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Rapid, Cost-effective, Diagnosis And Monitoring Of Multiple Sclerosis By Novel Multifocal Evoked Potential Methods
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$152,463.00
Summary
A new technology for concurrently stimulating both eyes, and recording thousands of responses from the brain, will be tested for its effectiveness in diagnosing and tracking progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and the degree to which it complements Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Our understanding of MS has changed in recent years. It is now recognised to have two phases: an initial inflammatory phase, and a secondary progressive phase. The progressive phase produces the inexorable increas ....A new technology for concurrently stimulating both eyes, and recording thousands of responses from the brain, will be tested for its effectiveness in diagnosing and tracking progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and the degree to which it complements Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Our understanding of MS has changed in recent years. It is now recognised to have two phases: an initial inflammatory phase, and a secondary progressive phase. The progressive phase produces the inexorable increasing disability of MS. MS only affects about 0.04% of Australians but the early onset of MS, the high cost of medication, and the prolonged period of disability, mean that the cost to Australia is about $2 billion pa. MRI quantifies the inflammatory phase well but is poorly correlated with the debilitating secondary progression. The common treatments for MS target the inflammatory phase but not the causes of secondary progression, which are unknown. Current diagnostic methods mean diagnosis can take years, meaning that patients can be denied treatment for some time. The applicants have published experiments on 50 MS patients and 27 normal subjects using a variant of the new method. Not only has it shown high diagnostic accuracy, but the new method seems to provide data on the progressive phase, suggesting strongly that it is complementary to MRI. The new method is also much cheaper to set up and run than MRI and so could provide cost-effective means for monitoring patient condition and testing new drugs that are effective against the progressive phase. The applicants have considerable experience commercialising diagnostic technologies, and are currently working with an Australian company developing new diagnostic hardware. That hardware has been adapted to perform the presently proposed experiments. Overall it is reasonable to assume that positive outcomes will be translated into economic and health benefits for Australians.Read moreRead less
Measurement Of Residual Nervous System Function After Spinal Cord Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$779,159.00
Summary
Multiple serial physiological recording techniques will be used to assess sensory and motor function for 12 months after spinal cord injury. This detailed information will provide, for the first time, an insight into the changes, both beneficial and deleterious, in the sensory and motor systems over time. Such information may enable changes in the management of people with spinal cord injury to prevent deleterious effects on the nervous system and enhance function.
A Multi-cohort Investigation Of The Effects Of BDNF Val66Met On Tau, Neurodegeneration And Cognition In Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$325,758.00
Summary
There are currently no disease modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. We will elucidate the role of a genetic polymorphism that has previously been shown to exert neuroprotective effects on memory decline and brain volume loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. By studying the role of this gene in multiple cohorts of individuals with varying degrees of Alzheimer’s disease risk, this study has high potential to uncover novel disease-modifying strategies for the treatment of the disease.
Structural Connectomes In Traumatic Brain Injury: Can Secondary Disease Progression Be Stopped And Cognitive Deficits Be Reversed?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Many people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience cognitive problems, including poor memory and concentration. TBI is often referred to as a ‘hidden disability’ because the overwhelming majority of patients with TBI show no abnormalities on standard MRI or CT scans. In my project, I will delineate the mechanisms of secondary injury in finer detail through enhanced neuroimaging techniques, resulting in new assessment and treatment modalities for individuals with TBI.
Determining The Genetic Control Of Corpus Callosum Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$625,800.00
Summary
Disorders of early brain development are significant causes of illness and disability in children, who present with a number of clinical problems including delayed development, seizures, weakness and learning difficulties. The cause of these conditions remains poorly understood, however it is emerging that genes play a key role. This project will identify and characterise novel genes associated with abnormal brain development and identify new potential targets for treatment.
Growth factors are essential molecules for normal brain development. Variations in the amount of the different growth factors have been implicated in such diseases as AlzheimerÍs and ParkinsonÍs disease. This project will study the precursor of a growth factor known as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and what specific roles the precursor might play in brain development.
TDP-43 In The Population In Relation To Dementia: Relationships With Clinical Symptomatology And Other Key Neuropathologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$235,002.00
Summary
There are over a quarter of a million people with dementia in Australia, and this figure will rise. We still do not understand what goes wrong within the brain to give rise to dementia. This project will assess a new pathology within the brain in relation to late life dementia and the aging process. Results will improve diagnostic tools for dementia and treatments.
Investigating Treatments And Biomarkers Of Brain Concussion
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,065.00
Summary
Concussions are a serious and common international health concern, and repeated concussions can have severe long-term consequences on the brain. This project will aim to provide insight into this poorly understood disease projects and ultimately improve the management of concussions in human patients.