Monoclonal antibodies, such as the breast cancer therapeutic Herceptin, have revolutionised the treatment of cancer and inflammatory conditions. Will over $30 billion sales in 2011, they have also spawned a growing biotech industry. We have a generated a highly specific monoclonal antibody, which has shown efficacy in models of disease. This project will further advance and develop this monoclonal, allowing us to initiate clinical studies in patients.
Afinity Maturation And Development Of An Anti-inflammatory Monoclonal Antibody
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Antibodies are a relatively new class of drugs that directly target molecular mechanisms of disease. Antibody therapies, such as the breast cancer drug Herceptin, have significantly increased our arsenal of effective therapeutics. In collaboration with G2 Therapies, we will use cutting-edge genetic engineering technology to produce fully human antibodies for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Tumour-on-a-chip Models For Ex-vivo Profiling Of Immune Checkpoint Blockades
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
The overall goal of this project is to build novel 3D biochips to culture primary human tumors with their immune cells, and to investigate patient specific responses to immune checkpoint blockade ex-vivo. Since there are currently no validated methodologies to study immunotherapy response in patient-derived cancer specimens, this proposal has the potential to provide a state-of-the art technology for the ‘personalization’ of immunotherapy.
This research will develop cutting-edge computational tools and statistical methods to analyse, model and visualise the way in which the human brain is interconnected. The tools developed will be used to identify biological markers in the brain’s network of axonal circuitry (the connectome) that are valuable for diagnosis and prognosis of psychiatric disorders. This research will bring to fruition the exciting potential of connectomics in neuroscience and psychiatry.
Using Human 3D Engineered Heart Tissue For Discovery Of Novel Biology And Novel Therapeutics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
The goal of this project is to develop a model of miniaturised 3D human heart tissue for research into cardiac biology and also drug discovery applications. This will hopefully result in better, cheaper drugs in the future with less reliance on animal testing.
My research objectives centre on new technology development for improving diagnostics and therapeutics applied to skin. I have developed and patented novel devices for minimally invasive topical drug delivery and skin sampling. My leadership and tangible research outcomes are now enabling previously impossible skin research to be done and now are also impacting the commercial sector in addition to creating new knowledge in the field.
Telemonitoring Of Lung Function Variability In Asthma And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,180.00
Summary
In Australia, asthma is highly prevalent, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the fourth leading cause of male deaths; both are a significant burden on the health system. There are currently no objective ways to assess disease status or future risk of deterioration. I aim to use home telemonitoring technology and novel, sophisticated analysis methods to describe the variability of disease over time and potentially change the way we manage chronic lung diseases.