Quantifying The Role Of Epigenetic Factors In Neurocognitive Outcomes: A Twin Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,516,790.00
Summary
We aim to identify the environmental factors in early life that contribute towards an individual brain development using MRI brain scans and related psychological skills measured in late childhood. We are using twins to better understand differences in their early life environments independent of genetics.
The Burden Of Late Preterm Birth On Brain Development And 2 Year Outcomes – A Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,690.00
Summary
80% of preterm babies are born from 32-36 weeks’ gestation, and are late preterm (LPT). LPT children have more learning problems, but why this occurs is unknown. This study aims to understand the effect of LPT birth on brain development. We will do brain scans at term and assess development at 2 years of age of 200 LPT and 200 full-term children. We expect LPT babies will have subtle alterations in brain development compared with term controls which will be associated with delayed development.
Motor problems, ranging from clumsiness to cerebral palsy, are one of the most common adverse outcomes in children born early. This study will investigate the motor development of children born <30 weeks’ gestation compared with peers born at term from birth to 5 years. We will determine whether early clinical evaluations or neuroimaging in the newborn period can predict later motor impairment at 5 years to be able to identify those who will benefit most from early intervention.
A Study Of The Impact Of Treating Electrographic Seizures In Term Or Near-term Infants With Neonatal Encephalopathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,365,184.00
Summary
Seizures in the newborn infant are common and may be harmful to the developing brain. They are not always recognised. This study investigates whether or not treating all seizures detected using a bedside brain activity monitor improves developmental outcome, compared to just treating seizures that doctors recognise.
Determining The Impacts Of Epigenetic Modifying Drugs On Germline Programming And Offspring Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,918.00
Summary
New drugs have been developed that inhibit specific enzymes that regulate epigenetic pathways in cells. These pathways significantly affect growth and development in offspring and may represent a risk to future children of patients taking the drug. This project will determine these risks and provide data for developing clinical guidelines for safe use of the drugs.
Transcriptional regulation of erythropoiesis. The major expected outcome from this proposal will be development of a pipeline for the study of how transcription factors work at a genome level. There will be national benefit in the areas of Frontier Technologies, and Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. There will be specific outcomes with respect to development of tests for human blood diseases, future design of drugs to target the aberrant activities of transcription factors in genetic and de ....Transcriptional regulation of erythropoiesis. The major expected outcome from this proposal will be development of a pipeline for the study of how transcription factors work at a genome level. There will be national benefit in the areas of Frontier Technologies, and Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. There will be specific outcomes with respect to development of tests for human blood diseases, future design of drugs to target the aberrant activities of transcription factors in genetic and degenerative diseases. Also, a strong bridge will be built upon the previous collaborations of the research teams in Brisbane and Pennsylvania, which will facilitate advanced teaching and training of Australian PhD and post-doctoral scientists.Read moreRead less
Synthetic Molybdenum Enzymes. This project aims to produce synthetic molybdenum (Mo) enzymes, small molecules that share structural and functional attributes with the crucially important molybdopterin?Mo enzymes. These ubiquitous enzymes are essential for plant and animal health, natural cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and global climate control and atmospheric albedo (reflectance); consequently, they impact heavily on commerce, the environment and society. The study will provid ....Synthetic Molybdenum Enzymes. This project aims to produce synthetic molybdenum (Mo) enzymes, small molecules that share structural and functional attributes with the crucially important molybdopterin?Mo enzymes. These ubiquitous enzymes are essential for plant and animal health, natural cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and global climate control and atmospheric albedo (reflectance); consequently, they impact heavily on commerce, the environment and society. The study will provide urgently needed insights into the fundamental Mo?sulfur chemistry of the enzyme active sites and inform efforts to reduce the negative impacts of enzyme dysfunction and the design of new commercial catalysts.Read moreRead less
Bioinorganic Chemistry of Molybdenum. Enzymes containing the trace element molybdenum play crucial roles in plant, animal and human health, drug metabolism, environmental processes and climate. This international, multidisciplinary project will advance our understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes at the atomic level and inform strategies to reduce the impact of crop, livestock and human diseases and adverse environmental (e.g. algal blooms, leaching of toxic arsenic) and clim ....Bioinorganic Chemistry of Molybdenum. Enzymes containing the trace element molybdenum play crucial roles in plant, animal and human health, drug metabolism, environmental processes and climate. This international, multidisciplinary project will advance our understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes at the atomic level and inform strategies to reduce the impact of crop, livestock and human diseases and adverse environmental (e.g. algal blooms, leaching of toxic arsenic) and climatic events. Effective strategies would be of enormous social and economic benefit to Australia. The training of skilled scientists and access to major overseas facilities are additional benefits of the project.Read moreRead less
Muscle fibre excitability and calcium regulation in skeletal muscle of amphibians and mammals. The fundamental role of skeletal muscle is posture and movement. Essential for this is a specialised cell structure and a complex regulation of function. This project will define key aspects of muscle structure and functional regulation crucial to developing targets for improving function under stressed states such as fatigue, disease and age.
Structural studies of mammalian dimeric dihydrodiol dehydrogenase and L-xylulose reductase. The aim of the research is determine the structures and mechanisms of mammalian dimeric dihrodiol dehydrogenase and L-xylulose reductase. Mammalian dihydrodiol dehydrogenase exists in multiple forms in mammalian tissues. The dimeric form of the enzyme has a primary structure distinct from previously known mammalian enzymes and may constitute a novel protein family with prokaryotic proteins. L-Xylulose ....Structural studies of mammalian dimeric dihydrodiol dehydrogenase and L-xylulose reductase. The aim of the research is determine the structures and mechanisms of mammalian dimeric dihrodiol dehydrogenase and L-xylulose reductase. Mammalian dihydrodiol dehydrogenase exists in multiple forms in mammalian tissues. The dimeric form of the enzyme has a primary structure distinct from previously known mammalian enzymes and may constitute a novel protein family with prokaryotic proteins. L-Xylulose reductase is an enzyme of the uronate cycle that accounts for about 5% of the total glucose metabolism per day in humans. We propose to determine the first structure of a L-xylulose reductase.Read moreRead less