Fluid mechanics and physiology of blockages in vascular systems. Vascular disease is a major health problem both in Australia and worldwide. In particular, cardiovascular disease is a major killer of adult Australians. Engineers and mathematicians working with biologists will gain a greater understanding of vascular diseases, a major health problem, including cardiovascular disease, which is one of the biggest killers worldwide, as well as tackling renal circulation problems, which are a signifi ....Fluid mechanics and physiology of blockages in vascular systems. Vascular disease is a major health problem both in Australia and worldwide. In particular, cardiovascular disease is a major killer of adult Australians. Engineers and mathematicians working with biologists will gain a greater understanding of vascular diseases, a major health problem, including cardiovascular disease, which is one of the biggest killers worldwide, as well as tackling renal circulation problems, which are a significant problem and may contribute to hypertension. Detailed measurement and prediction will be undertaken of the mechanical loading and response of cells to their microenvironment, an important first step to controlling pathological responses which lead to a variety of autoimmune problems.Read moreRead less
Mathematical Modelling of the Mechanobiology of Arterial Plaque Growth. Plaque growth is a chronic inflammatory response induced by the interactions between endothelial cells, lipids, monocytes/macrophages, smooth muscle cells and platelets in the arteries. It involves many different biological processes, such as lipid deposition, inflammation and angiogenesis, and their interactions with the microcirculation. To understand the underlying mechanobiology, we propose to develop a mathematical mode ....Mathematical Modelling of the Mechanobiology of Arterial Plaque Growth. Plaque growth is a chronic inflammatory response induced by the interactions between endothelial cells, lipids, monocytes/macrophages, smooth muscle cells and platelets in the arteries. It involves many different biological processes, such as lipid deposition, inflammation and angiogenesis, and their interactions with the microcirculation. To understand the underlying mechanobiology, we propose to develop a mathematical model to interpret plaque growth by integrating these dynamic biological processes. It will offer a systematic rational understanding of plaque growth. New models will be provided to better interpret biological data and contribute to our knowledge in quantifying complex biological mechanisms during growth and development.Read moreRead less
Developing mathematical models of infection and transmission to link biology, epidemiology and public health policy. Infectious diseases constitute a significant burden on the health of the population. Understanding how best to control them requires a multi-faceted approach, combining data from biology, medicine and population health with mathematical and computational models of disease transmission. This project will investigate the "flu" and other diseases.
Optimising progress towards elimination of malaria. The project aims to advance mathematical knowledge by developing novel tools appropriate for modelling disease elimination. We will apply these new mathematical tools to the significant problem of malaria elimination in Vietnam. The expected outcomes are new tools for modelling disease elimination on a fine spatial resolution with heterogeneities in individual patient characteristics, calibrating models to household level data on disease transm ....Optimising progress towards elimination of malaria. The project aims to advance mathematical knowledge by developing novel tools appropriate for modelling disease elimination. We will apply these new mathematical tools to the significant problem of malaria elimination in Vietnam. The expected outcomes are new tools for modelling disease elimination on a fine spatial resolution with heterogeneities in individual patient characteristics, calibrating models to household level data on disease transmission and designing intervention strategies for maximum effect on disease transmission. The innovative combination of modelling, inference and optimisation ensures that the mathematical methods developed will be broadly applicable to modelling elimination strategies for other infectious diseases.
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Epidemics in large populations: long-term and near-critical behaviour. The project aims to prove qualitative and quantitative results concerning aspects of the long-term behaviour of near-critical epidemics, including the probability and duration of a large outbreak, and the total number of people infected. This project is a theoretical study of stochastic models of epidemics in large populations. The project will focus on emerging epidemics, where the average number of contacts, infection and r ....Epidemics in large populations: long-term and near-critical behaviour. The project aims to prove qualitative and quantitative results concerning aspects of the long-term behaviour of near-critical epidemics, including the probability and duration of a large outbreak, and the total number of people infected. This project is a theoretical study of stochastic models of epidemics in large populations. The project will focus on emerging epidemics, where the average number of contacts, infection and recovery rates are such that the basic reproduction number of the disease is near the critical value 1. The project will plan to both analyse particular epidemic models and develop new methodologies applicable in broader contexts. The mathematical predictions will be tested through simulations and comparison to real-world data. The significant outcome of the project should be the advancement in mathematical understanding of infectious disease spread, eventually leading to improved epidemic surveillance and control, and resulting in more effective protection of public health, improved quality of life, and obvious economic benefits.Read moreRead less