THE EFFECT OF STRESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ON DISEASE PROGRESSION IN MESIAL TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,201.00
Summary
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition for which there is currently no effective disease modifying treatment. This proposal will explore whether co-morbid stress accelerates disease progression in MTLE, and whether targeting stress pathways by medical and environmental manipulations can mitigate against this.
Does Obesity Have The Characteristics Of Addiction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,832.00
Summary
The number of overweight or obese people in Australia has increased dramatically in recent years, increasing disease risk. The brain responds to palatable food in ways similar to the response to drugs of addiction, and this may explain why people find it hard to resist palatable food. Our work will explore whether obesity in rats has the characteristics of addiction by examining bingeing, craving, withdrawal and brain circuits in animals chronically exposed to palatable food.
Is Placental Aging The Key To Understanding, Predicting And Preventing Stillbirth?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,861.00
Summary
Stillbirth occurs in 35 times as many pregnancies as sudden infant death but the causes are unknown. This project will help to develop tests that can predict the risk of stillbirth so that the obstetrician can deliver the baby before it dies. The investigators hypothesise that stillbirth is due to aging of the placenta and that markers of the aging placenta can be detected in the mother’s blood. The project brings together experts in the placenta, aging and obstetric care of high risk pregnancy.