Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,000.00
Summary
Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genet ....Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genetic and acquired disorders across the life-span. Remote viewing and analysis capabilities will help overcome the 'tyranny of distance', increasing national access to the facility. Repositories of digitised images will increase the availability of valuable research material to other Australian and international researchers.Read moreRead less
Cellular and Neurochemical Basis of Drug Addiction. Addiction to the major drugs of abuse, including heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol damage the lives and cause premature death of more than 20% of Australians. Addiction produces long-term disruption of brain processes that lead to loss of control over urges to consume drugs and persistent cycles of relapse to drug taking. This research will apply new neurochemical approaches to discover mechanisms of disrupted brain function t ....Cellular and Neurochemical Basis of Drug Addiction. Addiction to the major drugs of abuse, including heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol damage the lives and cause premature death of more than 20% of Australians. Addiction produces long-term disruption of brain processes that lead to loss of control over urges to consume drugs and persistent cycles of relapse to drug taking. This research will apply new neurochemical approaches to discover mechanisms of disrupted brain function that occur during development of addiction and relapse that are critical for development of better strategies to treat the disorder. Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL0992409
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,996,243.00
Summary
The neural bases of decision-making. This research focuses on the neural bases of decision making, a general capacity affected by normal ageing, disorders associated with neurodegeneration including dementia, major psychiatric conditions and drug addiction. Changes in the neural systems that result in the cognitive and emotional dissociation reflected in these disorders constitute the highest health, economic and social capital attrition burden to Australia of any disease group, a burden that is ....The neural bases of decision-making. This research focuses on the neural bases of decision making, a general capacity affected by normal ageing, disorders associated with neurodegeneration including dementia, major psychiatric conditions and drug addiction. Changes in the neural systems that result in the cognitive and emotional dissociation reflected in these disorders constitute the highest health, economic and social capital attrition burden to Australia of any disease group, a burden that is only predicted to increase as the population ages. Understanding these changes in neural systems and their specific behavioural effects is, therefore, of critical importance and will ultimately provide new targets for treatment and rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Unraveling the role of N-acetyl-aspartate in normal brain function and disease. The purpose of this project is to define the role of the predominating brain chemical N-acetyl-aspartate for normal nerve cell function and as toxic agent causing neurological illness and severe mental health problems. Findings of this research will enhance the design of novel therapies involving pharmacological and genetic treatment.
Microglia and the inflammation spectrum - not just good or bad. Cell-mediated tissue clearance following brain injury is a universal mechanism. However, our understanding of the cells that perform these tasks is very limited. Our project will characterise this inflammatory response at a single-cell level using the zebrafish spinal cord as a versatile experimental model. The project is expected to strongly contribute to the molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying debris removal and w ....Microglia and the inflammation spectrum - not just good or bad. Cell-mediated tissue clearance following brain injury is a universal mechanism. However, our understanding of the cells that perform these tasks is very limited. Our project will characterise this inflammatory response at a single-cell level using the zebrafish spinal cord as a versatile experimental model. The project is expected to strongly contribute to the molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying debris removal and will advance innovative technologies that facilitate intellectual progress in neuroscience. It will produce new insights into the process of neuronal degeneration, promote Australia’s growing reputation as a global leader in neuroscience, and provide high quality training for early career researchers.Read moreRead less
Modelling the human nervous system with human pluripotent stem cells. The human nervous system is one of the most complex structures evolved to date. In order to understand how it functions, and dysfunctions in a diseased state, it is fundamental to decipher how it develops to generate various neuronal populations that form this elaborate network. Human stem cells provide a valuable source to study such processes. The aim of this project is to use human stem cells to study how early progenitor c ....Modelling the human nervous system with human pluripotent stem cells. The human nervous system is one of the most complex structures evolved to date. In order to understand how it functions, and dysfunctions in a diseased state, it is fundamental to decipher how it develops to generate various neuronal populations that form this elaborate network. Human stem cells provide a valuable source to study such processes. The aim of this project is to use human stem cells to study how early progenitor cell types that structure the nervous system are generated and how their neuronal derivatives form connectivity and functional synapses. The outcome of these studies is that we will establish a cellular model of human neurogenesis that can be utilised to study developmental disease processes.Read moreRead less
Investigating the role of the innate immune complement system in the abnormal development of the central nervous system. Past research has discovered a surprising link between the immune system, dietary folate deficiency and the development of the embryonic brain. This project will investigate the immune system in the developing brain, in order to understand the causes of developmental defects such as neural tube defects, and the role dietary folate plays in this process.
Beyond Neuroinflammation: The Role of Microglia in Synaptic Plasticity. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are known to respond to infectious and non-infectious insults to the nervous system. This project aims to use the transparent and genetically amenable brain of the zebrafish, to explore new functions of microglia at the single cell level in the intact, behaving animal, through visualization of cellular components of the brain (neurons, glia, microglia, blood vessels, synapses), ....Beyond Neuroinflammation: The Role of Microglia in Synaptic Plasticity. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are known to respond to infectious and non-infectious insults to the nervous system. This project aims to use the transparent and genetically amenable brain of the zebrafish, to explore new functions of microglia at the single cell level in the intact, behaving animal, through visualization of cellular components of the brain (neurons, glia, microglia, blood vessels, synapses), and through the genetic manipulation of synaptic density, and real time observation of microglia in the process.Read moreRead less