Biomechanical model-based algorithms for computational radiology of the brain. The proposed research will develop computational framework, which will allow matching high quality pre-operative brain images with lower resolution images taken during neurosurgery. The success of this work will greatly improve effectiveness of brain tumour removal, and therefore improve clinical outcomes. The proposed work will provide enabling technology for other areas of computer aided medicine, such as virtual re ....Biomechanical model-based algorithms for computational radiology of the brain. The proposed research will develop computational framework, which will allow matching high quality pre-operative brain images with lower resolution images taken during neurosurgery. The success of this work will greatly improve effectiveness of brain tumour removal, and therefore improve clinical outcomes. The proposed work will provide enabling technology for other areas of computer aided medicine, such as virtual reality operation planning systems with realistic force and tactile feedback, control systems of neurosurgical robots with tissue deformation prediction module, etc.Read moreRead less
Towards Consistent Meshless Computational Framework for Soft Tissue Damage Modelling for Traumatic Injury Prevention and Surgery Simulation. Deaths and injuries due to car crashes cost our society $18 billion per annum. This project will provide enabling computer simulation technology for reducing this cost by improving car crash safety through more accurate evaluation of injury risk as well as by reducing the risk of adverse effects in surgical procedures through better surgical training and su ....Towards Consistent Meshless Computational Framework for Soft Tissue Damage Modelling for Traumatic Injury Prevention and Surgery Simulation. Deaths and injuries due to car crashes cost our society $18 billion per annum. This project will provide enabling computer simulation technology for reducing this cost by improving car crash safety through more accurate evaluation of injury risk as well as by reducing the risk of adverse effects in surgical procedures through better surgical training and surgery planning. We will deliver this technology by creating a computational framework for modelling of soft tissue damage due to traumatic rupture and surgical dissection. This framework will enable building accurate computer models of the human body injury responses for safe car design as well as models for assisting surgeons by predicting forces and deformations in tissue dissection.Read moreRead less
Real Time Computer Simulation of Human Soft Organ Deformation for Computer Assisted Surgery. The proposed research will develop computational framework, which will allow calculation of soft organ (brain, liver, kidney, prostate, etc.) deformation during surgical operations in real time. Fully non-linear material models and geometrically non-linear finite element formulation will be used. The fundamental technology developed within this project: physically (or mechanically) realistic modelling an ....Real Time Computer Simulation of Human Soft Organ Deformation for Computer Assisted Surgery. The proposed research will develop computational framework, which will allow calculation of soft organ (brain, liver, kidney, prostate, etc.) deformation during surgical operations in real time. Fully non-linear material models and geometrically non-linear finite element formulation will be used. The fundamental technology developed within this project: physically (or mechanically) realistic modelling and real time computer simulation of soft organ deformation, will have applications in many areas of computer assisted surgery, such as intra-operative, real time non-rigid registration and virtual reality surgeon training and operation planning systems with force and tactile feedback.Read moreRead less
Neuroimage Registration Using a Graphical Processing Unit. The proposed research will develop a computational framework, which will allow matching high quality pre-operative brain images with lower resolution images taken during neurosurgery. The key idea to be pursued is conducting computations on a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU). The success of this work will greatly improve effectiveness of brain tumour removal, and therefore improve clinical outcomes. The proposed work will provide enabling ....Neuroimage Registration Using a Graphical Processing Unit. The proposed research will develop a computational framework, which will allow matching high quality pre-operative brain images with lower resolution images taken during neurosurgery. The key idea to be pursued is conducting computations on a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU). The success of this work will greatly improve effectiveness of brain tumour removal, and therefore improve clinical outcomes. The proposed work will provide enabling technology for other areas of computer aided medicine, such as virtual reality operation planning systems with realistic force and tactile feedback, control systems of neurosurgical robots with tissue deformation prediction module, etc.Read moreRead less
Levelling the Playing Field: Starting with the School Playground. This project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of simple, cost-effective programs for changing the way parents and teachers view manageable risk-taking for children with disabilities and increasing the level of responsibility that children take for their own actions. The well-being of all children with disabilities is at risk and the gap continues to widen. New programs, such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, will p ....Levelling the Playing Field: Starting with the School Playground. This project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of simple, cost-effective programs for changing the way parents and teachers view manageable risk-taking for children with disabilities and increasing the level of responsibility that children take for their own actions. The well-being of all children with disabilities is at risk and the gap continues to widen. New programs, such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, will place increasing demands on young people with disabilities. Innovative approaches are desperately. Such programming must begin early, by including children in an age-appropriate ways and simultaneously addressing the issues of adults who have the most significant influence: parents and teachers.Read moreRead less
