Most eye diseases have a genetic contribution, whether rare disorders affecting children such as retinoblastoma or congenital cataracts through to common disorders of older people such as myopia, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. We will continue our successful research to find genes that cause these diseases and use this to improve patient care and prevent blindness. We will work out how families can use this genetic information to participate in trials to develop new treatments.
My research focus is the physical and mental health of Australian women at midlife. Over the next 5 years I will address the management of severe menopausal symptoms, midlife depression and the neglected health needs of women during and after cancer treatment, organ transplant and severe persistent mental illness. I will also investigate novel treatment approaches for menopausal symptoms. I will work closely with relevant professional and community groups in planning, implementation and translat ....My research focus is the physical and mental health of Australian women at midlife. Over the next 5 years I will address the management of severe menopausal symptoms, midlife depression and the neglected health needs of women during and after cancer treatment, organ transplant and severe persistent mental illness. I will also investigate novel treatment approaches for menopausal symptoms. I will work closely with relevant professional and community groups in planning, implementation and translation to ensure my research addresses their needs.Read moreRead less
The Clinicial Centre Of Research Excellence At The Jean Hailes Foundation: For The Study Of Women's Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,000,000.00
Summary
The major health issues affecting women from the mid-reproductive years include depression, disorders of mood and sexual function, and breast cancer, with cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis becoming increasingly prevalent with age. Linking each of these are their known or probable causal associations with oestrogens and androgens. This Centre will provide an opportunity for comprehensive and multidisciplinary research into the role of oestrogens and androgens in these disor ....The major health issues affecting women from the mid-reproductive years include depression, disorders of mood and sexual function, and breast cancer, with cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis becoming increasingly prevalent with age. Linking each of these are their known or probable causal associations with oestrogens and androgens. This Centre will provide an opportunity for comprehensive and multidisciplinary research into the role of oestrogens and androgens in these disorders.Read moreRead less
Endocrine And Molecular Regulation Of Placental CRH Expression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,980.00
Summary
Approximately 70% of infant death is associated with premature birth. Preterm birth occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in the rates of premature birth in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and abnormal birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotr ....Approximately 70% of infant death is associated with premature birth. Preterm birth occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in the rates of premature birth in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and abnormal birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotrophin releasing hormone, CRH) in the placenta and the length of time the baby is carried in the mother. In women who will deliver prematurely a rise in CRH occurs earlier in the pregnancy and more rapidly, while in women who deliver late the rise occurs more slowly. This work has given rise to the concept of a biological clock that determines the length of time the fetus will be carried by the mother before birth, and in which production of CRH in the placenta plays a central role. We have been studying how the CRH gene is controlled in placental cells. We have discovered some regions in the DNA of the CRH gene which have important roles in controlling how much CRH is made by the placenta. The experiments described in this research project will determine the molecular mechanisms that control the production of CRH in the human placenta. This will be done in two ways: (1) by examining the DNA sequences involved in controlling expression of the CRH gene and (2) by identifying the proteins that actually perform the regulating functions that result in either increased or decreased amounts of CRH being produced by the placenta. This important information will help us better understand how normal and abnormal birth is controlled, and from that knowledge new ways to detect and prevent premature birth can be invented.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genome. In this Australian-led Kangaroo Genome Project, we will map and characterize the tammar wallaby genome at the molecular level. Marsupial genomes are uniquely valuable because they provide comparisons that reveal new human genes, regulatory sequences and marsupial-specific genes. These will deliver new products and information useful for medicine, industry, agriculture and conservation. We will construct integrated genetic and physical maps of the genome, clone the ....ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genome. In this Australian-led Kangaroo Genome Project, we will map and characterize the tammar wallaby genome at the molecular level. Marsupial genomes are uniquely valuable because they provide comparisons that reveal new human genes, regulatory sequences and marsupial-specific genes. These will deliver new products and information useful for medicine, industry, agriculture and conservation. We will construct integrated genetic and physical maps of the genome, clone the whole genome as large inserts in BAC vectors, and build a "golden path" with minimal overlap. We will construct libraries of expressed genes from tammar tissues and array them for use in analysing gene expression.Read moreRead less
An Examination Of Motor Functioning In Autism And Asperger's Disorder: An Analysis Of Gait & Cortical Brain Activity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,220.00
Summary
Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by a triad of deficits: delayed and atypical language development, impaired development of social skills, and ritualistic and stereotypic behaviour. Although not part of the standard diagnosis, movement disorders and gait abnormalities have been clinically observed in autism similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. In addition, individuals with Asperger's disorder may appear more clumsy, have a stiff or awkward way of walking, and exhibit poo ....Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by a triad of deficits: delayed and atypical language development, impaired development of social skills, and ritualistic and stereotypic behaviour. Although not part of the standard diagnosis, movement disorders and gait abnormalities have been clinically observed in autism similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. In addition, individuals with Asperger's disorder may appear more clumsy, have a stiff or awkward way of walking, and exhibit poor coordination in posture and gesture. It has been suggested that there is disruption within the basal-ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry (the region connecting the frontal and sub-cortical structures), which may cause the motor dysfunction seen in autism and Asperger's disorder. Few studies have attempted to isolate particular stages of motor functioning which may account for the coordination and motor delay observed clinically in autism and Asperger's disorder. A recent study of ours found evidence to suggest that motor planning deficiencies may account for the 'clumsy' movement patterns frequently reported in the autism - Asperger's disorder literature. Therefore, the aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive neurobehavioural and neurophysiological analysis of motor functioning in young people with autism and Asperger's disorder to further examine the exact stages of motor processing which are deficient in these disorder groups. Recent retrospective studies have shown that even as infants children with autism exhibit clear features of motor disturbance, which, if detected and clearly defined, could advance early diagnosis. In addition to advancing the clinical definition of autism and Asperger's disorder, a careful examination of motor disturbance may also illuminate the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders.Read moreRead less
Discovery And Development Of Better Pain Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$9,613,850.00
Summary
Many forms of pain remain poorly treated, leading to significant quality of life and economic losses. This Program grant will discover and characterise new peptides from cone snails and spiders that modulate specific channels in nerves that are critical to the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Using advanced chemical and structural approaches, promising leads will be optimised for potency and stability and evaluated in disease and pathway-specific models of pain to establish their clini ....Many forms of pain remain poorly treated, leading to significant quality of life and economic losses. This Program grant will discover and characterise new peptides from cone snails and spiders that modulate specific channels in nerves that are critical to the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Using advanced chemical and structural approaches, promising leads will be optimised for potency and stability and evaluated in disease and pathway-specific models of pain to establish their clinical potential.Read moreRead less
Targeted mining for new drugs against parasitic nematodes of animals - a synergy of integrated, frontier technologies and a committed partnership with industry. This project will: develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, re ....Targeted mining for new drugs against parasitic nematodes of animals - a synergy of integrated, frontier technologies and a committed partnership with industry. This project will: develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; enhance the skills-base in biology, biotechnology and bioinformatics; increase global visibility with increased investment in Australian science; improved animal welfare and production via better control of infectious diseases; commercial products with benefits to agricultural producers in regional and rural communities.Read moreRead less
Improving the efficiency of CRISPR gene editing in cells. Human red blood cells are well-characterised and the globin gene locus is a model system for the study of gene regulation. Gene editing technologies and delivery tools are evolving rapidly and the globin gene locus is the perfect model for gene editing optimisation. This collaboration between UNSW Sydney and CSL aims to bring together our combined expertise and new technologies to develop an optimal platform for genetic modification in a ....Improving the efficiency of CRISPR gene editing in cells. Human red blood cells are well-characterised and the globin gene locus is a model system for the study of gene regulation. Gene editing technologies and delivery tools are evolving rapidly and the globin gene locus is the perfect model for gene editing optimisation. This collaboration between UNSW Sydney and CSL aims to bring together our combined expertise and new technologies to develop an optimal platform for genetic modification in a red blood cell line. Simultaneously, this project aims to generate fundamental insights into mechanisms of human gene regulation. The technological and biological outcomes of this project will be of benefit for future gene editing applications.Read moreRead less
Remotely sensed forest water use in space and time. Remotely sensed forest water use in space and time. This project aims to develop and apply new methods to scale forest water use from plot to catchment-level, using relationships between plot-level annual evapotranspiration and biophysical and biochemical properties of stands detectable by unmanned aircraft systems and other remote sensing platforms. Australia's water security depends on understanding how changes in forests from disturbance and ....Remotely sensed forest water use in space and time. Remotely sensed forest water use in space and time. This project aims to develop and apply new methods to scale forest water use from plot to catchment-level, using relationships between plot-level annual evapotranspiration and biophysical and biochemical properties of stands detectable by unmanned aircraft systems and other remote sensing platforms. Australia's water security depends on understanding how changes in forests from disturbance and climate change influence catchment water yields. This project will estimate water yields over time and space in ungauged catchments with disturbed eucalypt forests. This research is expected to enable more effective risk mitigation and planning for augmentations; improved fire management strategies; and better water management of the Murray Darling Basin.Read moreRead less