A Computer Model Of Service Delivery For Behavioural And Psychological Symptoms Of Dementia: A Tool For Policy Makers An
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,108.00
Summary
Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) affect approximate 90% of persons with dementia. BPSD include depression, aggression and psychosis and have negative effects on persons with dementia and carers. Management of BPSD is costly. This project will update and enhance our theoretical model of service delivery for BPSD by turning it into a computer-based model to assist health managers and policy makers. This model will incorporate the projected increase in prevalence of dementi ....Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) affect approximate 90% of persons with dementia. BPSD include depression, aggression and psychosis and have negative effects on persons with dementia and carers. Management of BPSD is costly. This project will update and enhance our theoretical model of service delivery for BPSD by turning it into a computer-based model to assist health managers and policy makers. This model will incorporate the projected increase in prevalence of dementia and project associated costs of care into the future. It will also incorporate information about interventions for BPSD, and how they may affect prevalence and cost in the future.Read moreRead less
Neural Computations For Predictive Coding In Visual Cortex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$479,832.00
Summary
The project aims to use the principle of "predictive coding" - a theory that promises to be a unified theory of the brain - to understand how the visual cortex makes predictions about future events, at cellular level. This basic knowledge will not only shed light on how the cerebral cortex functions at the cellular level, but may also clarify the neuronal basis of mental conditions such as schizophrenia and autism.
Improving Global Tuberculosis Control With The AuTuMN Platform
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$655,059.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious killer, with the failure of global control responsible for the vast majority of Australia’s cases. Using our robustly developed software platform, we have performed several country-level studies to predict the future burden of disease and compare the impact of alternative responses to controlling the epidemic. In this project, we will extend our platform to perform simulations at the global level and answer key questions in TB control.
This fellowship supports continuing work on statistical methods and applications for the detection and characterization of genes involved in complex diseases, notably melanoma, but a number of related characteristics such as skin hair and eye colour, moles and freckling. The other complex disease I work on are the allergic disease, where I am involved in both human and animal based studies of allergic dermatitis and asthma.The types of data to be analysed include genome-wide genotype data and ev ....This fellowship supports continuing work on statistical methods and applications for the detection and characterization of genes involved in complex diseases, notably melanoma, but a number of related characteristics such as skin hair and eye colour, moles and freckling. The other complex disease I work on are the allergic disease, where I am involved in both human and animal based studies of allergic dermatitis and asthma.The types of data to be analysed include genome-wide genotype data and eventually whole genome sequence data.Read moreRead less
Our overall objective is to significantly improve the efficacy and efficiency of image-guided neurosurgery for brain tumours by including realistic computation of brain deformations, based on a biomechanical model, in a system to improve intra-operative visualisation, navigation and monitoring. The system will create an augmented reality visualisation of the intra-operative configuration of the patient’s brain merged with high resolution pre-operative imaging data.
Osteoarthritis Compass: Predicting Personalized Disease Onset And Progression With Future Capacity For Clinical Use.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$860,231.00
Summary
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is common, painful, and costly. General guidelines for knee OA management exist but cannot be personalized to the patient. New computer modelling methods enable prediction of knee OA onset and progression on a patient by patient basis but need further testing. Our aims are to 1) apply these new computer modelling methods to legacy datasets acquired from patient groups at risk of, and with, knee OA, and 2) make these models simple and fast enough to be clinically useful.
Improving Cardiac Valve Implant Outcomes With Advanced Computer Simulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$593,367.00
Summary
This project focuses on improving heart valve procedures, specifically focusing on new transcatheter techniques of heart valve implantation. The research uses advanced imaging and computer simulation techniques to predict the outcome and improve minimally invasive heart procedures.
This research will develop cutting-edge computational tools and statistical methods to analyse, model and visualise the way in which the human brain is interconnected. The tools developed will be used to identify biological markers in the brain’s network of axonal circuitry (the connectome) that are valuable for diagnosis and prognosis of psychiatric disorders. This research will bring to fruition the exciting potential of connectomics in neuroscience and psychiatry.
Improving Patient Safety In Radiation Therapy With The Watchdog Real-time Treatment Delivery Verification System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$593,742.00
Summary
Radiation therapy is a highly effective cancer treatment with extremely high doses delivered using very complex treatment machines. Unfortunately errors have occurred resulting in cases of patient death and mistreatment. We have developed a novel method to assess the treatment delivery in real-time to prevent errors. The method uses imaging devices that are already present on the treatment machine meaning that this method could have a major impact on patient safety in modern radiation therapy.