The Effects Of The Western Diet On Cognition In Rats
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,326.00
Summary
An unhealthy diet can affect how we think. This project will identify mechanisms by which a western diet impairs cognition, and test ways of intervening to reduce the impact of diet on the brain. We will examine changes in inflammation, and markers of nerve growth in a critical brain region, the hippocampus, in response to different periods of diet. We will also test if the diet and our interventions affect the gut biota.
Light, Sound And Touch Influence The Autonomic Nervous System Via A Non-canonical Pathway
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,666.00
Summary
We examine a recently discovered brain circuit through which visual and acoustic stimuli can interact with the neural systems that control breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. The outcomes of this project will characterise a pathway by which the external environment can interrupt the normal activity of systems vital for health and wellbeing independent of cognition.
We have previously made the most widely used animal brain atlas in the world. This atlas based on stained histological sections of the rat brain. In recent years, advances in MRI have made it possible to generate images of the rat brain at very high resolution. We have obtained a very high quality MRI image set from colleagues in Duke University in the USA, and we have begun to map these images in great detail, using our histological atlas as a guide.
Understanding Factors Involved In The Development Of Hypertension
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$757,492.00
Summary
High blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases. Currently intervention occurs after the cardiovascular system is damaged. Our interest is in the development of high blood pressure, to determine whether early intervention could stop its progression. We identified that excitation of the sympathetic nervous system by the circuits that control breathing is important. We seek to further understand this interaction to identify novel approaches to treat high blood pressure.
The Role Of Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor Subunits In The Self-Administration And Relapse To Alcohol Seeking:Treatments For Alcohol Dependence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$531,787.00
Summary
The World Health Organization reports that alcohol causes almost two million deaths every year and results in physical disability or shortened life span for at least 58 million others. Despite the fact that addiction represents more than 40% of brain-related illnesses, there is a dearth of innovative treatments. The overall goal of my research is to develop more effective medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder by targeting the neuronal nicotinic receptor subtypes that have been sp ....The World Health Organization reports that alcohol causes almost two million deaths every year and results in physical disability or shortened life span for at least 58 million others. Despite the fact that addiction represents more than 40% of brain-related illnesses, there is a dearth of innovative treatments. The overall goal of my research is to develop more effective medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder by targeting the neuronal nicotinic receptor subtypes that have been specifically altered by heavy alcohol intake.Read moreRead less
Viral-mediated Modulation Of BDNF Expression In Motor Neurons To Promote The Recovery Of Hand/digits Function In A Rat Model Of Spinal Cord Injury That Impairs Normal Grasping Action.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,427.00
Summary
This project seeks to lure injured axons towards motor neurons, a process that is essential for the recovery of motor function. BDNF gradients will be created along the injured axons path. Axons will have to elongate to reach the first source of BDNF. They will need to elongate even more to get to the next source of BDNF, hence bringing them each time closer to their lost targets. This gene therapy scenario has the potential to bring gene therapy a step closer for human spinal cord injury.
6% of Australian men are infertile. Of these cases 50% are thought to be genetic in origin. Within this project we will replicate high-confidence genetic variants associated with human male infertility in the mouse. Doing so will allow the assignment of definitive genotype-phenotype correlations and the formulation of high confidence advice for clinicians and patients. It will also provide a means to define the mechanism of action and the tools for future pro-fertility treatments.
Deciphering Mechanisms Of Disease Evolution In Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$845,093.00
Summary
In many patients, cancers are ever-changing, even after they have formed. This explains why many cancers can spread beyond the point of cure by surgery and why they can become resistant to treatments. This project will use patient melanomas and laboratory modelling to understand how melanomas change as they grow and spread. The results will be used to identify the nature of evolutionary changes in cancer in order to predict and even exploit them in treatment.
Integrative Bioinformatic And Experimental Approaches To Define Novel Roles For Genes That Typically Regulate Axon Guidance In Pancreatic Cancer Initiation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,955.00
Summary
Early detection and intervention would have a dramatic effect on improving the outcomes for pancreatic cancer. This however relies on understanding how the cancer is initiated. New analysis of more than 100 tumours identified aberrations in genes that typically regulate how the nervous system is positioned during development. We want to use novel bioinformatic approaches and a unique experimental method with cells in culture to rapidly and accurately find out which of these genes drives a normal ....Early detection and intervention would have a dramatic effect on improving the outcomes for pancreatic cancer. This however relies on understanding how the cancer is initiated. New analysis of more than 100 tumours identified aberrations in genes that typically regulate how the nervous system is positioned during development. We want to use novel bioinformatic approaches and a unique experimental method with cells in culture to rapidly and accurately find out which of these genes drives a normal pancreatic cell to become a tumour cell.Read moreRead less
Obesity is a major global public health concern and there is a desperate need to identify new targets to treat obesity. By targeting the lesser investigated CART pathway and identifying the elusive CART receptor this could make a significant inroad to the understanding of the causes of appetite control and the development of obesity.