The comparative physiology of oxygen delivery to the kidney. The kidney is in danger of hyperoxia because the kidney receives so much blood relative to its mass. It is proposed that shunting oxygen between arteries and veins substantially mitigates the risk of hyperoxia, but under certain circumstances shunting substantially increases the risk of kidney hypoxia. Using a combination of synchrotron and histological imaging, This project will carefully define the three-dimensional vasculature of th ....The comparative physiology of oxygen delivery to the kidney. The kidney is in danger of hyperoxia because the kidney receives so much blood relative to its mass. It is proposed that shunting oxygen between arteries and veins substantially mitigates the risk of hyperoxia, but under certain circumstances shunting substantially increases the risk of kidney hypoxia. Using a combination of synchrotron and histological imaging, This project will carefully define the three-dimensional vasculature of the renal cortex in several different species and interpret its functional significance using computational modeling. The outcome of this project will be a new understanding in the comparative physiology of oxygen transport and shunting in the kidney.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of bone and bone marrow resident tissue macrophages. This project aims to elucidate the identities of tissue macrophages involved in bone and blood system (bone marrow) homeostasis and function, and the molecular signatures underpinning their functional specialisation. It will then investigate whether decline in the function of these specialised macrophages occurs during skeletal and blood system ageing. Both skeletal and blood system decline contribute to age-associated loss of ....Characterisation of bone and bone marrow resident tissue macrophages. This project aims to elucidate the identities of tissue macrophages involved in bone and blood system (bone marrow) homeostasis and function, and the molecular signatures underpinning their functional specialisation. It will then investigate whether decline in the function of these specialised macrophages occurs during skeletal and blood system ageing. Both skeletal and blood system decline contribute to age-associated loss of productivity, and paralleled decline in the resident macrophages in these organs may be a common ageing mechanism. Demonstration that altered macrophage biology unpins decline in blood and bone may prolong peak health and increase productivity in the ageing population.Read moreRead less
Defining how serotonin regulates gut motility. This project aims to deepen knowledge of gastrointestinal physiology, and reveal the mechanisms by which the major gastrointestinal signalling molecule, serotonin, regulates gut peristalsis. Almost all of the serotonin in our body is made in the gastrointestinal tract where it controls many functions, including how our gut wall contracts during peristalsis. Proper control of gut peristalsis and the transit of material through our bowel is important ....Defining how serotonin regulates gut motility. This project aims to deepen knowledge of gastrointestinal physiology, and reveal the mechanisms by which the major gastrointestinal signalling molecule, serotonin, regulates gut peristalsis. Almost all of the serotonin in our body is made in the gastrointestinal tract where it controls many functions, including how our gut wall contracts during peristalsis. Proper control of gut peristalsis and the transit of material through our bowel is important for our health. This project expects to define how serotonin controls peristalsis, where in the bowel this serotonin comes from, how serotonin communicates with the nervous system in our gastrointestinal tract, and how the cells that synthesise gut serotonin respond to contraction to trigger the secretion of serotonin.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100538
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$342,000.00
Summary
Understanding the role of miRNAs in the biology of ageing muscle. Skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the body and plays a vital role in maintaining independent living and social interaction. As it ages, skeletal muscle loses its ability to build up new muscle proteins. However, the principles underlying the biology of skeletal muscle ageing are not well understood. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are essential regulators of skeletal muscle biology. Whether they play a role in the ageing process and how ....Understanding the role of miRNAs in the biology of ageing muscle. Skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the body and plays a vital role in maintaining independent living and social interaction. As it ages, skeletal muscle loses its ability to build up new muscle proteins. However, the principles underlying the biology of skeletal muscle ageing are not well understood. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are essential regulators of skeletal muscle biology. Whether they play a role in the ageing process and how they regulate muscle protein synthesis as we age has not been investigated. This project aims to identify the MiRNA species involved in muscle protein synthesis and will provide a better understanding of the biology of ageing skeletal muscle.Read moreRead less
