Cellular Plasticity in the Brain: discovering molecular mechanisms controlling the production of neurons during brain development, function, ageing and disease. The program aims to understand the mechanisms regulating Brain Plasticity - this recently discovered property of the brain to respond to environmental stimuli, both physiological and pathological, by producing new functional neurons. Specifically, the program will discover how the brain's stem cells are stimulated to produce new neurons. ....Cellular Plasticity in the Brain: discovering molecular mechanisms controlling the production of neurons during brain development, function, ageing and disease. The program aims to understand the mechanisms regulating Brain Plasticity - this recently discovered property of the brain to respond to environmental stimuli, both physiological and pathological, by producing new functional neurons. Specifically, the program will discover how the brain's stem cells are stimulated to produce new neurons. This understanding will significantly expand our knowledge of how the brain develops, and how functions, like memory, are modulated by neuronal replacement. Discoveries will underpin the development of, in association with Australia's biotechnology sector, a new generation of therapeutics, which treat neurological diseases, like Stroke, by stimulating the production of functional neurons.Read moreRead less
Advancing The Evidence-base For Childhood Brain Insult: Diagnosis, Assessment And Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,662.00
Summary
My research has 4 primary objectives, representing major gaps in current knowledge: 1. improve knowledge of recovery and determinants of post-concussive symptoms 2. establish the impact of child brain insult on socio-emotional function and identify contributing factors 3. develop an iPad based tool for socio-emotional function 4. evaluate and disseminate e-heath treatments for child brain insult
The Rane And Spain Routes In The Brain: Functional Studies And Remediation In Dyslexia Subtypes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,426.00
Summary
According to a recent DEST report a disturbingly high number of Australian school children are failing to meet a minimum acceptable standard in literacy . Failure to reach these standards is associated with poorer outcomes in mental health and socioeconomic status, greater representation among the prison population and with failure to achieve to true ability. Further, failure to correct these problems may well result in transmission of the problems associated with failed literacy into the next g ....According to a recent DEST report a disturbingly high number of Australian school children are failing to meet a minimum acceptable standard in literacy . Failure to reach these standards is associated with poorer outcomes in mental health and socioeconomic status, greater representation among the prison population and with failure to achieve to true ability. Further, failure to correct these problems may well result in transmission of the problems associated with failed literacy into the next generation. Despite the obvious immense social and personal ramifications and cost, literacy instruction for adults continues to lack a theoretical and research based approach . It is plain that improving population literacy would have significant benefits and it is also plain that early detection, intervention and remediation is desirable. This project brings to bear on these important aims current expertise in the nature of reading, how children learn to read and why some have so much difficulty in doing so, and techniques for determining the neural substrates of the mechanisms involved in reading and learning to read. We will subdivide child readers on the basis of their ability to read words using the letter to sound route or dictionary look-up route. We will use magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy to examine which parts of the brain are disrupted and-or disconnected when ability to read in either of these two routes is poor. We will then remediate these poor readers using targetted remediation therapy and re-image them to see whether remediation has altered the way the brain reads.Read moreRead less
Shaken Baby Syndrome: Characterization Of A Model And Evaluation Of Novel Pharmacological Therapies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,460.00
Summary
Shaken baby syndrome is a form of traumatic brain injury in infants less than 2 years of age. It results in death in 10-40 % of cases, and neurological problems in survivors. No treatment exists largely because there is no well characterized model of the syndrome that replicates the human situation. This study will fully characterize our newly developed model of shaken baby syndrome and examine the effectiveness of a novel interventional strategy targeting brain swelling.
