Understanding The Factors Governing Susceptibility And Outcome In Childhood Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$276,122.00
Summary
This research seeks to understand why a minority of children are prone to severe and often life-threatening infections and inflammation. It focusses on infections both in preterm infants and in later childhood, which may also be relevant to understanding atherosclerosis. I am also interested in improving the health of recently arrived refugees, by conducting research that allows the development of evidence-based health interventions and developing national policy on refugee health.
I am a clinician-scientist and endocrinologist most interested in clinical problems associated with bone, in particular the highly heritable disease of osteoporosis. I hope by studying genetic determinants of bone mass to determine the key genes involved, with the long term aim of informing the development of novel therapies for this common, painful and disabling disease.
Asthma Genetics: Dissecting The Missing Heritability And Biology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,716.00
Summary
The goal of this application is to apply state-of-the-art technologies to (1) identify genes that increase the risk of developing asthma and (2) help translate this information into knowledge that can be used to improve disease management. I will achieve this by analysing data generated by the Australian Asthma Genetics Consortium and international collaborators.
Microfluidic Strategy For Circulating Tumour Cells Analysis In Cancer Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,180.00
Summary
My approach and ultimate goal over the next 4 years is to demonstrate the use of recently discovered “Nanoshearing” technology as a standard diagnostic tool for cancer patients undergoing systemic therapy and assess the impact of standard protocols in predicting response to therapy and patient outcomes. Data from this study could potentially define new standards of clinical practice, as they relate to follow-up screening for response to therapy and recurrence of disease.
Delineating Mechanisms Of Acquired Resistance To Kinase Inhibitors And Devising Novel Strategies To Combat Therapeutic Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
Kinase inhibitors are some of the most successful anti-cancer agents that have emerged in the last 15 years. However, tumors become resistant to these drugs after showing initial response. Understanding mechanisms through which cancer cells become resistant to these drugs will allow us to develop effective strategies to counter it and achieve sustained responses to cancer therapy. I propose to build a research program to systematically study these mechanisms to improve cancer therapeutics.
Leukaemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, constitutes an important component of Australia's overall cancer burden. We aim to improve our understanding of the genetic and familial contributions to this disease. By establishing the Victorian Paediatric Family Cancer Study, we have evidence of a relationship between maternal age, onset of leukaema and overall risk of cancer in the family. We aim to determine if this finding is genetically based, implying a larger inherited component than ....Leukaemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, constitutes an important component of Australia's overall cancer burden. We aim to improve our understanding of the genetic and familial contributions to this disease. By establishing the Victorian Paediatric Family Cancer Study, we have evidence of a relationship between maternal age, onset of leukaema and overall risk of cancer in the family. We aim to determine if this finding is genetically based, implying a larger inherited component than previously recognized.Read moreRead less
Improving Cancer Outcomes In Under-studied Cancers By Understanding Their Risk Factors And Patterns Of Cancer Care.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,747.00
Summary
Cancer is the second leading cause of disease burden in Australia. Much can be done to reduce this burden through effective cancer prevention and ensuring all patients receive optimal evidence-based care. This research focuses on thyroid, kidney and ovarian cancer and aims to increase knowledge of these cancers’ causes and to investigate variation in patient care and its impact on outcomes. Ultimately the objective of the work is to decrease Australia’s cancer burden.
Population Health Modelling, With Applicationsto Asbestos-related Diseases, Cervical Cancer And Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,558.00
Summary
Population health modelling can be used to understand complex systems, through bringing together diverse data sources to answer questions of public health importance. We will apply modelling techniques to three public health areas, including: the effects of HPV testing on cervical cancer screening; the impact of the rapid uptake of PSA screening on prostate cancer incidence and mortality; and projections of the incidence of asbestos-related diseases.
Investigating The Dynamic Interactions Between Immune And Cancer Cells Using Two-photon Intravital Microscopy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,361.00
Summary
Immune cells normally aid tumour destruction, but in some situations do the reverse and promote tumour spread. We will utilize cutting edge techniques including 2-photon microscopy together with novel transgenic mouse models to track immune cells in real time during tumour development in order to identify what factors determine a positive versus negative outcome. This will give us an unprecedented opportunity to ‘see’ how these cells interact with malignant cells which could lead to novel therap ....Immune cells normally aid tumour destruction, but in some situations do the reverse and promote tumour spread. We will utilize cutting edge techniques including 2-photon microscopy together with novel transgenic mouse models to track immune cells in real time during tumour development in order to identify what factors determine a positive versus negative outcome. This will give us an unprecedented opportunity to ‘see’ how these cells interact with malignant cells which could lead to novel therapeutic approaches.Read moreRead less