Coupling biophotonic modalities with machine based recognition systems for disease diagnosis. This project will develop new ways to diagnose canine cancer, malaria and atherosclerosis using infrared-based technology and sophisticated pattern recognition techniques in the hope to discover infrared biomarkers that will lead to early diagnosis of the disease and ultimately save lives.
Improvement of anthracycline chemotherapy by enhancement of apoptotic responses and tumour targeted activation. Improved outcomes for anthracycline anticancer chemotherapy is of clear benefit to the nation. Tumour-localised treatment is expected to lead to improved responses, reduced side-effects and improved quality of life while rational selection of drug combinations is expected to enable treatment of tumours that were previously resistant to anthracyclines. With an aging population in Austra ....Improvement of anthracycline chemotherapy by enhancement of apoptotic responses and tumour targeted activation. Improved outcomes for anthracycline anticancer chemotherapy is of clear benefit to the nation. Tumour-localised treatment is expected to lead to improved responses, reduced side-effects and improved quality of life while rational selection of drug combinations is expected to enable treatment of tumours that were previously resistant to anthracyclines. With an aging population in Australia the incidence of cancer is predicted to rise dramatically - improved treatment outcomes and better use of chemotherapeutics will be of obvious national benefit. The development of new tumour-targeted agents is the subject of joint Intellectual Property between Australia and the USA, offering potential economic benefit. Read moreRead less
Can unloading footwear improve clinical care of people with knee osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a public health problem imposing major economic and personal burden. It is the fourth highest cause of morbidity in Australia and national health expenditure in 2007 was $2.03 billion. Footwear can reduce knee load which is linked to disease pathogenesis. Specially-designed unloading shoes will be evaluated in a clinical trial and biomechanical studies to determine their efficacy at reducing sympto ....Can unloading footwear improve clinical care of people with knee osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a public health problem imposing major economic and personal burden. It is the fourth highest cause of morbidity in Australia and national health expenditure in 2007 was $2.03 billion. Footwear can reduce knee load which is linked to disease pathogenesis. Specially-designed unloading shoes will be evaluated in a clinical trial and biomechanical studies to determine their efficacy at reducing symptoms, mechanical mechanism of pain relief, patient sub-groups that best respond to treatment and whether combined treatment with medial arch supports changes knee biomechanics. Outcomes will impact clinical practice and relieve suffering of people with knee osteoarthritis. Findings will also guide future shoe developments for arthritis. Read moreRead less
Identifying the major targets of protective antibodies against malaria. This project aims to understand how immunity to malaria develops and to use this knowledge to develop effective vaccines against malaria. The development of a malaria vaccine would be of great value in Australia's region where malaria is a leading cause of death and illness and impairs economic development. The project will advance our knowledge of how the immune system fights infections and will contribute to building Austr ....Identifying the major targets of protective antibodies against malaria. This project aims to understand how immunity to malaria develops and to use this knowledge to develop effective vaccines against malaria. The development of a malaria vaccine would be of great value in Australia's region where malaria is a leading cause of death and illness and impairs economic development. The project will advance our knowledge of how the immune system fights infections and will contribute to building Australia's strength in infectious diseases research and developing strategies to combat important infections. The project will help build and maintain expertise in developing vaccines in Australia and the approaches used and knowledge gained will be applicable to understanding and combating other important infections.Read moreRead less
Improved identification of patients 'at risk' of depression, and optimal targeting of rehabilitation post-stroke through novel brain imaging and biomarkers. Use of novel brain imaging and biomarkers for identification of stroke survivors at risk of depression and recurrent stroke will permit early access to preventative and effective treatments for depression and improve capacity to benefit from rehabilitation. Development of predictive models to guide selection of most optimal rehabilitation st ....Improved identification of patients 'at risk' of depression, and optimal targeting of rehabilitation post-stroke through novel brain imaging and biomarkers. Use of novel brain imaging and biomarkers for identification of stroke survivors at risk of depression and recurrent stroke will permit early access to preventative and effective treatments for depression and improve capacity to benefit from rehabilitation. Development of predictive models to guide selection of most optimal rehabilitation strategies based on viable brain will maximise the capacity for persons with stroke to reach their full potential for recovery and ensure rehabilitation is more targeted and cost efficient. Improved capacity to benefit from treatment will have ongoing benefits for activity participation and productive living in Australians who experience stroke.Read moreRead less
