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The first kernels of cardiovascular disease begin very early in life; in the womb and early infancy. These early indications are known to track into adulthood, eventually resulting in diseases such as heart attacks. Dr Huang has found that childhood obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol and a "prediabetes" profile, cluster together and additionally are associated with many factors in the womb and first few years of life. She investigates how to give babies the optimal healthy start.
Cardiac Function In The Growth Restricted Fetus: The Effects Of Betamethasone And Melatonin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,872.00
Summary
I am an Obstetrician interested in the problems of growth-restricted babies. Devastatingly, many of these babies do not survive pregnancy and survivors face difficult challenges throughout their lifetime. My research uses the latest ultrasound technology to study their heart while still in the womb, evaluating if our current treatments are safe or possibly harmful, and finally testing melatonin as an antioxidant to protect their heart from damage they may sustain while still in the womb.
The Consequences Of Innate Anti-viral Effector Responses On Reproductive Outcomes In Placental Mammals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$328,060.00
Summary
The mother's immune system can tolerate the growth of an ostensibly foreign fetus during pregnancy. We will investigate whether exposure to viral infections either just before or during pregnancy can result in reduced fertility and whether it may affect fetal growth and development. These results will contribute in designing effective interventions to limit any potential detrimental outcomes.
Early Life Influences On Child And Adolescent Mental Health Problems
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$299,564.00
Summary
Many children experience mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, causing emotional pain for families and a huge economic cost for society. I aim to prevent these problems before they start. By identifying influences in a pregnant woman’s environment that might lead to mental health problems in her child, such as stress, fertility problems and environmental dangers, we can target these influences early and build positive mental health for children right from the very start of life.
The Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance Of Parental Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,431.00
Summary
The current global epidemic of obesity and diabetes has partly been fuelled by the propagation of these diseases from parent to child across multiple generations. Successful completion of this study will provide hard evidence that there is an inborn but non-genetic component to the risk of obesity and provide insights into the mechanisms by which that risk is created and transmitted from both the mother and the father to the child.
The Negative Transgenerational Impacts Of Paternal Obesity Are Inherited Through Aberrant Methylation And MicroRNA Conetent Of Germ Cells.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
We have shown that obese fathers have reduced sperm function that negatively impacts upon their offspring’s health. But we do not understand the underlying alterations to sperm DNA that cause offspring to inherit poor health from an obese father, and whether these offspring also exhibit the same alterations. My project aims to identify alterations made to sperm DNA and RNA caused by obesity that are inherited by the next generation, ‘programming’ them for poor metabolic and reproductive health.
Identifying And Preventing Inflammation-induced Brain Injury In Preterm Infants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,652.00
Summary
Exposure to infection/inflammation around the time of birth is one of the most common factors associated with long-term disability. There is no effective treatment. My studies will use world-class techniques for measuring brain structure and function to improve our understanding of how infection/inflammation impacts on development of the preterm brain and determine whether blocking key inflammatory pathways in the brain will help restore normal brain growth and development in preterm infants.
Translating Advances In Cell-free Fetal Nucleic Acids Into Better Perinatal Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$187,322.00
Summary
My overall aim is to translate advances in biotechnology into better care for pregnant women. My first aim is to study brain development by analyzing the fluid that surrounds the unborn baby. This work may provide more information to women about their baby’s expected outcome. My second aim is to evaluate the impact of new DNA technologies on the detection of genetic conditions in the baby before birth. This work will confirm if this new generation of tests is fulfilling our high expectations.