The Role Of Clusterin In Preventing Atherosclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,662.00
Summary
In atherosclerosis, plaques are formed when damaged low density lipoprotein (LDL) and fibrinogen are deposited inside blood vessels. Clusterin is a protein that stabilises damaged clients in soluble complexes, thus preventing their deposition. This project will investigate the ability of clusterin to prevent the deposition of damaged LDL and fibrinogen. Elucidation of mechanisms for preventing protein deposition will identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
I am a protein crystallographer determining the structures of medically important proteins such as proteases. I am also a bioinformatician leading the development of informatics systems for automated highthroughput crystallography, and bioinformatic analy
My research is aimed at understanding how the structure and dynamics of proteins dictates their function. I use X-ray crystallography to determine the shapes of proteins. Proteins are not static, however - they move in complicated ways, and often their motion is critical to their function (molecular motors, for example). It is very difficult to 'watch' this movement in the lab, so I use computer simulation to try to understand how proteins move.
Skeletal Disease In A Dish: Using Novel In Vitro Disease Models Produced From Patient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells To Reveal Pathogenic Mechanisms And Explore Treatments For Genetic Skeletal Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$808,551.00
Summary
Inherited skeletal disorders are a significant disease burden. Many gene mutations have been defined but we only have limited understanding about how they cause the disease. We will use patient skin cells and a new in vitro cell reprogramming technology to induce them to form cartilage and bone cells to produce mutation-specific “disease in a dish” models. These models will allow us to answer questions about how specific mutations cause disease and test novel drug therapies
Protein Homeostasis, Protein Aggregation And Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,065.00
Summary
There is a desperate need for biomarkers and therapeutics for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Mutations in a growing list of genes are implicated as a cause of MND, although the way these cause MND remains a mystery. I aim to build a uniquely positioned research team that approaches this problem from a protein centric view and incorporating strategic collaborative efforts to the understanding of the pathogenesis of MND; the longterm goal of which is translation to biomarkers and therapeutics.