Teaching An Old Brain New Tricks: Optimising Cognitive Training Through Neuroplasticity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,562,250.00
Summary
People with early dementia have the most to gain from brain training programs aimed at delaying deterioration. Yet, its power is under-realised, with improvements not generalising to everyday living. This research program will harness the power of neuroplasticity to optimise brain training so that the effects transfer to everyday life. The knowledge gained will transform the way that we design and deliver brain training programs and revolutionise our understanding of why and how people respond.
Innovative Neuroscience To Improve Treatment Of Sleep Disturbances For Prevention Of Depression And Anxiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Insomnia patients have disturbed sleep and symptoms similar to people with depression and anxiety. Treatments are far from optimal and have not progressed since the beginning of the century. My pioneering work identified insomnia patients at risk of depression and anxiety and revealed a potential way of targeting disturbed sleep to resolve emotional distress. Now, my mission is to understand why they are at risk and develop innovative treatments that reduce their risk for depression and anxiety.
The Kids Aren’t Alright: Preventing Depression In Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,715.00
Summary
Depression frequently emerges for the first-time during adolescence. This project examines ways to prevent depression in young people by: (i) partnering with schools to deliver broad universal programs to students through the education system, and (ii) treating sleep disturbance, a powerful but non-stigmatised risk factor for onset of depression. Findings from this research will inform innovative ways to address the depression crisis through the optimisation of prevention approaches.
An Imaging-genomic Approach To Advance Understanding Of Early Cortical Development And Outcome After Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
In Australia, over 26,000 babies are born too early each year, with long-lasting consequences to their development. We do not know how preterm birth affects the newborn brain. In order to improve our understanding, I will combine neuroimaging and genetic data to uncover how preterm birth affects the development of the brain in newborns and how this imparts risk for poor cognitive and motor outcomes. This will allow us better plan and monitor clinical trials and treatments for these infants.
Predicting, Diagnosing And Treating Synucleinopathies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,738,220.00
Summary
Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia carry a high socioeconomic burden and there are currently no disease-modifying treatments. Existing symptomatic therapies focus on replacing neurotransmitters that are made by neurons that have mostly degenerated prior to clinical diagnosis, warranting a clear need to identify cases at a stage when they might benefit most from neuroprotective interventions, as well as improving symptomatic and developing disease modifying treatments.