Identification Of Novel Low Penetrance Genes Associated With Melanoma Risk
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$399,830.00
Summary
Using pools of DNA samples we will conduct a genome-wide association study for melanoma predisposition genes. The most promising candidate genes will be followed up by sequencing and further geneotyping of additional SNPs in order to identify the causal variants.
A Genome-wide Association Study Of Endometrial Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,066,328.00
Summary
Endometrial cancer (uterine-womb cancer) is the most common invasive gynaecological cancer in Australia. Each year more than 1400 women are affected by the condition. The non-biased approach of our large study will identify genes that increase risk of this cancer, to provide information for future targeted therapies to prevent progression, and large-scale studies investigating how these genes interact with environmental factors such as hormone replacement therapy and obesity to cause disease.
Quantifying The Effectiveness Of Pertussis Vaccine In Older Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,703.00
Summary
Pertussis is the most poorly controlled vaccine preventable disease in Australia. Childhood pertussis is a well-known public health problem but adult pertussis is also common and has a significant burden on the health system, especially in adults over 65 years. Pertussis vaccines for adults are currently not funded by our national immunisation program. This project will provide vital data to inform whether pertussis vaccination is cost-effective in older Australian adults.
Characterising The Muscarinic Receptor Deficit In Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,543.00
Summary
Post-mortem examination of the brains of schizophrenia patients reveals a substantial loss of muscarinic receptors. This is likely to be clinically very important if it can also be confirmed in living patients. Having developed a new scanning technique that shows muscarinic receptors in the living brain, we will now scan patients with schizophrenia to see if they also show this receptor loss, and see how it affects them. This could open new doors to understanding and treating the disease.
Case-cohort Study Of The Association Between Pertussis Vaccination In Infancy And The Risk Of IgE-mediated Food Allergy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$144,742.00
Summary
Allergic diseases are one of the most important causes of chronic morbidity among children in Australia. This is a retrospective case-controlled trial, utilising data from the Australian immunisation register and cases of confirmed food allergy, to examine the role of vaccination in protection against food allergy. If a relationship between the type of vaccination and protection against allergy is found, this would have implications for allergy prevention and immunisation policy.