Dengue is a serious viral disease that is spread by mosquitoes. Dengue results in hundreds of thousands of children and young adults being hospitalized in Asia every year, and some patients die. There is no vaccine or specific treatment. In this fellowship I will lead a research program that aims provide doctors with the tools to diagnosis and treat dengue more efficiently and to develop a novel biological control to prevent dengue being transmitted by mosquitoes.
Australia and the adjacent tropics are subject to incursions of exotic mosquitoes and the diseases they vector, especially dengue. The James Cook University Public Health Entomology is modernizing the control of mosquito-borne disease control in Australia. Our strategies involve using the bacteria Wolbachia to prevent dengue transmission, controlling dengue vectors using novel pesticides, and developing simple yet effective surveillance methods to detect dangerous pathogens in remote areas.
New Insights Into Viral Inflammatory Disease Mechanisms And Approaches To Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,010.00
Summary
This fellowship aims to establish how viruses cause disease, including how they evade the immune response to persist and cause disease for prolonged periods. My vision is that knowing how the virus and the immune system interact to determine disease severity will assist in devising new treatments and prevention programs to lessen the impact of viral diseases in Australia and worldwide.
Enhancing Disease Vector Biosecurity Through High Density Molecular Markers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
The outbreak of several diseases spread by mosquitoes is increasing rapidly around the world, driven by increased people movement spreading both viruses and disease vectors, a lack of effective vaccines and changing climatic conditions. In this proposal I aim to develop cutting edge molecular tools for identifying pathways of exotic mosquito introductions into Australia and a program that uses bacteria living inside mosquitoes in novel ways for disease suppression.
Reducing The Impact Of Blood Borne Viruses And Sexually Transmitted Infections In Young People.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$851,980.00
Summary
Over the next five years I will undertake a program of research centred on reducing the impact of blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections in vulnerable populations, particularly focusing on HCV and HIV elimination. I will use innovative systems and methods to study how these infections are transmitted and develop interventions that reduce disease transmission and associated risk-behaviours (drug and alcohol use and sexual behaviours) and increased testing and treatment.
Innovative Approaches To Reducing The Impact Of Blood Borne Viruses And Sexually Transmitted Infections On Young People.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,859.00
Summary
Over the next 5 years I will undertake a program of research centred on reducing the impact of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in vulnerable populations, particularly young people. I will study how these infections are transmitted, associated risk behaviours including drug and alcohol use and sexual risk, and develop interventions to improve the detection and management of infected individuals.
Elimination Of Zoonotic Schistosomiasis And Echinococcosis Through Integrated Morbidity Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$898,008.00
Summary
I am a parasitologist researching the biology, immunology and epidemiology of human parasitic worms, particularly the schistosome bloodflukes and the hydatid tapeworms, which cause bilharzia and hydatidosis, diseases of the world’s poorest people that cause both major suffering and economic loss. My goal is to develop new methods, including vaccination, to control and eventually eliminate these parasites.
Immunological Prevention Of Cysticercosis And Hydatid Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$802,685.00
Summary
Professor Lightowlers’ has developed the world’s most effective vaccines against diseases caused by parasites. The vaccines prevent transmission of parasites from livestock animals to humans. During the next 5 years the vaccines will be produced on a large scale and evaluated in field trials. The products of this research program will make a major contribution to reducing the number of people suffering from parasitic cysts.
Therapeutic And Diagnostic Approaches For The Neurodegenerative Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$804,106.00
Summary
Diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease cause enormous socio-economic harm to Australia. They are a major cause of disability and the burden associated with mental illness is predicted to grow by almost 50% over the coming decade. Therefore there is an urgent need to develop new approaches to identify and treat these diseases. This Fellowship will be dedicated to creating new diagnostic methods and treatments for these diseases
Exploration Of The Role Of Microbes In Gastrointestinal Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,974.00
Summary
This fellowship will investigate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of children. The research program will undertake a range of is a highly innovative projects including; development of an effective rotavirus vaccine to be administered to newborns; genetic characterisation of rotavirus strains able to escape vaccine protection; and how alterations in the human gut microbiome (bacteria and viruses) influence the development/relapse of CrohnÍs disease.