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.
Molecular Regulators Of Adaptive Immunity To Overwhelming Viral Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$786,898.00
Summary
Diseases caused by overwhelming viral infections, such as COVID-19, are associated with widespread impairments in immunity and constitute a major burden to human health. We have discovered that the molecule c-Myb is essential for the maintenance of immunity during chronic infection. In order to lay the foundations for novel and innovative anti-viral therapies, this project will dissect the molecular pathways regulated by c-Myb that maintain immunity during severe or chronic infection.
Centre For Research Excellence In Critical Infectious Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,623,406.00
Summary
Severe infection kills millions of people every year, but clinicians and policy makers rarely get the information they need in time to make potentially life-saving decisions about infection. We will apply modern genomics and information systems to better understand infection threats in critical care environments and explore the ethical and medicolegal aspects that may either facilitate or present barriers to important research and time-critical decision making.
The aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of gas gangrene, an often fatal disease of particular significance to elderly and diabetic patients, who are particularly susceptible following injury, or surgery, or in some cases when suffering from colon cancer. Although research has been carried out on this disease for many years prompt surgical removal of the infected tissue, often including amputation of a limb, is still commonly used ....The aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of gas gangrene, an often fatal disease of particular significance to elderly and diabetic patients, who are particularly susceptible following injury, or surgery, or in some cases when suffering from colon cancer. Although research has been carried out on this disease for many years prompt surgical removal of the infected tissue, often including amputation of a limb, is still commonly used to ensure the patient's survival. This project involves the study of the two bacteria that are the major causes of the disease. We aim to find out how the bacteria mediate the disease, in particular to determine which toxic factors produced by the bacteria are involved. The normal host response to a bacterial infection is a rapid influx of white blood cells to the infected tissue, which is part of the normal inflammatory response. These cells engulf and degrade the bacteria, clearing the infection. However, a major characteristic of gas gangrene pathology is that very few white blood cells infiltrate the infected tissue. We aim to determine why the host fails to mount an inflammatory response to this bacterial infection. We will achieve this objective by developing a better understanding of the role of the bacterial toxins in the development of this morbid disease. It is hoped the results from this study will enable the development of more effective therapeutic and prophylactic treatments for this disease and also provide a foundation for studies into the modulation of the host response by other bacterial species.Read moreRead less
Investigating The Role Of TGF-beta In Resident Memory T Cell Induction And Maintenance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,495.00
Summary
I am a research scientist interested in the immune system. Specifically, I intend to investigate immunological memory, which is the basis of vaccination. This refers to the ability of certain immune cells such as T and B cells to ‘remember’ a pathogen, so that a rapid and enhanced response can be generated upon re-infection with the same pathogen. This can be investigated by experimental techniques such as flow cytometry, histology and confocal microscopy on cells from infected mouse tissue.
Proof Of Concept Studies On A Novel Class Of Antibiotics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$199,700.00
Summary
The rise of drug-resistant superbugs is a major healthcare concern in hospitals across the world. New antibiotics are needed to combat infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to current drugs. One collaborative team of researchers is addressing the issue. They have discovered a new compound effective against Staphylococcus aureus, the cause of Golden Staph. Using a combination of scientific disciplines the team are now developing this compound into a new antibiotic.
Two-component Regulatory Systems Involved In Toxin Production In Clostridium Perfringens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$78,500.00
Summary
The bacterium studied in this project causes gas gangrene, a severe and often fatal infection of traumatic or surgical wounds. The project involves the detailed analysis of the process by which this bacterium controls the production of the toxic proteins that are required for disease to occur. The emphasis is to determine the mechanism by which this regulatory process is mediated. Research in this laboratory has identified two genes whose protein products are the key links in this regulatory net ....The bacterium studied in this project causes gas gangrene, a severe and often fatal infection of traumatic or surgical wounds. The project involves the detailed analysis of the process by which this bacterium controls the production of the toxic proteins that are required for disease to occur. The emphasis is to determine the mechanism by which this regulatory process is mediated. Research in this laboratory has identified two genes whose protein products are the key links in this regulatory network. The objectives of the project will be to determine which part of the regulatory protein interacts with the target toxin gene, to start to determine the structure of the regulatory protein so that the precise biochemical mechanism of action can be ascertained, to determine the components of the DNA target that are essential for binding activity, and to identify other genes that are involved in the regulation of both the toxin genes and other genes that may be implicated in the disease process. These studies will be facilitated by the availability of the complete genome sequence of this pathogenic bacterium. The project will make a major contribution to our knowledge of how bacteria that cause disease are able to control the production of the toxins that are critical to the disease process. If we are to learn how to more effectively control and treat bacterial infections then it is very important that we understand the complex regulatory networks that tell bacteria when to produce its disease-causing products.Read moreRead less
