Discovering The Function And Structure Of RIO Kinases – Toward New Nematocides
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$545,477.00
Summary
This project is focused on: high quality fundamental molecular science, contributing to national objectives, including the development of novel and innovative scientific concepts and international collaborations; consolidating links between basic and applied research; enhancing the skills-base in molecular biology and global visibility of Australian science.
Investigating Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation In Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
In this program, I will enhance our understanding of cancer gene regulation and provide novel avenues for the treatment of aggressive tumours. Using own data and that from collaborators, I will determine patterns of gene regulation in blood cancers and identify markers that predict disease outcome. I aim to understand how gene regulation can transform healthy cells into tumour cells and whether personalised treatment can kill tumour cells more effectively and prevent relapse and metastasis.
Resetting The Tipping Point: Converting Immune Checkpoint Non-responders Into Responders.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,135.00
Summary
Although immunotherapy has recently shown a breakthrough in the treatment of lung cancers, with long-term full regression of the cancer in some patients, most patients unfortunately do not respond. In this proposal, we want to characterise the events that occur in a cancer that is cured by immunotherapy, while it regresses. By subsequently reinforcing those processes, we aim to tip the balance towards a response, thereby increasing the cure rate.
Integrated System Wide Characterization Of Microbiota And Host Factors Influencing Intestinal Colonization Resistance To The Healthcare Pathogen Clostridium Difficile
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,999.00
Summary
Naturally occurring bacteria play an important role in determining patient disease susceptibility, disease progression and ultimately, disease outcome. Over 1000 species of bacteria, contributing 10 times as many cells as found within a single individual. This project seeks to understand these communities, how they confer resistance to infection and how they can be manipulated, both naturally and through controlled introduction of bacteria to prevent disease or improve disease outcome.
An Integrative Approach To Define And Attenuate Genomic Risk Of Coronary Artery Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$988,454.00
Summary
One in four individuals that have a heart attack do not have traditional risk factors such as high blood cholesterol levels. This highlights the importance of 'family history', which we can now quantify as 'genetic risk'. These studies will determine (i) which genes are important in contributing to this genetic risk (ii) how these genes change biological pathways to increase risk and (iii) the effectiveness of modulating these biological pathways to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Is FGF21 the master regulator of protein intake? The project plans to bring together two major, rapidly growing disciplines – nutritional geometry and metabolic signalling – to address a topic of fundamental biological significance: the regulation of protein intake. A specific capacity to regulate protein intake has been shown for organisms spanning slime moulds to humans, yet the controlling mechanisms remain elusive. The project aims to test the hypothesis that fibroblast growth factor 21, rel ....Is FGF21 the master regulator of protein intake? The project plans to bring together two major, rapidly growing disciplines – nutritional geometry and metabolic signalling – to address a topic of fundamental biological significance: the regulation of protein intake. A specific capacity to regulate protein intake has been shown for organisms spanning slime moulds to humans, yet the controlling mechanisms remain elusive. The project aims to test the hypothesis that fibroblast growth factor 21, released from the liver under low protein nutrition, is a master regulator of protein intake. Understanding the mechanisms of protein appetite may have implications for organismal biology, understanding social interactions, the structure of food webs and the health and welfare of food and companion animals and humans.Read moreRead less
Systems Biology Of Asthma Development In Early Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,800.00
Summary
Recent studies have established that both human genetic susceptibility and viral infections during early childhood are important drivers of asthma development. It has also been noted that asthmatics’ airways are colonized with different bacteria to non-asthmatics. In this project we will examine how genetic susceptibility and interactions between bacteria and viruses in children's airways promote the development of allergy and asthma.
Unlocking Hidden Cancer Drivers Using Transcriptome Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$700,473.00
Summary
New sequencing technologies allow us to get an unbiased look at the molecular signalling in a tumour. However this information is very complex and need specialised methods in statistic and computation in order to make new discoveries. Here will will develop analysis methods to find novel transcriptional variants in cancer and then test them in the lab in order to understand if our discoveries are responsible for causing cancer.
Understanding The Pathogenesis, Phenotypic Variation And Risk Prediction Of Childhood Asthma Using Computational Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,714.00
Summary
Asthma is a common respiratory illness in Australia. It is important to be able to predict who gets asthma, because those who get early treatment tend to fare better. We plan to run complex tests on data collected from hundreds of Australian children. The collected data includes genetic variations, chest infections, and differences in immune responses. From this data we hope to achieve a better understanding of the driving forces behind asthma, and to make better predictions for those at risk.