Platform For Young Public Health Researchers To Upgrade Their Scientific Training Experience And Independent Status
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,842,500.00
Summary
This proposal builds on the applicants’ experience with existing large prospective studies and on studies of families of patients with bowel, breast or prostate cancer. The research environment will expose early career researchers to a number of multi-disciplinary approaches relating primarily to prevention of cancer, including studies of the role of diet and genetic factors in the development of cancer, as well as intervention trials to promote healthy eating and cessation of smoking. The grant ....This proposal builds on the applicants’ experience with existing large prospective studies and on studies of families of patients with bowel, breast or prostate cancer. The research environment will expose early career researchers to a number of multi-disciplinary approaches relating primarily to prevention of cancer, including studies of the role of diet and genetic factors in the development of cancer, as well as intervention trials to promote healthy eating and cessation of smoking. The grant will build Australian capacity in research at the forefront of dietary, molecular and genetic epidemiology, including the development of statistical methods for the analysis of family data, and interventions to change behaviour. The grant will also allow clustering of the largest group of genetic epidemiologist-statisticians in Australia, provide a basis for data linkage with State and Commonwealth health services data bases and allow greater development of existing links with international researchers in these areas.Read moreRead less
Mass Media And Tobacco Policies To Reduce Smoking Prevalence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,685.00
Summary
Professor Wakefield's research program will investigate the impact of mass media campaigns and tobacco control policies on reducing population smoking prevalence. Her research will assess the effects of mass media campaigns, especially in low socioeconomic groups, and in low to middle income countries; the effects of plain cigarette packaging on the sensory experience of smoking; and the impact of advanced policies on tobacco marketing and cigarette pack labelling on smoking attitudes and behavi ....Professor Wakefield's research program will investigate the impact of mass media campaigns and tobacco control policies on reducing population smoking prevalence. Her research will assess the effects of mass media campaigns, especially in low socioeconomic groups, and in low to middle income countries; the effects of plain cigarette packaging on the sensory experience of smoking; and the impact of advanced policies on tobacco marketing and cigarette pack labelling on smoking attitudes and behaviour.Read moreRead less
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.
Can Systematically Developed Alcohol Health Warnings Reduce Drinking Intentions And Behaviours?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$782,617.00
Summary
This research will develop differently worded and formatted warnings about a wide range of harms of alcohol and assess adult drinkers’ responses to them, compared to current messages on alcohol containers. The study will use population surveys, discussion groups, message ratings and an experimental study with follow-up to determine the content and format of warnings with the greatest potential to encourage drinkers to reduce their alcohol-related risk.
Rising Intonation in Australian English. The project will model the intonation of Australian English through an analysis of spoken dialogues from over 200 speakers. The study of the different types of rising intonation across different population groups will advance our knowledge of how Australian English is different from other accents, how it has changed in the last 40 years, and how accent is related to social class in Australia. The outcomes include publications on the theory of intonation, ....Rising Intonation in Australian English. The project will model the intonation of Australian English through an analysis of spoken dialogues from over 200 speakers. The study of the different types of rising intonation across different population groups will advance our knowledge of how Australian English is different from other accents, how it has changed in the last 40 years, and how accent is related to social class in Australia. The outcomes include publications on the theory of intonation, accent change, and its relationship to social class as well as a working model of intonation that can be implemented in a system for synthesising Australian English speech.Read moreRead less
Attentional Processing In Developmentally Vitamin D Deficient Rats: Modelling The Cognitive Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$252,911.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a poorly understood but very disabling group of brain disorders. There is an urgent need for animal models of cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Based on clues from epidemiology, we have proposed that low prenatal vitamin D may be a risk factor for later development of schizophrenia. We propose to use a rat model with prenatal vitamin D deficiency to explore the neurobiological correlates of impaired cognition and as a platform to screen novel drugs to improve cognition.
Understanding Adolescent Neurodevelopment: Relevance To Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,928.00
Summary
Schizophrenia first appears clinically during late adolescence. This project seeks to understand the molecular changes that occur during adolescent brain development that may underlie the behavioural abnormalities found in schizophrenia. We will focus on Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a gene which when reduced is associated with schizophrenia. By examining the role of this gene during adolescent brain development, we will better understand how disruptions to this gene may lead to schi ....Schizophrenia first appears clinically during late adolescence. This project seeks to understand the molecular changes that occur during adolescent brain development that may underlie the behavioural abnormalities found in schizophrenia. We will focus on Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a gene which when reduced is associated with schizophrenia. By examining the role of this gene during adolescent brain development, we will better understand how disruptions to this gene may lead to schizophrenia-like behaviours in adulthood.Read moreRead less