The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
I am a speech pathologist working with patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or stroke. Brain injury is the leading cause of disability in young Australians with devastating life consequences. A common problem is communication difficulties, which leads to relationship breakdowns, unemployability, and social isolation. This Fellowship will deliver innovative communication treatments to improve the social outcomes of people with brain injury, their families and the community.
To Understand The Roles Of Plasminogen Activation In The Blood And The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$714,745.00
Summary
This research Fellowship will focus of the molecular and cellular biology of the plasminogen activating system, more commonly associated with the removal of blood clots. The research proposed will address a new paradigm for the removal of blood clots, and also a program to understand how the plasminogen activating system modulates the central nervous system and the immune response. This research will impact directly on ischaemic stroke, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis.
Promoting Recovery After Neurotrauma: Basic Science, Clinical Trials And Community Engagement
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,269.00
Summary
To promote recovery after neurotrauma by controlling the spread of damage and by maximising function in surviving circuits. The work involves animal models & nanotechnology as well as clinical rehabilitation trials in humans with spinal cord injury.
Genes Important For Early Brain Development Are Also Important For Adult Brain Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,346.00
Summary
I committed to understanding of how the brain develops, grows and regenerates. My laboratory is active in finding a cure for brain injury following brain trauma or brain ischemia. I have discovered that the genes that drive neuron migration and wiring in the fetus also function in the adult brain to improve neuron survival and regeneration. Probing the function of these genes will deliver twin benefits in preventing brain disorder in the newborn and treating brain disease in the adult.
Development of normal brain function requires information transfer and integration from outside and within the brain. Normal brain wiring is guided by genetic and environmental cues, whose relative contributions remain controversial. This project investigates the physiological and behavioural consequences of abnormal brain wiring, and the potential for controlled environments and targeted interventions to overcome the deficits. Relevance includes neurotrauma as well as mental illnesses.
Understanding The Impact Of Preterm Birth On Development: Improving Outcomes For Preterm Infants.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$823,008.00
Summary
Approximately 10% of babies are born prematurely and many suffer long-term health problems. Our aim is to understand how premature birth affects the development of the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems. This understanding will help to improve the long-term health outcomes for premature infants. By working with medical practitioners treating premature babies we are well placed to translate our findings on preventing and treating developmental injury into clinical practice.
Associate Professor Bourne’s research will involve learning how the infant brain has an enhanced capacity to repair its own neocortex following an injury and to translate these findings into the development of brain regenerative therapies.
Advancing Life Participation Outcomes Following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) By Improving Communication Skills: From The Bedside To The Barbeque
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$782,370.00
Summary
Brain injury is the leading cause of disability in young Australians with sudden and devastating life consequences. One of the most common problems arising from the injury itself is communication difficulties, which leads to relationship breakdowns, unemployability, and crippling social isolation. This Fellowship will deliver pioneering communication treatments using socially innovative eHealth solutions to achieve real improvements for people with brain injury, their families and the community
Implementing Neuroprotective Strategies For Fetal Growth Restriction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$782,370.00
Summary
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a serious and common complication of pregnancy that is a principal cause of injury to the developing fetal brain. In turn, damage to the developing brain during pregnancy may cause cerebral palsy and other cognitive and behavioural deficits. This proposal builds on my work to date characterising the mechanisms that contribute to neuropathology in FGR infants, by implementing targeted strategies to protect or repair the FGR brain.
Prof Alan Connelly is an internationally recognised neuroimaging researcher specialising in MRI. His major areas of research are in the development of new methods to acquire and process MR images of both structural and functional aspects of the brain, and the application of these novel methods to clinical neuroscience problems. His work has had a major impact in the field of epilepsy, where techniques that he pioneered have been widely adopted in specialist epilepsy centres worldwide.