Engaging Students during the Early Years of Secondary School. This project aims to design, test and share sustainable strategies to support teachers and enable students from low socioeconomic communities to achieve success. The greatest decreases in students’ interest and effort occur when they transition into secondary school, with students from low socioeconomic communities at greatest risk of disengagement. What can teachers do to engage their students during this key life transition? This pr ....Engaging Students during the Early Years of Secondary School. This project aims to design, test and share sustainable strategies to support teachers and enable students from low socioeconomic communities to achieve success. The greatest decreases in students’ interest and effort occur when they transition into secondary school, with students from low socioeconomic communities at greatest risk of disengagement. What can teachers do to engage their students during this key life transition? This project plans to identify teacher behaviours that motivate students in their first year at secondary school. Using an experimental design with a representative sample of 150 teachers and 1500 students in low socioeconomic areas across three states, the project plans to test whether an online professional learning program for teachers can improve student engagement and achievement. This cost-effective and scalable intervention is designed for widespread dissemination to Australian teachers.Read moreRead less
Group A Streptococcal Human Challenge Study: Accelerating Vaccine Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,018,741.00
Summary
Infection with group A streptococcus (GAS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, including in the Aboriginal population of Australia. Concerted efforts for vaccine development have been hampered by the absence of a suitable animal model. To address this critical knowledge gap we propose to develop a controlled human infection model of GAS infection. This model will provide a direct pathway for the future appraisal of novel GAS vaccines.
Reducing The Effects Of Antenatal Alcohol On Child Health (REAACH)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,497,397.00
Summary
Use of alcohol in pregnancy can affect the developing baby and cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Children with FASD have lifelong brain injury that can lead to poor school performance, poor mental health and trouble with the law. This CRE builds on our strong background in research and community engagement to improve FASD prevention, diagnosis and treatment across Australia.
Advancing prevention science: application of social marketing to change the drinking culture of young Australians. This project will provide a comprehensive cluster randomised control trial of an innovative social marketing education intervention, which focuses on moderating adolescent attitudes and intentions to drink alcohol.
Eventful learning in quality pre-service science teacher education. The study aims to build a theory that explains quality in science teacher education by identifying successful learning-teaching events across programs of university science teacher education. This theory will guide wider application of eventful learning practices at university to enhance the successful entry of new teachers to the profession.
REACH: Randomised Trial Of EArly Rehabilitation In Congenital Hemiplegia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$972,777.00
Summary
Infants with asymmetric brain lesions are at high risk of congenital hemiplegia. This study compares modified CIMT to an equal dose of bimanual training in 150 infants recruited at 3-6 months. Both therapies will be parent-delivered supported by experienced clinicians. Outcomes include use of the impaired hand in bimanual tasks, cognitive and motor development at 12 and 24 months c.a. with measures of neural structure and functional connectivity at 24 months. Early interventions that attenuate
Pharmacology Of Potential Anti-Tumour Agents: Iron Chelators Of The BpT Class
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,455.00
Summary
Pharmacology of Potential Anti-Tumour Agents: Iron Chelators of the BpT Class Cancer cells have a high iron requirement for DNA synthesis and many clinical trials showed Fe chelators are effective anti-cancer drugs. Their potential to act as anti-tumour agents has been confirmed by the entrance of Triapine into widespread NCI clinical trials. In this NHMRC Renewal, we will perform pharmacological and preclinical studies to promote the development of BpT chelators as novel anti-tumour agents.
A shared genetic basis for development of the nervous system and glands. Fruit flies possess strikingly similar versions of the genes that promote normal human development. The list of systems with genetic parallels between humans and fruit flies includes the respiratory and circulatory systems; cardiovascular development and disease; sleep; learning and memory; brain development and disease; taste, sight, smell and hearing. This project could add at least some human glands, the mucous-secreting ....A shared genetic basis for development of the nervous system and glands. Fruit flies possess strikingly similar versions of the genes that promote normal human development. The list of systems with genetic parallels between humans and fruit flies includes the respiratory and circulatory systems; cardiovascular development and disease; sleep; learning and memory; brain development and disease; taste, sight, smell and hearing. This project could add at least some human glands, the mucous-secreting goblet cells, to this list, providing a potentially useful model for studying human diseases associated with gland dysfunction. Read moreRead less
ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the developing organism have major consequences for the lifetime health of individuals. The primary objective of the Network in Genes and Environment in Development is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the currently distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to define key developmental regulatory ne ....ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the developing organism have major consequences for the lifetime health of individuals. The primary objective of the Network in Genes and Environment in Development is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the currently distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to define key developmental regulatory networks and to address how environmental factors impinge on these regulatory networks. The formation of this National Research Network is unique, timely and strategic. It will generate new insights into the mechanisms by which events in early life determine the risk of adverse outcomes in perinatal and adult life.Read moreRead less