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.
Hydatid infection is caused by a parasite that is transmitted by livestock animals. This project will develop a treatment for livestock animals which, when used in combination with a vaccine against the parasite, will improve the effectiveness of efforts to prevent the disease being transmitted through animals. I indirectly this will lead to a reduction in the number of new cases of hydatid disease world wide.
Conquering Schistosomiasis In China: The Last Mile
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,432,780.00
Summary
Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), caused by Schistosoma bloodflukes, is an ancient disease in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). After decades of control, the Chinese authorities have slated their intention to eliminate the disease by 2020. However, current diagnostic methods underestimate the true infection rates so we contend this target is unattainable. Supplementation of current control measures with additional public health interventions will be required to achieve the goal of elimination.
Malaria infection affects many millions around the world each year. This project brings together scientists working on mouse models of malaria and on clinical studies of malaria in Africa and Asia, with mathematicians and physicists who will analyse and model their experimental data. The project involves 'data mining' to apply novel statistical and mathematical modelling approaches to understand how the immune system controls malaria infection.
Discovery Of Active Metabolic Pathways Suitable For Drug Targeting In Trypanosoma Brucei
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$485,517.00
Summary
Sleeping Sickness is a parasitic disease affecting many of the world’s poorest countries, and is fatal if left untreated. The aim of this project is to identify new metabolic pathways in the parasite that causes Sleeping Sickness, and to investigate how drugs interfere with parasite metabolism. This will provide the basis for new drug discovery efforts and facilitate the development of new medicines for Sleeping Sickness.
The Role Of Exosome-like Vesicles In Cell-cell Communication Between P. Falciparum-infected Red Blood Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$629,058.00
Summary
Cell-cell communication is a critically important mechanism for information exchange promoting cell survival by control of features such as population density and differentiation state. Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We have shown that P. falciparum-infected red blood cells directly communicate between parasites within a population using small vesicles that are capable of delivering genes and signals. Our work aims to understand this process.
Targeting Commitment To Sexual Differentiation In Plasmodium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$688,954.00
Summary
Efforts to control malaria in endemic areas are very often thwarted by "carriers", who have transmissible parasites in their bloodstream (called gametocytes), but who suffer no symptoms. These gametocytes serve as a reservoir ready to reinitiate disease transmission when mosquito numbers increase. This project will develop urgently needed strategies to target gametocytes, and thus block malaria transmission.
Human Malarial Immunity And Assessment Of Emerging Artemisinin Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$312,570.00
Summary
Resistance to antimalarial drugs is a major global threat for malaria treatment, control and elimination. Assessment of the spread of resistance is severely impeded by the presence of host immunity. This project will identify population biomarkers of immunity during antimalarial treatment to include in studies of antimalarial resistance. These findings will facilitate the correct assessment of the global spread of antimalarial resistance.
A School-based Health Education Package For The Prevention Of Soil-transmitted Helminth Infections In China And The Philippines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,488,949.00
Summary
We will undertake intervention trials in China and the Philippines, where infection rates are high, to evaluate a school-based health educational video targeting intestinal worms with the vision of developing a universal school-focused educational tool as part of multi-component integrated control programs targeting intestinal worm infections for Southeast Asia and beyond.
An Integrated Study Of Acyclic Nucleoside Phosphonates As Antimalarial Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,544.00
Summary
Malaria is one of the most serious infectious diseases today. Because of increasing resistance to existing medicines, new drugs are now needed. The therapeutic agents we will develop target the principal species responsible for human malaria are Plasmodium falciparum and vivax. Specifically, the compounds will prevent the parasite from replicating and are related in structure to those compounds in use to treat viral infections including AIDS.
Investigating The Therapeutic Potential Of FTY720 For Human African Trypanosomiasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,736.00
Summary
FTY720, is a drug currently used to treat multiple sclerosis, which we have shown is also be able to kill the parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness, Trypanosomes. We aim to identify the target the drug acts on in the parasite to have its affect. Our objective is to improve the activity further by chemical modification to produce a potent, orally available and well characterised, non-toxic drug suitable for preclinical development.