Novel Approaches To Improve Cognitive Recovery Following Stroke And Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,724.00
Summary
Stroke and traumatic brain injury costs the Australian economy over $13 billion, annually. Both disorders result in impaired cognition that impedes individuals’ return to the community. Current rehabilitation strategies, however, fail to adequately rehabilitate cognitive deficits following these disorders. My fellowship will develop new strategies to improve rehabilitation of cognitive functions by using cutting-edge neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques.
Neural Signatures Of Disease Spread And Evolution In Motor Neurodegenerative Syndromes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
A lack of understanding of the earliest changes brought on by motor neurone disease (MND), otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), prevents early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. The proposed project aims to comprehensively characterise neurological changes prior to disease onset in pre-symptomatic carriers with a known genetic mutation linked to MND using targeted neuropsychological assessments and advanced multi-modal neuroimaging to track disease progression.
Imaging Of Acute Ischemic Stroke – Improving Patient Selection For Thrombolysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,946.00
Summary
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in our community and is most often due to a blocked blood vessel. Powerful treatments are available to open blocked blood vessels but there are restrictions on eligibility and some risks. This research aims to improve doctors' understanding of stroke in the individual patient to aid treatment decisions by identifying those with potentially salvageable brain tissue and avoiding those with high risk of bleeding complications.
Glaucoma Causes Secondary Neurodegeneration In The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,891.00
Summary
Glaucoma is one of the commonest causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. The optic nerve have been considered as the primary site of glaucomatous damage. However, recent evidence suggests that glaucoma may not merely be an eye disease, because secondary changes have also been observed in the higher visual centres in glaucoma patients. In this proposed study, topographically related degeneration along the visual pathway will be monitored using advanced MRI technology.
Improving Our Understanding Of Causal Pathways To Cerebral Palsy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
The type of brain injury in in children with cerebral palsy varies. In some children the brain developed abnormally in early pregnancy; others had a stroke or suffered from lack of oxygen around the time of birth. In many cases the exact cause remains unclear. This project will explore brain imaging, potential risk factors, and clinical outcomes for children with cerebral palsy to identify possible causes and prevention pathways.
Characterising And Modulating Corticostriatal Connectivity In Schizophrenia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness that affects approximately 0.5-1% of the population. Many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as problems with memory and motivation, remain untreatable. This project will explore the brain processes that underlie memory deficits in people with schizophrenia and investigate the use of non-invasive brain stimulation to improve these impairments. The results from this study will hopefully lead to new treatments for people with schizophrenia.