Identifying Factors That Improve The Health Of Prisoners Who Inject Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,658.00
Summary
Prisoners who inject drugs are highly marginalised with high rates of unresolved health and social issues and high rates of return to prison. Little is known, however, about how this group manages after release from prison. This qualitative project will allow ex-prisoners to tell their own stories of the challenges they have had and what strategies (formal and informal) they have used with the aim of informing responses in prisons and in the community setting.
Characterising The Effect Of Methamphetamine And Alcohol On Driving Behaviour And Performance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Methamphetamine and alcohol are commonly detected among drivers involved in road trauma, but it is currently unclear how these substances contribute to an increased crash risk. This series of studies will (1) look at associations between drug use and attitudes and behaviours towards dangerous driving in people who use these drugs. It will also test the effect of combined alcohol and methamphetamine on (2) more complex thinking patterns and behaviours, and (3) objective driving performance.
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders; it affects 1% of the world’s population, yet about 1 in 3 patients fail to achieve seizure control with current drugs. We will improve the properties of small molecules (drugs) that specifically target the GTPase activity of the enzyme dynamin, to reduce seizure effect in the brain by a novel mechanism. We will optimize and pre-clinically test these future chemical entities as potential anti-epileptic drugs.
Centre Of Research Excellence In Medicines Intelligence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence is a co-ordinated research program that will accelerate the development and translation of evidence on prescribed medicines use and outcomes for regulators and payers. The CRE is perfectly placed to embrace the national ‘call to action’ from the Health Minister's recent announcement to establish Quality Use of Medicine Safety as a National Health Priority.
Preventive And Early Intervention Strategies In Emerging Mental Disorders In Young People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,000,000.00
Summary
The Centre will be developed through the extension of a youth psychiatry clinical research program of international standing across Melbourne and Sydney. The CCRE will have a major impact on the growth and sustainability of clinical research expertise in youth mental health and its translation into clinical practice. Funds will be targeted specifically at two key opportunities in an evolving structure, namely the early career path for emerging young clinical researchers and the need for more inn ....The Centre will be developed through the extension of a youth psychiatry clinical research program of international standing across Melbourne and Sydney. The CCRE will have a major impact on the growth and sustainability of clinical research expertise in youth mental health and its translation into clinical practice. Funds will be targeted specifically at two key opportunities in an evolving structure, namely the early career path for emerging young clinical researchers and the need for more innovative and potent translation of clinical research into the real world of clinical practice. NHMRC CCRE funding will strengthen the ORC initiative by strategically filling gaps in early career development and training, and drive dissemination and translation of research into clinical practice across Australia.Read moreRead less
In 2013 there were ~200 million clinical cases of malaria, causing ~600,000 deaths. All antimalarial drugs are now associated with malaria parasite resistance. Thus, new therapies are urgently needed, including new drugs to prevent this disease. We have made the exciting discovery that an existing antimalarial drug can kill malaria parasites in a unique, previously unknown, manner. Here, we will investigate how this occurs and develop new drug candidates for malaria prevention.
Structure-based Design Of Novel Therapeutics For Multi-drug Resistant Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$669,148.00
Summary
Multiple drug resistance (MDR) in bacteria represents one of the most intractable problems facing modern medicine. The recent superbug, MDR-Neisseria gonorrhoeae (MDR-Ng), causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoeae. A multi disciplinary team with expertise in structural biology, medicinal chemistry and bacteriology will establish a comprehensive knowledge base aimed at developing new antibiotics to treat MDR-Ng by targeting a bacterial protein virulence factor.
Development Of Small Molecule Modulators Of Apoptosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$621,558.00
Summary
Cancers rely on the deregulation of key cellular pathways. Along with biological and genetic tools, small molecules are powerful probes to understand these mechanisms. During the course of this research program, we will develop new and drug-like molecules that reinstate the cell death process to combat malignancies. This research will bring important advances for potential chemotherapies and create probes to better understand the biology of programmed cell death processes.
The N-ICE Trial: A Randomised Controlled Trial Of The Safety And Efficacy Of N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) As A Pharmacotherapy For Methamphetamine (“ice”) Dependence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,551,368.00
Summary
Crystalline methamphetamine (aka ‘ice’) is a significant public health concern in Australia and globally. Currently there are no approved medications to treat methamphetamine dependence. We will trial tN-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) as a medications for methamphetamine dependence.