The neural basis of memory. Although they define us, our knowledge about how, and where, memories are processed and stored within the brain is still in its infancy. This project aims to investigate the morphological and functional changes that occur in cortical neurons during memory formation. By recording from both mouse and human neurons, this study will bridge the gap in knowledge between the heavily-investigated rodent brain and the human brain and advance our knowledge on how remote memorie ....The neural basis of memory. Although they define us, our knowledge about how, and where, memories are processed and stored within the brain is still in its infancy. This project aims to investigate the morphological and functional changes that occur in cortical neurons during memory formation. By recording from both mouse and human neurons, this study will bridge the gap in knowledge between the heavily-investigated rodent brain and the human brain and advance our knowledge on how remote memories are formed in individual neurons within the frontal cortex of the brain. These findings will highlight potential neural mechanisms that might be awry in cases of memory loss and amnesia.Read moreRead less
Engineering nanoscale tools for cellular interrogation. The aim is to address fundamental hurdles to engineering seamless nanobiointerfaces between electroactive nanoscale tools and living cells. This is expected to allow efficient delivery of many bioactive cargo types into cells, intracellular sampling of cytosol contents, and probing of action potential, all at the cell—material interface. New, powerful, electroactive nanoscale tools that deliver precise spatio-temporal resolution and minimal ....Engineering nanoscale tools for cellular interrogation. The aim is to address fundamental hurdles to engineering seamless nanobiointerfaces between electroactive nanoscale tools and living cells. This is expected to allow efficient delivery of many bioactive cargo types into cells, intracellular sampling of cytosol contents, and probing of action potential, all at the cell—material interface. New, powerful, electroactive nanoscale tools that deliver precise spatio-temporal resolution and minimal invasiveness and perturbation are likely to transform ex-vivo cellular processes. The intended outcomes are crucial for maximising precision in engineering and implementing of ex-vivo cellular processes. Fundamental advances in knowledge may eventually be a platform for developing cell-based therapies.
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Improving Outcome after Stroke through Earlier Rehabilitation: The Very Early Rehabilitation Research Program. Stroke presents a major, growing global public health challenge accounting for 25% of all chronic disability. Treatments that reduce the burden of stroke are urgently needed, and early rehabilitation may significantly reduce chronic disability. A large, high quality, National Health and Medical Research Council funded clinical trial is at the heart of the A Very Early Rehabilitation Tri ....Improving Outcome after Stroke through Earlier Rehabilitation: The Very Early Rehabilitation Research Program. Stroke presents a major, growing global public health challenge accounting for 25% of all chronic disability. Treatments that reduce the burden of stroke are urgently needed, and early rehabilitation may significantly reduce chronic disability. A large, high quality, National Health and Medical Research Council funded clinical trial is at the heart of the A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT) program. The trial tests whether a simple, rehabilitation intervention (early and intensive out of bed activity) results in fewer deaths and less disability for stroke sufferers and is cost effective. If effective the intervention could be adopted across different health services both here and overseas, reducing the global burden of stroke.Read moreRead less
A molecular and functional investigation of innate-like T cells of the immune system. This project will investigate innate-like T cells, which are at a crossroad between innate and adaptive immunity. A complete knowledge of the cellular function and balance of these cells will offer potential for new immunotherapies associated with infectious and autoimmune disorders.
Knee osteoarthritis: Getting moving with physiotherapy. Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic musculoskeletal condition causing pain, disability and reduced quality-of-life. Further rises in the prevalence of knee OA and associated patient and economic costs are expected due to an ageing population and increasing risk factors for OA such as obesity. This research will provide important information about the role of modified footwear and gait retraining in management of knee OA which ca ....Knee osteoarthritis: Getting moving with physiotherapy. Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic musculoskeletal condition causing pain, disability and reduced quality-of-life. Further rises in the prevalence of knee OA and associated patient and economic costs are expected due to an ageing population and increasing risk factors for OA such as obesity. This research will provide important information about the role of modified footwear and gait retraining in management of knee OA which can influence current clinical practice. This has the potential to reduce the burden of knee OA from both an individual and societal perspective. Furthermore, the research will result in a commercially available shoe suitable for people with knee OA. Read moreRead less