Saving your skin: physiology of immune regulation in mammalian lymph nodes. The overall aim of this proposal is to understand the mechanisms through which a rare population of regulatory cells maintains skin integrity. Despite their importance, little is known about the regulatory pathways these cells utilise. Previous work from the team has described an innovative technique to enrich these cells for in-depth study and demonstrated their potent regulatory capacity in vivo. This project will enha ....Saving your skin: physiology of immune regulation in mammalian lymph nodes. The overall aim of this proposal is to understand the mechanisms through which a rare population of regulatory cells maintains skin integrity. Despite their importance, little is known about the regulatory pathways these cells utilise. Previous work from the team has described an innovative technique to enrich these cells for in-depth study and demonstrated their potent regulatory capacity in vivo. This project will enhance our understanding of these cells and uncover their mechanisms of action. The outcomes of this work will therefore provide fundamental new knowledge of skin physiology, and lead to novel insights regarding how healthy skin, which is essential for the very survival and function of a living organism, may be maintained.Read moreRead less
Neurons and neurotransmitters that control the apnoeic response to irritation of the larynx. Normal function of the larynx enables breathing, cough, singing, speech and many other normal functions. This project will reveal how nerves in the brain coordinate to achieve these many functions; in particular the way that breathing stops if fluid or smoke enters the larynx.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101357
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Modulation of gap-junction coupling in the mammalian retina. This project aims to examine the alteration in neuronal circuits of the retina over the course of the day and in response to changes in light. Basic knowledge of how the retina functions will be determined, providing invaluable information for strategies aimed at restoring vision to vision-impaired patients by replicating normal retinal function.
Inhibition of sensory relay mechanisms. This project aims to investigate the maturation of the respiratory network from a functional to synaptic level. The brain generates motor commands for every single breath. After birth, the respiratory network matures to adapt breathing to emotional and behavioural demands. The mature respiratory network actively inhibits sensory feedback to express learned breathing patterns associated with motor behaviour such as speech. This project expects to provide th ....Inhibition of sensory relay mechanisms. This project aims to investigate the maturation of the respiratory network from a functional to synaptic level. The brain generates motor commands for every single breath. After birth, the respiratory network matures to adapt breathing to emotional and behavioural demands. The mature respiratory network actively inhibits sensory feedback to express learned breathing patterns associated with motor behaviour such as speech. This project expects to provide the foundation for understanding the hierarchical organisation and plasticity of motor circuits in the brain as it acquires learned motor patterns.Read moreRead less
Design of the cardiovascular system of living and fossil vertebrates. This project aims to understand how the heart and blood vessels evolved in mammals, birds, reptiles and fish to achieve efficiency. The heart is the most important organ for life. The project will study the structure and function of vertebrate animals’ hollow and spongy hearts to show how energetics shaped their evolution. It will measure arterial holes in bone to gauge brain and bone metabolism, which opens up a new way to me ....Design of the cardiovascular system of living and fossil vertebrates. This project aims to understand how the heart and blood vessels evolved in mammals, birds, reptiles and fish to achieve efficiency. The heart is the most important organ for life. The project will study the structure and function of vertebrate animals’ hollow and spongy hearts to show how energetics shaped their evolution. It will measure arterial holes in bone to gauge brain and bone metabolism, which opens up a new way to measure metabolism in extinct animals directly from fossils, rather than by inference from living relatives. The expected outcome is to correlate cardiovascular design and metabolic rates of organs.Read moreRead less
Understanding mechanisms of sex programming of cardiovascular development. The goal of this project is to track the influence of sex and sex hormones through crucial lifespan timepoints to define how specific patterns of gene signalling determine adult cardiovascular traits at cell, tissue and systems level. Sexually distinct cardiovascular traits are conserved across mammalian species. Early developmental events are known to be important in influencing later adult characteristics, but how adult ....Understanding mechanisms of sex programming of cardiovascular development. The goal of this project is to track the influence of sex and sex hormones through crucial lifespan timepoints to define how specific patterns of gene signalling determine adult cardiovascular traits at cell, tissue and systems level. Sexually distinct cardiovascular traits are conserved across mammalian species. Early developmental events are known to be important in influencing later adult characteristics, but how adult cardiovascular functions are ‘programmed’ differently for males and females is not understood. The project aims to uncover the importance of the placenta in regulating foetus exposure to sex steroids and the crucial effects of the pubertal hormone surge in shaping cardiovascular phenotypes of male and female offspring.Read moreRead less