The Role Of Netrin-DCC In The Development Of The Corpus Callosum
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,065.00
Summary
During embryonic development neurons send out axons that connect to other target neurons within the brain. The proper connectivity of these axons is vital to brain function. The largest axon tract in the brain is called the corpus callosum and connects neurons in the left and right cerebral hemispheres. When the corpus callosum does not form, significant cognitive, motor and sensory deficits occur in patients. This condition, known as agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), is associated with ove ....During embryonic development neurons send out axons that connect to other target neurons within the brain. The proper connectivity of these axons is vital to brain function. The largest axon tract in the brain is called the corpus callosum and connects neurons in the left and right cerebral hemispheres. When the corpus callosum does not form, significant cognitive, motor and sensory deficits occur in patients. This condition, known as agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), is associated with over 50 different human congenital syndromes. Thus understanding how the genes and molecules involved in the formation of the corpus callosum function in normal development can provide the basis for our understanding of what goes wrong in ACC. In this proposal we will investigate the role of the axon guidance molecule Netrin1, and its receptor DCC, in development of the corpus callosum in both a mouse model and in humans with malformations of the corpus callosum. Although Netrin1-DCC signalling has traditionally been associated with mechanisms of axon guidance, we hypothesize that these molecules may play a different role, specifically in cellular adhesion and ultimately in the fusion of the two cerebral hemispheres, in a manner that allows the corpus callosum to form. A second role for Netrin1-DCC signalling may be in the guidance of these axons once the midline has fused correctly and we investigate this in Aim 2 of the proposal. Finally, we are collaborating with a paediatric neurologist at UCSF, who has identified several mutations in the DCC gene in patients with ACC. In Aim 3 we test whether these mutations disrupt the function of DCC in callosal axon pathfinding. Understanding how these genes function during development of the brain and how their function may be altered in ACC is crucial to providing a proper diagnosis and prognosis for these patients. Ultimately, understanding more about how these genes function could also lead to prevention of these disorders.Read moreRead less
Encephalitis is a common cause of neurological disability in young adults and adolescents. We have identified a subgroup of encephalitis which is due to the patient's own immune system attacking the brain. Our study will identify the earliest immune responses against the brain in children with encephalitis. Identifying these early immune responses in people with encephalitis will allow early and directed treatments to prevent disability and death in the future.
The advantage of being magnocellular: the role of the dorsal visual stream in object identification. The primary benefit of this project is to basic science and tertiary teaching globally. Visual processing and how it activates attention and operates to guide actions and cognitive behaviour is fundamental to our understanding of life and brain evolution. In particular this new knowledge will further understanding of many cognitive symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and in the ....The advantage of being magnocellular: the role of the dorsal visual stream in object identification. The primary benefit of this project is to basic science and tertiary teaching globally. Visual processing and how it activates attention and operates to guide actions and cognitive behaviour is fundamental to our understanding of life and brain evolution. In particular this new knowledge will further understanding of many cognitive symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and in the future should lead to design of better educational technologies for such children. Similarly understanding of temporal sequencing of vision has commercial implications for design of bionic eyes and robotic vision processing.Read moreRead less
Understanding the generation of hypothalamic sleep neurons. This Project aims to investigate the mechanisms controlling the formation of the sleep neurons in the hypothalamus. We all sleep, and normal sleep-wake cycles play a central role in our biology. The functional role of these sleep neurons in the mature brain are well established. However, how the neurons are generated during development is very poorly defined. This project aims to address this critical knowledge gap, and will greatly inc ....Understanding the generation of hypothalamic sleep neurons. This Project aims to investigate the mechanisms controlling the formation of the sleep neurons in the hypothalamus. We all sleep, and normal sleep-wake cycles play a central role in our biology. The functional role of these sleep neurons in the mature brain are well established. However, how the neurons are generated during development is very poorly defined. This project aims to address this critical knowledge gap, and will greatly increase our understanding of how the development of this critical aspect of organismal function is orchestrated during development. This project will also develop bioinformatics tools with broad utility within the biosciences field and enhance the capacity for interdisciplinary international collaborations.Read moreRead less
Validation of a New Conceptual Model of ADHD based on Underlying Central Nervous System Dysfunction. ADHD is a debilitating problem that affects 5% of children and approximately half as many adults. ADHD causes substantial problems at school and if untreated, predisposes the individual to increased drug and alcohol use, marital breakdown, criminal prosecution and psychiatric problems in later life. One problem is that we do not fully understand what are the causes of the disorder. This project w ....Validation of a New Conceptual Model of ADHD based on Underlying Central Nervous System Dysfunction. ADHD is a debilitating problem that affects 5% of children and approximately half as many adults. ADHD causes substantial problems at school and if untreated, predisposes the individual to increased drug and alcohol use, marital breakdown, criminal prosecution and psychiatric problems in later life. One problem is that we do not fully understand what are the causes of the disorder. This project will test the validity of several models of brain dysfunction in ADHD which have been influential in the literature, but poorly tested. Through better understanding of the basic underlying problems, more effective intervention can be developed.Read moreRead less