Microbiological And Immunological Determinants Of Prolonged Illness Following Q Fever.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,036.00
Summary
Q fever is a severe, sometimes life-threatening infection acquired by individuals who work with livestock, particularly abattoir workers. At least 10% of individuals who develop Q fever experience prolonged ill-health in the form of weeks or months of debilitating fatigue, profuse night sweats, headaches, as well as muscle and joint pains. This poorly understood persistent illness is associated with substantial disability and loss of income. This research is based upon an established cohort stud ....Q fever is a severe, sometimes life-threatening infection acquired by individuals who work with livestock, particularly abattoir workers. At least 10% of individuals who develop Q fever experience prolonged ill-health in the form of weeks or months of debilitating fatigue, profuse night sweats, headaches, as well as muscle and joint pains. This poorly understood persistent illness is associated with substantial disability and loss of income. This research is based upon an established cohort study in which subjects with acute, documented Q fever are recruited shortly after the onset of symptoms and followed at regular intervals through to recovery or persistent symptoms. The aim of this research is to determine whether abnormal persistence of the causative organsim of Q fever, Coxiella burnetii, underlies the continued symptoms in those who do not recover promptly from the acute illness. Furthermore, the research is examining the host defense response against the organism via the production of cytokines or immunological hormones, to determine whether these proteins mediate the ongoing symptoms. If confirmed, these hypotheses would lead the way to diagnostic markers for the disorder and a rational treatment strategy.Read moreRead less
Evaluation Of Optimal Pharmacologic Haemodynamic Support Strategies In Patients Presenting With Shock
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$132,743.00
Summary
Shock is one of the most challenging clinical management scenarios experienced by clinicians. It is a syndrome characterised by an imbalance of oxygen delivery and demand particularly in vital organs. Despite the advances in current treatment strategies for patients with shock, there is still significant morbidity and mortality associated with this syndrome. It is the goal of my PhD to develop improved treatment pathways for patients with shock in order to improve their clinical outcomes.
Improving Early Recognition And Response To Symptoms In Acute Cardiovascular Events.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
An important challenge facing cardiovascular public health is to improve access to treatment for acute events, like heart attacks and stroke, by improving public recognition and the initial response to symptoms. This research aims to extend the current understanding and to evaluate existing and test new interventions in this area. Outcomes from this research will inform the development of future campaigns and interventions aiming to improve symptom recognition and reduce delays in presenting to ....An important challenge facing cardiovascular public health is to improve access to treatment for acute events, like heart attacks and stroke, by improving public recognition and the initial response to symptoms. This research aims to extend the current understanding and to evaluate existing and test new interventions in this area. Outcomes from this research will inform the development of future campaigns and interventions aiming to improve symptom recognition and reduce delays in presenting to hospital for acute cardiovascular events.Read moreRead less
Comprehensive Assessment Of Novel Artemisinin-based Combination Regimens For Treatment Of Malaria In Papua New Guinea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$529,500.00
Summary
Malaria is one of the most important causes of death and disease in Australia's closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The cornerstone of strategies to tackle malaria is the provision of prompt and effective drug treatment for those at risk. Unfortunately older drugs are becoming ineffective due to development of resistance and most newer drugs are too expensive for poor countries. As in sub-Saharan Africa, a looming public health disaster awaits the imminent loss of effectiveness of afforda ....Malaria is one of the most important causes of death and disease in Australia's closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The cornerstone of strategies to tackle malaria is the provision of prompt and effective drug treatment for those at risk. Unfortunately older drugs are becoming ineffective due to development of resistance and most newer drugs are too expensive for poor countries. As in sub-Saharan Africa, a looming public health disaster awaits the imminent loss of effectiveness of affordable antimalarials in PNG. There are however some new drugs that may be highly effective and relatively cheap but require further evaluation before they can be deployed. The new artemisinin drugs from China are cheap, safe and effective. However they must be combined with a second drug to ensure cure and to prevent the development of resistance, a stragegy known as artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). The World Health Organisation has endorsed ACT but finding a suitable 2nd drug to combine with the artemisinin drug has been challenging. Our group has pioneered research into the drug piperaquine, which we believe may be the best affordable drug to combine with artemisinin drugs. Piperaquine was first synthesised in the 1960's and was shown to be effective in Chinese studies in the 1970's, but little is known of its blood levels, metabolism and interactions with other drugs in humans. We plan to carry out laboratory studies, studies in healthy volunteers, and field studies in PNG children with malaria that should provide detailed information about piperaquine and its potential role in ACT for malaria. This will help us to develop better dosing formulations and to maximise the effectiveness of this treatment. Development and registration of a piperaquine-containing ACT would consititute a new and potent weapon in the fight against malaria in PNG and other tropical countries.Read moreRead less