of mTBIs remains notoriously difficult. In this proposal, we will assess exactly how a novel blood test can be implemented to assist in mTBI diagnosis, and the identification and management of individuals at risk of suffering persistent or chronic neurological problems.
Betacellulin: Defining A Novel Sub-type In Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$907,515.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a severe lifelong mental disorder affecting 0.7% of the world population with only partially effective symptomatic treatments. Its cause is unknown and thus cures cannot be developed currently. A promising candidate is betacellulin a growth factor which is very reduced in the brain and blood of people with schizophrenia. Little is known about its role in the brain and this project seeks to identify its relevance to schizophrenia as a step to develop new treatments.