Birth Weight, Adult Weight And Podocyte Depletion.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$796,252.00
Summary
A major role of our kidneys is to filter our blood. A key cell type in our kidney filters is an octopus-shaped cell known as the podocyte. If we are not born with enough podocytes, or if the filters grow too large after birth due for example to excessive weight gain, the podocytes cannot adequately filter the blood, and this can lead to kidney disease. We will measure podocyte endowment at birth, and assess the effects of weight gain and loss after birth on podocyte features and kidney health.
Extending a family of garbage collectors. Garbage collection is a key component in the automatic management of storage in computer systems. It is an essential property of modern programming systems that frees the programmer from a significant error-prone task. Our interest is in garbage collection in distributed systems involving a number of networked computers. Using our novel construction methodology, we have jointly produced a family of collection algorithms that are significantly simpler and ....Extending a family of garbage collectors. Garbage collection is a key component in the automatic management of storage in computer systems. It is an essential property of modern programming systems that frees the programmer from a significant error-prone task. Our interest is in garbage collection in distributed systems involving a number of networked computers. Using our novel construction methodology, we have jointly produced a family of collection algorithms that are significantly simpler and more efficient than previous work. Here we wish to extend this family to operate effectively in a specific architecture increasingly favoured by many modern distributed high-performance computing systems.Read moreRead less
Preclinical Development Of TLR Signalling Inhibitors For Prevention Of Preterm Labour And Fetal Inflammatory Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$690,821.00
Summary
Preterm birth affects 8% of Australian births and is a major cause of infant and child health problems. Therapies to prevent or delay prematurity are urgently required. This study will investigate new drugs that suppress the triggers of preterm labour. We will evaluate drug effects in mice and human placental tissue, to demonstrate safety and fetal protection from inflammatory injury that occurs with prematurity. Successful completion of the study is expected to lead to clinical trials in women.
Priming The Maternal Immune Response To Resist Inflammatory Disorders Of Pregnancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$920,972.00
Summary
Preeclampsia and preterm birth are common conditions affecting >15 million pregnancies annually. An underlying cause is the mother’s immune response, which can react adversely to the fetus causing an inflammatory reaction. This project seeks to find ways to strengthen the maternal immune system beginning before conception. The work will provide insights upon which to advise intending parents and will inform development of new treatments options to protect susceptible women.
Periconceptual Foundations For A Healthy Start To Life.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$11,022,802.00
Summary
Preconception and early pregnancy is a critical time for a women's health and that of her future child. New research suggests that a woman's genetic potential, her lifestyle and the physical and socioeconomic environment in which she lives, and her biological and social relationship with her male partner, all impact on the long term health of her baby. Abnormal events around the time of conception and in early pregnancy can predispose a newborn to later occurrence, in adult life, of conditions i ....Preconception and early pregnancy is a critical time for a women's health and that of her future child. New research suggests that a woman's genetic potential, her lifestyle and the physical and socioeconomic environment in which she lives, and her biological and social relationship with her male partner, all impact on the long term health of her baby. Abnormal events around the time of conception and in early pregnancy can predispose a newborn to later occurrence, in adult life, of conditions including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and stroke. These adverse events originate in the way that eggs and sperm develop, the uterus is prepared for implantation, the attachment of the early embryo to the lining of the uterus and subsequent growth of the placenta. This Program will study the early life events that promote or limit development of a baby's true potential for successful and healthy life. A better understanding of how lifestyle and environment interact with genes and biology to facilitate optimal growth of the fetus will underpin new preventative measures and therapeutic treatments for infertility, miscarriage and other reproductive disorders. The knowledge gained will inform health policy and clinical practise to improve reproductive health in all Australian women and promote healthy development in all Australian children. The team of researchers is a world-class group of clinicians, scientists and epidemiologists who have made major contributions to our understanding of this area. This team will interface with clinics and hospitals that engage with women prior to and during pregnancy, while having the influence to alter clinical and health practices as well as public health policies. The team will utilize the latest, most technologically advanced laboratory methods and clinical skills, including gene profiling, imaging of early pregnancy, randomised clinical trials and access to the best epidemiological and statistical assessments.Read moreRead less
Pregnancy And Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes In Remote Australia (PANDORA) Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,395,410.00
Summary
The PANDORA study is a longitudinal birth cohort study recruited from a clinical register of Northern Territory women with diabetes in pregnancy (DIP). We will also recruit a comparator group of mothers without DIP and babies. Follow-up of mothers and infants to 3 years post-delivery will be from medical records, questionnaires and clinical assessment. Rates of progression to type 2 diabetes will be assessed among mothers, and growth, feeding patterns and diabetes risk markers among infants.
Accurate Performance Modelling and Prediction of Cluster Computers. The tools, methodologies and data produced by this project will assist
Australian academic and industrial organisations in choosing the most
cost-effective cluster configurations for their specific high
performance computing requirements. It will also help an Australian
company to compete with increasing strength against the major
multinationals. The project will also draw together and promote future
research links between ....Accurate Performance Modelling and Prediction of Cluster Computers. The tools, methodologies and data produced by this project will assist
Australian academic and industrial organisations in choosing the most
cost-effective cluster configurations for their specific high
performance computing requirements. It will also help an Australian
company to compete with increasing strength against the major
multinationals. The project will also draw together and promote future
research links between two major academic institutions in this field.
Finally, the project will provide high-level training in research,
with industrial grounding, in the high performance computing industry.
Read moreRead less
Development Of Engineered Novel Growth Factors For Infertility Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,439.00
Summary
Infertility comes at an enormous social and financial cost to Australian society. The aim of this proposal is to improve the success rate of an innovative technology that matures eggs in the laboratory and so eliminates the need for the hormones normally used in IVF. To achieve this a newly discovered egg-secreted protein first has to be produced in the laboratory.