Neuronal Activity And Variability Underlying Perception And Action
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$349,802.00
Summary
Perception and behaviour are often unpredictable. We do not identically perceive repeated stimuli, and even professional athletes cannot precisely replicate their actions. This project compares variations in the activity of motion-sensitive neurons in the brain with variability in motion perception and eye movements. This should give insights into how neuronal activity underlies conscious perception and eye movements and may ultimately help treat conditions with impaired control of movement.
Release The Sterile Males: A New Direction For Mosquito Population Control Technologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,110,112.00
Summary
With over 40% of humans at risk from mosquito-borne disease, new environmentally friendly mosquito control tools are required. We’ve developed a novel sterile male population suppression technology – using neither radiation nor genetic modification – to produce sterile adult male mosquitoes from both male and female larvae. We will show that exposing mosquito larvae to specific RNA molecules can produce fit sterile males adult mosquitoes that can crash mosquito populations in large cage trials
Cervical Screening Participation And Outcomes For Indigenous Australian Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,546.00
Summary
Cervical cancer is much more common among Indigenous than other Australian women, however little is known about their cervical screening participation or outcomes. This study will use Pap Test Registers and other data sources to compare screening participation and outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, and investigate whether cervical cancer incidence has decreased for Indigenous women in recent years, as it has done for non-Indigenous women in Australia.
Our goal is to discover new mechanisms involved in our cells’ delicate balancing act with respect to cholesterol levels. Understanding how production of cholesterol is controlled in our cells is key to developing new drugs aimed at preventing its excessive accumulation. This will have long-term benefits for health considering that a cellular imbalance in cholesterol is involved in two of the most common conditions threatening the health of Australians, namely heart disease and Alzheimer’s diseas ....Our goal is to discover new mechanisms involved in our cells’ delicate balancing act with respect to cholesterol levels. Understanding how production of cholesterol is controlled in our cells is key to developing new drugs aimed at preventing its excessive accumulation. This will have long-term benefits for health considering that a cellular imbalance in cholesterol is involved in two of the most common conditions threatening the health of Australians, namely heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.Read moreRead less
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Effectiveness Of 4RIF And 9INH For Treatment Of Latent TB Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,875.00
Summary
Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is one intervention that is known to prevent the occurrence of active TB. Current treatment is based on a six to nine month course of isoniazid. The treatment has side effects in some people and many people do not complete the treatment. The present study is to test an alternative treatment regimen (4 months of rifampicin) which has fewer side-effects and is more likely to be completed.
How Neural Impairment Affects Respiratory Motor Function In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Healthy Ageing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$762,797.00
Summary
With chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ageing, respiratory muscles are weak and the mechanics of the chest and lungs are altered. Our proposal will examine the contribution of impaired neural control to muscle weakness with the aim to identify new targets for therapy to reduce respiratory morbidity in ageing and patients with COPD.
Population Genomics Of Plasmodium Vivax In Papua New Guinea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,238.00
Summary
Plasmodium vivax malaria is a serious global public health problem that has not received the attention it deserves, despite having serious clinical implications and presenting a major problem for regional malaria control programmes. In a study of people living in a malarious area of PNG, we aim to investigate the diversity of natural parasite populations, to better understand the possible effects of malaria control interventions on transmission and human immunity.
Novel Brain Biomarkers Of Neurobehavioural Dysfunction In Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,145.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea is recognised as a common condition that has a clearly measurable impact on public health. However, it is often difficult for doctors to decide which patients have problems with driving or day to day brain functioning. This study will measure driving and memory during an extended period of waking in patients with sleep apnea. Special markers of brain function will be correlated with performance results during this extended wakefulness challenge.
Strengthening Frontline Clinicians’ Infection Control: A Multi-method Study To Reduce MRSA Infection And Transmission
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$800,339.00
Summary
Despite handwashing initiatives and the introduction of alcohol gels, cross-infection in hospitals remains a terrible risk for patients and creates a huge cost for health care funders. This study deploys a video-based technique called video reflexivity to alert frontline clinicians to the infection risks that are inherent in their every practice, educating them to become smarter about such risk.
Protein Preloads To Improve Postprandial Glycaemia In Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$624,458.00
Summary
Taking a high protein drink can substantially lower the blood glucose rise after a subsequent meal in people with type 2 diabetes. We will examine whether regular use of protein drinks before meals can be effective for improving long-term blood glucose control. Such an approach could represent an exciting new nutritional strategy for managing this increasingly common disorder.