MEASURING AND MODELLING VISUAL CORTICAL PLASTICITY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$612,693.00
Summary
We are the product of both our genes and our environment. Scientists have already shown that the physical structure of our brain can be changed by our experiences. But how much can it be changed? Our experiments will address this question for a particular case: how far our visual experiences can affect the structure of the part of our brain that processes visual images. This will help us understand the delicate balance between our genes and our environment in shaping who we are.
The Lililwan Project: Prevalence Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders In The Fitzroy Valley
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$777,758.00
Summary
Alcohol use in pregnancy is widespread in Australia. Alchohol may cause physical and developmental problems in the developing child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This collaborative project, initiated and led by Aboriginal leaders in the Fitzroy Valley in the remote East Kimberley, WA, will establish the prevalence of FASD, health and developmental problems in a population of primary school-aged, predominantly Aboriginal children and develop strategies for service deliver ....Alcohol use in pregnancy is widespread in Australia. Alchohol may cause physical and developmental problems in the developing child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This collaborative project, initiated and led by Aboriginal leaders in the Fitzroy Valley in the remote East Kimberley, WA, will establish the prevalence of FASD, health and developmental problems in a population of primary school-aged, predominantly Aboriginal children and develop strategies for service delivery, prevention and education.Read moreRead less
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.
Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Axon Guidance In The Vertebrate Nervous System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,735.00
Summary
There are, at least, two major obstacles that have to be overcome in the design of therapies to assist the repair of injured brain tissue. First, the nerve cells that are damaged have to be encouraged to regrow - typically this regrowth is inhibited in the brain; and second, this regrowth has to be directed so that the correct connections are re-established. This project will begin to unravel some of the mechanisms that nerve cells use to wire up together during development. This information can ....There are, at least, two major obstacles that have to be overcome in the design of therapies to assist the repair of injured brain tissue. First, the nerve cells that are damaged have to be encouraged to regrow - typically this regrowth is inhibited in the brain; and second, this regrowth has to be directed so that the correct connections are re-established. This project will begin to unravel some of the mechanisms that nerve cells use to wire up together during development. This information can be used to assist in trying to modulate and facilitate directed regrowth following injury.Read moreRead less
Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM is an international leader in rare disease research, as Director of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit and investigator on The Lililwan project in Fitzroy Valley's remote Aboriginal communities, WA. This will establish prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD); diagnose and manage affected children and support their carers; and provide data to inform service needs for FASD and prevention policy for alcohol use pregnancy.
Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Axon Growth And Guidance In The Vertebrate Nervous System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,545.00
Summary
There are millions of nerve cells in the vertebrate brain, each forming very precise and specific connections within neural circuits. During development of the embryo most of these cells are wired together. A Telstra technician will use the different colours of telephone cables to correctly connect them. Likewise, the growing processes of nerve cells in the brain use specific markers or labels as cues to establish the correct wiring. The aim of the present project is to characterize the specific ....There are millions of nerve cells in the vertebrate brain, each forming very precise and specific connections within neural circuits. During development of the embryo most of these cells are wired together. A Telstra technician will use the different colours of telephone cables to correctly connect them. Likewise, the growing processes of nerve cells in the brain use specific markers or labels as cues to establish the correct wiring. The aim of the present project is to characterize the specific role of some of these labels on nerve cells during development. This project will provide new fundamental knowledge about how brain cells are wired together during development of the embryo. This knowledge is essential for establishing strategies to enhance repair of brain cells following ischemic, excitotoxic or mechanical injury.Read moreRead less
Deciphering The Mechanisms For Constructing The Olfactory System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,321.00
Summary
The olfactory (smell) system is a unique part of the nervous system; nerve cells are generated throughout life and it can regenerate even after injury. It therefore provides an excellent model for examining the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells. This project will examine the effects on the organisation of the olfactory system when some guidance signals are altered. Information we obtain about how this system develops and regenerates may be useful in treating brain disorders and ....The olfactory (smell) system is a unique part of the nervous system; nerve cells are generated throughout life and it can regenerate even after injury. It therefore provides an excellent model for examining the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells. This project will examine the effects on the organisation of the olfactory system when some guidance signals are altered. Information we obtain about how this system develops and regenerates may be useful in treating brain disorders and spinal injuries The results of these experiments will provide important information on the the initial growth and targeting of these nerve cells which may have implications for regeneration of these as well as other nerve cells.Read moreRead less
A Molecular Approach To Constructing The Olfactory System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,250.00
Summary
The olfactory (smell) system is a unique part of the nervous system; nerve cells are generated throughout life and it can regenerate even after injury. It therefore provides an excellent model for examining the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells. This project will examine the effects on the organisation of the olfactory system when some guidance signals are altered. Information we obtain about how this system develops and regenerates may be useful in treating brain disorders and ....The olfactory (smell) system is a unique part of the nervous system; nerve cells are generated throughout life and it can regenerate even after injury. It therefore provides an excellent model for examining the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells. This project will examine the effects on the organisation of the olfactory system when some guidance signals are altered. Information we obtain about how this system develops and regenerates may be useful in treating brain disorders and spinal injuries In the current project we will examine the effects of specific nerve cell guidance molecules by generating transgenic mice that produce these molecules only in the olfactory system. We can then determine what changes occur to the nerve cells when these extra molecules are produced. The results of these experiments will provide important information on the the initial growth and targeting of these nerve cells which may have implications for regeneration of these as well as other nerve cells.Read moreRead less
Molecular And Activity Dependent Mechanisms Regulating The Targeting Of Corpus Callosum Axons In The Contralateral Hemisphere.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$413,266.00
Summary
The brain is made up of circuits of neurons that process specific information. For example, the somatosensory cortex receives and sends connections to other somatosensory areas, including the contralateral cortex, but how these systems are wired up is not known. We will investigate whether information about the size and position of the cortical areas and activity-matching of the somatosensory information received by each hemisphere are used to guide callosal axons to their targets.
DEVELOPMENT OF FOLDING IN THE FETAL CEREBRAL CORTEX – IDENTIFYING FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS AND THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISRUPTION IN NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PREGNANCY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$607,742.00
Summary
During pregnancy, the surface of the fetal brain gradually develops the ridges, valleys, and folds that are the characteristic feature of our highly developed brain. However, this process can be disturbed if birth occurs prematurely, the unborn baby suffers oxygen starvation in the uterus, or the mother consumes alcohol. In this project we are determining how cell migration results in the development of brain surface folding, and how hypoxia and maternal alcohol consumption affect these importan ....During pregnancy, the surface of the fetal brain gradually develops the ridges, valleys, and folds that are the characteristic feature of our highly developed brain. However, this process can be disturbed if birth occurs prematurely, the unborn baby suffers oxygen starvation in the uterus, or the mother consumes alcohol. In this project we are determining how cell migration results in the development of brain surface folding, and how hypoxia and maternal alcohol consumption affect these important processes.Read moreRead less