Dissecting The Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome With Complementary Genetic, Proteomic And Biophysical Strategies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$490,352.00
Summary
Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is an eye condition in which flaky material deposits in the eye, greatly increasing the risk of cataract and glaucoma which can lead to blindness. PEX is also associated with heart disease, strokes and aneurysms. Cataract surgery in PEX patients has a higher rate of complications. In this project we will determine the nature of PEX material and why it forms. This knowlege will facilitate better diagnosis and treatment of PEX preventing associated blindness.
Translating Genetic Determinants Of Glaucoma Into Better Diagnosis And Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$9,466,000.00
Summary
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. By 2020, it will affect 80 million people, and in Australia over the next decade, the overall cost of glaucoma will reach $4.3 billion per annum. This Program will use genetic advances to personalise treatment. Blindness will be prevented in individuals at highest risk, new ways to treat patients will be developed, and better outcomes for patients will result from less treatment and monitoring of low risk cases.
Design and Analysis of Optimal Algorithms for Automated Perimetry. Australian demographic studies reveal that visual impairment contributes significantly to disability in the elderly. Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in developed nations, may be slowed if detected early, however recent studies estimate 50% of Australians with glaucoma are undiagnosed. Automated perimetry is used to detect and track such vision loss, but perimetry algorithms perform poorly. This project will design ....Design and Analysis of Optimal Algorithms for Automated Perimetry. Australian demographic studies reveal that visual impairment contributes significantly to disability in the elderly. Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in developed nations, may be slowed if detected early, however recent studies estimate 50% of Australians with glaucoma are undiagnosed. Automated perimetry is used to detect and track such vision loss, but perimetry algorithms perform poorly. This project will design and analyse new algorithms with superior accuracy and efficiency, improving detection and monitoring of vision loss. Enhanced tools for community vision screening will also result, crucial for the ARC's priority goals of ?ageing well, ageing productively? and ?preventative healthcare?Read moreRead less
Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of ....Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of objects; essential precursors to many real world tasks, for example: driving, interpreting speech, and hazard avoidance. This knowledge is essential for the optimisation of audio-visual environments for the elderly, and for the development of tools to improve performance in the presence of sensory decline due to age-related eye disease.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100235
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
Accelerating Australia's large scale video surveillance research programmes. The research to be conducted using this infrastructure will bring immense benefits to Australia in terms of increased levels of public safety and in the protection of critical facilities from terrorism and other crimes, by developing better surveillance systems. This will provide both increases in measurable research outputs and opportunities for Australian business to commercialise these systems. The infrastructure wil ....Accelerating Australia's large scale video surveillance research programmes. The research to be conducted using this infrastructure will bring immense benefits to Australia in terms of increased levels of public safety and in the protection of critical facilities from terrorism and other crimes, by developing better surveillance systems. This will provide both increases in measurable research outputs and opportunities for Australian business to commercialise these systems. The infrastructure will accelerate the pace of surveillance research and development in Australia, enhancing the competitiveness of both Australia's researchers and the businesses that will commercialise these researchers' discoveries.Read moreRead less
Young Adult Myopia: Genetic And Environmental Associations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$809,271.00
Summary
Myopia affects 80% of school leavers in the cities of East Asia, 45% of Asian Australian school leavers and is probably on the rise in European Australian adolescents. Increased levels of education and lack of time outdoors are known to increase the risk of myopia. We will examine 2,000 young adults to find the genes that interact with these risk factors. In addition to confirming when these risk factors are most important, identifying molecular pathways opens the avenue of new treatments.
A Genome-wide Association Study In 2000 Glaucoma Cases With Matched Controls Using Equimoloar DNA Pools
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$610,267.00
Summary
Glaucoma is a common cause of loss of vision worldwide but we are unable to predict which people are at high risk of blindness. We aim to discover the genetic risk factors for glaucoma. We will use cutting edge genetic technology to assess the whole genome in thousands of patients with glaucoma. We hope to identify important new glaucoma genes, which could lead to the development of diagnostic tests and treatments which will provide the most cost-efficient ways to prevent glaucoma blindness.
A comparative study of the laser-tissue interaction between solid state 213nm vs excimer gas 193nm laser systems. We will carry out a comparative study of the latest technological developments in laser vision correction surgery. We will compare the biological effects of a new solid state laser operating at 213nm and a traditional excimer gas laser operating at 193nm. For each laser type, long-term scarring, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and free radical production will be studied in relevant in viv ....A comparative study of the laser-tissue interaction between solid state 213nm vs excimer gas 193nm laser systems. We will carry out a comparative study of the latest technological developments in laser vision correction surgery. We will compare the biological effects of a new solid state laser operating at 213nm and a traditional excimer gas laser operating at 193nm. For each laser type, long-term scarring, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and free radical production will be studied in relevant in vivo and in vitro animal models. Furthermore, optimization of the irradiation protocol for the solid state laser will lead to the development of a wide range of biological applications.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100320
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,371.00
Summary
Understanding cone photoreceptor migration and cell death mechanisms . Normal vision requires functional and correctly located cone photoreceptor cells. Many genetic mutations, however, impair the correct migration of these cells during development and ultimately cause cell death. This project will investigate, for the first time, the casual link between the migration of cone cells and activation of cell death mechanisms. A coordinated approach, using a range of molecular techniques, will be use ....Understanding cone photoreceptor migration and cell death mechanisms . Normal vision requires functional and correctly located cone photoreceptor cells. Many genetic mutations, however, impair the correct migration of these cells during development and ultimately cause cell death. This project will investigate, for the first time, the casual link between the migration of cone cells and activation of cell death mechanisms. A coordinated approach, using a range of molecular techniques, will be used to determine which factors are essential for normal development, correct spatial location and survival of cone photoreceptors within the mammalian retina. This will provide a major step forward in our knowledge of the processes involved in the spatial deployment of cones and the developmental organisation of the retina.Read moreRead less
Optimal Robust Fitting under the Framework of LP-Type Problems. The project aims to develop algorithms to support the development of robust and accurate computer vision systems. Real-world visual data (images, videos) is inherently noisy and outlier prone. To build computer vision systems that work reliably in the real world, it is necessary to ensure that the underlying algorithms are robust and efficient. The project aims to devise novel algorithms that can compute the best possible result giv ....Optimal Robust Fitting under the Framework of LP-Type Problems. The project aims to develop algorithms to support the development of robust and accurate computer vision systems. Real-world visual data (images, videos) is inherently noisy and outlier prone. To build computer vision systems that work reliably in the real world, it is necessary to ensure that the underlying algorithms are robust and efficient. The project aims to devise novel algorithms that can compute the best possible result given the input data in a short amount of time. The expected outcomes would support the construction of reliable and accurate computer vision-based systems, such as large-scale 3-D reconstruction from photo collections, self-driving cars and domestic robots.Read moreRead less