The Hippo Pathway, Neural Stem Cells And Brain Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,137.00
Summary
During organism development, the brain grows to the right size without overgrowing. Neural stem cells are key regulators of brain size. We will define how the Hippo pathway crosstalks with nutrition-induced signals to control proliferation of neural stem cells and brain size. As well as producing important insights into normal growth, we will increase our understanding of brain diseases associated with aberrant brain growth, such as cancer.
Defining The Molecular Regulation Of Muscle Stem Cell Action During Organ Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$738,259.00
Summary
How do organs grow to develop a complex cellular structure. Organ growth needs a careful balance between cell commitment and stem cell self renewal to maintain tissue growth trajectories. How this balance is achieved at the cellular and molecular level remains unresolved for most organ systems. This application studies a specific stem cell pool within the zebrafish myotome and how it is used to drive organ growth.
Social Functioning In Early Primary School Following Traumatic Brain Injury Prior To Age Three: The Contribution Of Cognitive, Environmental And Neurological Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,501.00
Summary
Children of preschool age and older demonstrate social problems after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). What effect a TBI has on the social function of young children (before 3 years) is currently unknown but is thought that these children have more problems than older children do. This study will look at how a TBI impacts on the social function of young children and the role of cognition and brain development in social function will also be explored.
Characterisation Of Eurl, A Novel Gene Implicated In The Etiology Of Abnormal Brain Development And Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,541.00
Summary
Intellectual disability affects around one per cent of Australians, and can arise from genetic abnormalities during fetal life, such as through abnormal regulation of gene expression. We have identified a novel gene, known as eurl, which controls brain assembly as well as the ability of neurons to form functional connections within the brain. We will investigate how this novel gene controls brain development, and characterise eurl as a potential therapeutic target for learning and memory.
Brain Dynamics And Sensorimotor Integration Associated With Speech Production In Humans Who Stutter
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$304,383.00
Summary
Stuttering is a chronic communication disorder that arises from problems in the brain processes that control speech. This research will use a new and extremely fast method of brain imaging to study the parts of the human brain that underlie speech production. We will identify brain problems that contribute to stuttering at the time when stuttering first begins. Identification of brain problems is likely to significantly improve the efficacy of stuttering treatment.
Defining The Role Of The Ubiquitin Protein Ligase Nedd4 In Vascular Development.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$702,166.00
Summary
Blood and lymphatic vessels are vital components of the cardiovascular system. Abnormalities in the growth and development of these vessels are associated with human disorders including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The focus of this application is to characterise the role of the ubiquitin protein ligase Nedd4 in vascular development, with the aim of identifying targets to which novel therapeutics for the treatment of blood and lymphatic vascular diseases could be generated.
Analysis Of Gene Regulation In Disorders Of Sex Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,852.00
Summary
Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) are surprisingly common, however the majority of cases still cannot be explained. Our hypothesis is that a significant proportion of DSD is due to disturbed gene regulation. We will use state of the art methods to analyse the regulation of DSD genes. Our research will improve our knowledge of the regulation of genes that affect DSD and provide a diagnosis for DSD patients for whom the underlying cause is unknown. This in turn will improve clinical management.
Muscle Fusion Defects May Be A Common Cause Of Human Dystrophies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,419.00
Summary
While muscle fusion is a crucial step of muscle formation, it is surprising that human muscle diseases were never associated with muscle fusion defects. We have recently undertaken a genome-wide functional screen using a mouse muscle cell line. We identified 21 genes that were previously associated with muscle dystrophies in human. The aim of this project is to examine the role of those genes during muscle fusion in vivo, using the chick embryo, mouse mutants and lines from patients as models.
Birth defects can have devastating consequences for individuals and their families, and improving our ability to diagnose and screen for these disorders has implications for treatment and reproductive options. We are using the mouse as a model to discover genes important in a new class of birth defects caused by dysfunction of a hair-like cellular projection known as the cilium.
Stress-induced Disease Risk For Pregnant Mothers Born Small
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$613,124.00
Summary
This proposal addresses the likelihood that mothers born small and exposed to stress during pregnancy will develop adverse physiological adaptations to pregnancy, slowing placental and fetal growth, programming intergenerational disease and compromising maternal health later in life. The outcomes from our human and rat studies will enable development of diagnostic tests to identify pregnancies at greater risk and lead to therapies to reduce adverse intergenerational and long-term health effects.