Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal fusion. Neurons are tightly connected individual cells that communicate through chemical and electrical signals, and this project aims to discover the key molecules that allow these cells to remain as individual units without fusing with each other. The nervous system, unlike other tissues, is made of discrete individual cells, connected by chemical and electrical synapses but not by cytoplasmic continuity. However, how this is achieved ....Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal fusion. Neurons are tightly connected individual cells that communicate through chemical and electrical signals, and this project aims to discover the key molecules that allow these cells to remain as individual units without fusing with each other. The nervous system, unlike other tissues, is made of discrete individual cells, connected by chemical and electrical synapses but not by cytoplasmic continuity. However, how this is achieved and how neurons maintain their individuality during development, remodelling and ageing is unknown. The project aims to address this gap using a genetic approach and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental system. The results may provide insights into how the nervous system develops and functions.Read moreRead less
Interactions between phenome and genome at developing CNS synapses during synaptic refinement. Activity-dependent changes in synaptic transmission are vital to development and function of central neuronal networks. However, the critical factors regulating developmental changes in synaptic signals remain largely unknown. We will correlate functional changes in synaptic responses at glutamate-releasing synapses with changes in glutamate receptor composition at a critical period during developmen ....Interactions between phenome and genome at developing CNS synapses during synaptic refinement. Activity-dependent changes in synaptic transmission are vital to development and function of central neuronal networks. However, the critical factors regulating developmental changes in synaptic signals remain largely unknown. We will correlate functional changes in synaptic responses at glutamate-releasing synapses with changes in glutamate receptor composition at a critical period during development, test whether synaptic activation of receptors is required for these changes and define the pattern of activity-dependent changes in gene expression necessary for developmental changes in synaptic transmission. Understanding this interaction between synaptic phenome and activity-dependent genomic expression will expand our understanding of brain development and function.Read moreRead less
Integrated governance of water and coal seam gas. This project aims to evaluate the governance of the water effects on unconventional gas, to develop legal and policy principles for the integration of these effects in an effective, efficient and legitimate manner, and to investigate problems posed for integrated and polycentric governance, more generally. Australia must meet its unconventional gas needs without harming its water resources. The project is expected to deliver effective and legitim ....Integrated governance of water and coal seam gas. This project aims to evaluate the governance of the water effects on unconventional gas, to develop legal and policy principles for the integration of these effects in an effective, efficient and legitimate manner, and to investigate problems posed for integrated and polycentric governance, more generally. Australia must meet its unconventional gas needs without harming its water resources. The project is expected to deliver effective and legitimate outcomes for water, energy and potentially other social and environmental issues, aiming to establish Australia as a leader in sustainable water management.Read moreRead less
Development of novel reagents that specifically counteract EphA4 to enhance axonal regeneration. This project will examine the role of EphA4, an important guidance protein, in neural cell regeneration. The goal is to understand the signalling mechanisms that inhibit regeneration in the central nervous system and to develop novel biological agents to overcome these processes and promote functional recovery after nervous system injury or disease.