Supercritical-microfluidics technology for targeted delivery to the colon. This research will develop nanosystems to target delivery of drugs to the colon. Our nanosystems will permit the combination of clinically used chemotherapy drugs within a single dosage form. This will improve the efficiency of delivery to the colon while reducing unwanted side-effects. A novel supercritical microfluidics system will be developed to produce therapeutic nano-carriers in a continuous mode with lower labour ....Supercritical-microfluidics technology for targeted delivery to the colon. This research will develop nanosystems to target delivery of drugs to the colon. Our nanosystems will permit the combination of clinically used chemotherapy drugs within a single dosage form. This will improve the efficiency of delivery to the colon while reducing unwanted side-effects. A novel supercritical microfluidics system will be developed to produce therapeutic nano-carriers in a continuous mode with lower labour requirement, higher production rate and better quality control than conventional production methods. The new process will combine benefits from both supercritical fluid technology (green process) and microfluidics (high mass & heat transfer).Read moreRead less
Development of a prime-boost anti-cancer vaccine. New vaccination strategies are urgently needed for a variety of diseases, including cancer. The problem with cancer vaccines is that it is difficult to trigger a response to a self protein. We propose that a prime-boost vaccination, using yellow fever virus and modified vaccinia virus ankara, could create very strong responses against tumor antigens. This approach can be patented and can revive that field of tumor vaccination, which is currently ....Development of a prime-boost anti-cancer vaccine. New vaccination strategies are urgently needed for a variety of diseases, including cancer. The problem with cancer vaccines is that it is difficult to trigger a response to a self protein. We propose that a prime-boost vaccination, using yellow fever virus and modified vaccinia virus ankara, could create very strong responses against tumor antigens. This approach can be patented and can revive that field of tumor vaccination, which is currently restrained by the difficulty of breaking immunological tolerance. We envisage the construction of a anti-cancer vaccine vector with obvious market potential. An exciting prospect is that this approach could be used as a prophylactic vaccine and possibly also as a therapeutic vaccine.Read moreRead less
Measurement and imaging of pathogenic and diagnostic iron oxide nanoparticles using proton magnetic resonance. This project is likely to result in new and improved technologies to aid in the management and diagnosis of a range of diseases including iron metabolism disorders such as thalassaemia and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Other aspects of the research may lead to technologies for the early detection of some cancers. The technologies will enhance Australia's intern ....Measurement and imaging of pathogenic and diagnostic iron oxide nanoparticles using proton magnetic resonance. This project is likely to result in new and improved technologies to aid in the management and diagnosis of a range of diseases including iron metabolism disorders such as thalassaemia and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Other aspects of the research may lead to technologies for the early detection of some cancers. The technologies will enhance Australia's international standing in the field of advanced medical imaging and have the potential to be commercialised within the Australian biotechnology sector. During the project, research students will receive high quality multidisciplinary training ensuring the supply of personnel with high-level technical expertise into the future.Read moreRead less
Biomechanics Meets Robotics: Methods for Accurate and Fast Needle Targeting. This project intends to create a novel integrated framework for biomedical systems that can accurately target a needle. Accurate surgical targeting means less trauma and better patient outcomes. Needles are used in over half of all surgical procedures, but up to 38 per cent of these are affected by targeting errors. Achieving sub-millimetre accuracy is extremely difficult because inserting a needle displaces the tissue ....Biomechanics Meets Robotics: Methods for Accurate and Fast Needle Targeting. This project intends to create a novel integrated framework for biomedical systems that can accurately target a needle. Accurate surgical targeting means less trauma and better patient outcomes. Needles are used in over half of all surgical procedures, but up to 38 per cent of these are affected by targeting errors. Achieving sub-millimetre accuracy is extremely difficult because inserting a needle displaces the tissue and moves the target. How, then, can ultra-fine targeting be achieved? This project plans to integrate non-linear biomechanical models that predict tissue motion with accurate and principled motion control. It seeks to create new methods for surgical robots that will predict target motion and guide a needle to accurately intersect the target.Read moreRead less
Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent n ....Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent need for new models for understanding roads' potential economic benefits, as well as their risks, including their environmental risks. This project is benefitting citizens, NGOs, donors and governments, by generating new knowledge about how we have in the past, do at present, and should in the future, engage with roads.Read moreRead less