Elucidating The Role Of Transthalamic Pathways In Cortical Processing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$792,688.00
Summary
Your brain senses the world and produces a suitable motor response by processing information between brain regions, such as primary sensory cortex to secondary cortex. Surprisingly, cortical pathways have a parallel route through the thalamus (transthalamic pathways) but their function is entirely unknown. We will use novel genetic and viral tools to shut down neural pathways while mice make decisions, thus identifying new circuits in our understanding of disorders with cognitive deficits.
Identification Of Novel Regulatory Factors In Midbrain Development To Improve Cell Therapies For The Treatment Of Parkinson’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,860.00
Summary
Cell transplantation is one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Cells are transplanted directly into the brain of the patient and can compensate for those lost to the disease. In this project we are identifying new genes that regulate the normal development of the transplanted cells in mice. We hope to use this knowledge to improve the reliability and effectiveness of the approach, bringing the therapy closer to the clinic.
The Importance Of Superstars: Cell Numbers And Lineages In Enteric Nervous System Formation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,717.00
Summary
All digestive functions are controlled by a nerve system in the gut wall, and it works without us thinking about it. This is a huge system rivalling the spinal cord in number of nerve cells. And it has may different types of nerve cells. It originates from a very few cells early in the embryo, about 200 times fewer than the spinal cord. How do the cells manage to divide enough to make this system, and how do they 'know' how to make the right types of nerve cells in the right places in the gut?
Epilepsy And Stress: An Explanatory Electrophysiological Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,233.00
Summary
Epilepsy is one of the most common recurrent neurological disorders worldwide, affecting between 1 and 2% of the population. The cascade of events culminating in epilepsy, or the role of seizures in altering brain structures and circuits has been difficult to define. Previous work from our group has shown that stress markedly accelerates the process of epilepsy development. I am developing a model of brain functioning from observed brain cells to chart the changes associated with seizures, stres ....Epilepsy is one of the most common recurrent neurological disorders worldwide, affecting between 1 and 2% of the population. The cascade of events culminating in epilepsy, or the role of seizures in altering brain structures and circuits has been difficult to define. Previous work from our group has shown that stress markedly accelerates the process of epilepsy development. I am developing a model of brain functioning from observed brain cells to chart the changes associated with seizures, stress, and potential treatments.Read moreRead less
Long-term Cloud Service Composition. This project proposes an economic model-based framework for the selection and composition of cloud services, thus creating an efficient market for cloud consumers and providers. The project will use economic models that incorporate a range of quality of service (QoS) parameters as a key driver for optimising the selection of cloud services and the acceptance of consumer requests. The main outcomes of this project aim to increase efficiencies in the cloud mark ....Long-term Cloud Service Composition. This project proposes an economic model-based framework for the selection and composition of cloud services, thus creating an efficient market for cloud consumers and providers. The project will use economic models that incorporate a range of quality of service (QoS) parameters as a key driver for optimising the selection of cloud services and the acceptance of consumer requests. The main outcomes of this project aim to increase efficiencies in the cloud market, benefiting consumers and providers.Read moreRead less
Neogenin: A Regulator Of Neuronal Differentiation And Migration In The Adult Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,053.00
Summary
Conditions such as Alzheimer�s and Huntington�s diseases, as well as stroke, represent a major burden of disease in Australia. One goal of modern neurobiology is to harness the brain's ability to make new neurons so that we can replace those damaged by disease or injury. We will investigate how an important developmental molecule, Neogenin, promotes the production of new neurons in the adult brain. A second goal is to show that Neogenin can be activated to promote the repair of the damaged brain ....Conditions such as Alzheimer�s and Huntington�s diseases, as well as stroke, represent a major burden of disease in Australia. One goal of modern neurobiology is to harness the brain's ability to make new neurons so that we can replace those damaged by disease or injury. We will investigate how an important developmental molecule, Neogenin, promotes the production of new neurons in the adult brain. A second goal is to show that Neogenin can be activated to promote the repair of the damaged brain.Read moreRead less
The Functional Basis Of Direction Selectivity In The Retina
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,320.00
Summary
Motion is an everday visual experience, and in this project we are attempting to explain how our brains are able to detect the direction in which an object is moving. Surprisingly this is first accomplished within the retina, the light-sensitive system of neurons at the back of the eye. Thus the eyes are able to tell the brain in which direction an object is moving. So the question becomes, how do the eyes do it? We know that there is a special class of neurons, the direction-selective ganglion ....Motion is an everday visual experience, and in this project we are attempting to explain how our brains are able to detect the direction in which an object is moving. Surprisingly this is first accomplished within the retina, the light-sensitive system of neurons at the back of the eye. Thus the eyes are able to tell the brain in which direction an object is moving. So the question becomes, how do the eyes do it? We know that there is a special class of neurons, the direction-selective ganglion cells, which are able to detect the direction of image motion. The activity of these cells is increased by excitatory connections and reduced by so-called inhibitory connections. This project aims to identify the neural origin of the inhibitory connections, and discover how the excitation and inhibition work together to compute the direction of motion.Read moreRead less
Data Mining by Clustering in Very Large Relational Databases. Many commercial and governmental entities possess very large relational data that cannot be feasibly analyzed by today's computers, e.g., gene expression data, product usage databases and telecommunication call records. The clustering tools developed in this project will have a significant benefit on many business processes that involve clustering this type of data, such as fraud detection and market segmentation.
Uncertain Information Processing for Situation Awareness and Dynamic Decision-Making in Emergency Management. The Australian national counter-terrorism committee indicates that Australia should have a strong intelligence-led prevention and preparedness to support Australia on risk management, emergency services and maintaining capabilities to manage various types of terrorist attacks. The proposed situation awareness support technique can be used to develop situation analysis software systems or ....Uncertain Information Processing for Situation Awareness and Dynamic Decision-Making in Emergency Management. The Australian national counter-terrorism committee indicates that Australia should have a strong intelligence-led prevention and preparedness to support Australia on risk management, emergency services and maintaining capabilities to manage various types of terrorist attacks. The proposed situation awareness support technique can be used to develop situation analysis software systems or directly support Australia government agencies and industries to correctly assess a situation, increase awareness for crisis problems, and therefore improve emergency management and decision-making effectiveness, in particular, for avoiding disaster problems in the first place and preparing plans for those that undoubtedly will occur. Read moreRead less
Using Stem Cells And Bioengineered Scaffolds To Promote Regeneration Following Necrotic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$710,857.00
Summary
A number of injuries, including stroke, result in tissue loss. Consequently promoting repair will require restoration of tissue structure, replacement cells and a supportive environment to promote integration of these new cells. This study will engineer and develop novel scaffolds that can replace tissue whilst additionally providing physical and chemical support for newly implanted stem cells. This work will be conducted in an animal model of stroke.