Growing up with Cancer: A mixed method examination of how cancer influences the transition from adolescence to adulthood. In the last decade, over 10,000 of Australia's adolescents and young adults were diagnosed with cancer. Over the last 30 years, improvements in survival for 15 - 30 year olds have been the lowest of all age groups.Despite this, few health care facilities have the specialised infrastructure needed for dedicated psychosocial support of adolescents.
In finding out from adolescen ....Growing up with Cancer: A mixed method examination of how cancer influences the transition from adolescence to adulthood. In the last decade, over 10,000 of Australia's adolescents and young adults were diagnosed with cancer. Over the last 30 years, improvements in survival for 15 - 30 year olds have been the lowest of all age groups.Despite this, few health care facilities have the specialised infrastructure needed for dedicated psychosocial support of adolescents.
In finding out from adolescents with cancer what is most important in their care, we aim to identify and develop a range of services dedicated not only to addressing some of their needs, but also to building upon aspects of the cancer experience thought by adolescents as having a positive impact on their lives.Read moreRead less
Elucidation of the hierarchy of stem, progenitor and mature cells in the mouse mammary gland. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women in Australia. Although the treatments have improved over the last 30 years, many women still die from the disease. It is therefore important to identify new targets for breast cancer treatment. There is growing interest in the concept that a cancer-initiating cell may arise from a stem cell or progenitor cell in the mammary gland. O ....Elucidation of the hierarchy of stem, progenitor and mature cells in the mouse mammary gland. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women in Australia. Although the treatments have improved over the last 30 years, many women still die from the disease. It is therefore important to identify new targets for breast cancer treatment. There is growing interest in the concept that a cancer-initiating cell may arise from a stem cell or progenitor cell in the mammary gland. Our goal is to identify those cells and to determine which genes are involved in transforming a normal cell to a cancerous cell.Read moreRead less
To implement and evaluate flexible models of palliative care service delivery for terminally ill people living alone at home. Provision of evaluated services for this growing population group will lead to better planning and implementation of care being delivered at home, improved quality of life, increased capacity to die at home, and a reduction in hospitalisations and other health care costs.
Discovering mechanisms of primary embryonic tissue migration through live cell imaging and novel genetic approaches. The studies proposed here will provide concepts and knowledge about the molecular basis of cell migration that will impact on diverse aspects of human health, such as the causes and nature of tumour metastasis and our understanding of the developmental basis of birth defects. In addition, understanding cell migration mechanisms will allow us to better predict or control the behav ....Discovering mechanisms of primary embryonic tissue migration through live cell imaging and novel genetic approaches. The studies proposed here will provide concepts and knowledge about the molecular basis of cell migration that will impact on diverse aspects of human health, such as the causes and nature of tumour metastasis and our understanding of the developmental basis of birth defects. In addition, understanding cell migration mechanisms will allow us to better predict or control the behaviour of therapeutic stem cells introduced into the body.Read moreRead less
How does Fat cadherin control organ size in Drosophila, and cancer in humans? The primary function of Fat cadherin is to dictate the appropriate size of organs in developing animals. Deficiency in the fat gene results in vastly overgrown organs and can lead to the formation of cancer in humans. Our study will provide important insights into how the size of organs are controlled during development. Our research findings will have important implications for several aspects of human health and biol ....How does Fat cadherin control organ size in Drosophila, and cancer in humans? The primary function of Fat cadherin is to dictate the appropriate size of organs in developing animals. Deficiency in the fat gene results in vastly overgrown organs and can lead to the formation of cancer in humans. Our study will provide important insights into how the size of organs are controlled during development. Our research findings will have important implications for several aspects of human health and biology, and will increase our understanding of diseases that arise due to aberrant tissue growth, such as cancer. Our research findings will thus be of substantial national benefit, given that cancer is now the biggest cause of death in Australia, and that more than 88,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer each year. Read moreRead less