Investigating and promoting resilience in children with intellectual disabilities. Disability is a significant risk factor that threatens health and well-being. For the estimated 4% of 0-14 year old children with diagnosed intellectual disabilities in Australia, early intervention is crucial for promoting resilience and preventing an accumulation of risk. By promoting resilience and thereby reducing the cost of lifelong support, evidence-based interventions produce huge social and economic benef ....Investigating and promoting resilience in children with intellectual disabilities. Disability is a significant risk factor that threatens health and well-being. For the estimated 4% of 0-14 year old children with diagnosed intellectual disabilities in Australia, early intervention is crucial for promoting resilience and preventing an accumulation of risk. By promoting resilience and thereby reducing the cost of lifelong support, evidence-based interventions produce huge social and economic benefits for the nation, as well as for individuals, families and communities.Read moreRead less
Investigating the Molecular Mechanism of Synaptic Transmission. This project aims to increase our understanding of the synaptic function of the nervous system. Neurons communicate with each other via the release of neurotransmitters at specialised structures known as synapses. Synaptic vesicle (SV) release from the presynaptic neuron is essential for this neuronal transmission, which drives all aspects of nervous system function, including behaviour and cognition. This project plans to investiga ....Investigating the Molecular Mechanism of Synaptic Transmission. This project aims to increase our understanding of the synaptic function of the nervous system. Neurons communicate with each other via the release of neurotransmitters at specialised structures known as synapses. Synaptic vesicle (SV) release from the presynaptic neuron is essential for this neuronal transmission, which drives all aspects of nervous system function, including behaviour and cognition. This project plans to investigate how key synaptic proteins and the interactions between them regulate spontaneous SV release. It aims to reveal the molecular mechanism of both basal level regulation and the potentiation of spontaneous SV release, using a Caenorhabditis elegans model system.Read moreRead less
Dendritic information processing during sensory-motor behaviour. The neocortex is centrally involved in the control of animal behaviour. It is largely unknown how neocortical neurons contribute to the neuronal computations that generate behaviour. The project will study how individual neurons in the neocortex compute the sensory and motor signals that underlie an important exploratory behaviour in rodents.
Control of actin assembly by cell-cell adhesion: molecular effectors and higher order function. Functional cooperation between the actin cytoskeleton and cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules plays critical roles during development and morphogenesis. This proposal builds on my lab's recent discovery that E-cadherin interacts with and regulates the Arp2/3 actin nucleator complex, a central determinant of actin assembly in cells. We will explore key implications of this finding, concentrating on d ....Control of actin assembly by cell-cell adhesion: molecular effectors and higher order function. Functional cooperation between the actin cytoskeleton and cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules plays critical roles during development and morphogenesis. This proposal builds on my lab's recent discovery that E-cadherin interacts with and regulates the Arp2/3 actin nucleator complex, a central determinant of actin assembly in cells. We will explore key implications of this finding, concentrating on defining the molecular mechanisms that regulate Arp2/3 and actin assembly in cadherin-based adhesion. Our work combines molecular characterization of regulatory mechanisms and proteomic searches for new regulators, with tests of the higher-order function of this novel process in cell adhesion and recognition.Read moreRead less
Molecular control of adult neural stem cell quiescence. The objective of this project is to improve our understanding of adult neural stem cell biology and function. Within the central nervous system of the brain, neural stem cells persist throughout adult life. These cells continually produce new neurons that are pivotal for processes including learning and memory, and deficits in adult neurogenesis have been linked to age-related cognitive decline. Adult neural stem cells are predominantly qui ....Molecular control of adult neural stem cell quiescence. The objective of this project is to improve our understanding of adult neural stem cell biology and function. Within the central nervous system of the brain, neural stem cells persist throughout adult life. These cells continually produce new neurons that are pivotal for processes including learning and memory, and deficits in adult neurogenesis have been linked to age-related cognitive decline. Adult neural stem cells are predominantly quiescent, dividing rarely to ensure that they are not prematurely exhausted. However, the factors that maintain this quiescence are very poorly defined. The project aims to understand how stem cell quiescence is controlled at both a molecular and cellular level in vivo within the adult mouse brain.Read moreRead less
Transcriptional regulation of brain size during development. This project aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms through which intermediate progenitor cell (IPC) formation is regulated within the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex plays a key role in functions central to our existence, including emotion, behaviour, learning and memory. During development, cortical neural stem cells produce neurons via IPCs. This project expects to discover the genetic programs regulating neuronal produc ....Transcriptional regulation of brain size during development. This project aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms through which intermediate progenitor cell (IPC) formation is regulated within the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex plays a key role in functions central to our existence, including emotion, behaviour, learning and memory. During development, cortical neural stem cells produce neurons via IPCs. This project expects to discover the genetic programs regulating neuronal production, providing significant conceptual advances in this key field. This will provide significant benefits, such as enhancing our understanding of how overall brain size is regulated during development.Read moreRead less