Smart Information Use for PET-CT Quantitative Molecular Imaging. This project aims to use advanced computing algorithms to tackle
challenging problems associated with a new medical technology called
PET-CT which combines two imaging modalities in one device. While this technology is very new and has great potential in cancer and brain disorders, it also poses major challenges for information processing and transmission. We will address these challenges by developing advanced algorithms that op ....Smart Information Use for PET-CT Quantitative Molecular Imaging. This project aims to use advanced computing algorithms to tackle
challenging problems associated with a new medical technology called
PET-CT which combines two imaging modalities in one device. While this technology is very new and has great potential in cancer and brain disorders, it also poses major challenges for information processing and transmission. We will address these challenges by developing advanced algorithms that optimally extract information from PET and CT using mathematical models that correct for the various sources of inaccuracy. Our research will put Australian biomedical researchers and healthcare professionals at the forefront of advanced medical imaging technology.Read moreRead less
An Innovative Multimedia Framework for Multidimensional PET-CT Image Navigation and Communication. The recent development of a combined positron emission tomography and computerized tomography (PET-CT) device ushers in a completely new era in molecular imaging that will revolutionize the approach to imaging in the clinical environment. In this project, we address a number of the critical challenges associated with the introduction of PET-CT, and provide a range of innovative multimedia technolo ....An Innovative Multimedia Framework for Multidimensional PET-CT Image Navigation and Communication. The recent development of a combined positron emission tomography and computerized tomography (PET-CT) device ushers in a completely new era in molecular imaging that will revolutionize the approach to imaging in the clinical environment. In this project, we address a number of the critical challenges associated with the introduction of PET-CT, and provide a range of innovative multimedia technologies to visualize, manipulate and deliver these multi-dimensional data. Our research will greatly enhance the clinical and research benefits of PET-CT and facilitate new discoveries which will have a significant scientific and social impact in Australia and the world at large.Read moreRead less
Adaptive Evolution of BRCA1 in Ancestral Mammals. This project investigates adaptive evolution of BRCA1 in the early radiation of mammals. We will test the hypothesis that the evolution of mammary glands and X chromosome inactivation has resulted in modification of the BRCA1 protein sequence as it aquired new roles in these processes. We will also investigate the importance of these changes inducing compensatory changes in other parts of the protein.
Control of cell survival by the Bcl-2 protein family. The control of apoptosis is essential for homeostasis. It is now realized that deregulation of apoptosis is a hallmark of many cancers. In apoptosis, the Bcl-2 protein family plays a central role in determining if a cell lives or dies. My proposal aim is to provide a deeper understanding of how cell death and survival is controlled by the Bcl-2 family. These studies have notable implications for understanding normal cell death control as well ....Control of cell survival by the Bcl-2 protein family. The control of apoptosis is essential for homeostasis. It is now realized that deregulation of apoptosis is a hallmark of many cancers. In apoptosis, the Bcl-2 protein family plays a central role in determining if a cell lives or dies. My proposal aim is to provide a deeper understanding of how cell death and survival is controlled by the Bcl-2 family. These studies have notable implications for understanding normal cell death control as well as aid in the development of therapeutic agents such as ones to overcome the resistance to apoptosis, found in many types of cancer.Read moreRead less
Apoptotic signalling in virally infected and normal cells. Viral diseases contribute substantially to mortality and morbidity, in Australia and internationally. Emerging viral diseases, including H5N1 avian influenza, have the potential to severely impact on human health and the global economy. Concerns also exist that viruses may be used as bioweapons. This project seeks to define the mechanisms by which cell death occurs and is regulated in healthy cells, and how this is altered in virally inf ....Apoptotic signalling in virally infected and normal cells. Viral diseases contribute substantially to mortality and morbidity, in Australia and internationally. Emerging viral diseases, including H5N1 avian influenza, have the potential to severely impact on human health and the global economy. Concerns also exist that viruses may be used as bioweapons. This project seeks to define the mechanisms by which cell death occurs and is regulated in healthy cells, and how this is altered in virally infected or oncogenically transformed cells. Outcomes of this work may contribute to development of novel anti-cancer and anti-viral therapies, diagnostic reagents and vaccines.Read moreRead less