Broad spectrum nanomedicine for Meningitis treatment. Brain inflammatory diseases are among the top ten infectious causes of death. The project aims to provide Australian doctors with a superior alternative of treating infections that do not respond to conventional antibiotics. The nanomedicine developed will reduce the burden of hospital and boost Australia economy in the biomedical sector.
Understanding the contribution of neuroinflammation in acute and chronic neural injury. A major focus of this project will be investigating the involvement of neuroinflammation in neural cell damage. It will explore how neuroinflammation contributes to this damage in both acute and chronic neuropathologies.
Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide t ....Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide targets and/or concepts for the pharmacotherapy of obesity.Read moreRead less
Learning from errors: examining the neural mechanisms underlying performance monitoring and adaptive behaviour. This project aims to contribute to current scientific thinking on how the brain mechanisms underlying error processing influence adaptive behaviour. Self-recognition of errors deteriorates in many clinical conditions and is a predictor of poor prognostic outcome. However, it remains unclear how such dysfunction leads to the failure to adapt behaviour.
Central pathways regulating visceral pain. This project aims to investigate the neural pathways within the spinal cord and brain processing colorectal pain perception. The project aims to identify the spinal cord neurons relaying colorectal signalling into the brain and the influence of descending modulation from the brainstem upon these pathways. The outcomes will greatly benefit fundamental understanding of the central pathways processing visceral pain.
Regulation of neuronal cell death signalling for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and motor neuron diseases, are often underpinned by neuronal cell death-signalling. This project aims to characterise molecules that regulate cell death signalling, thereby increasing our knowledge of how neuronal cell death can be inhibited.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100323
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The regulation by transcription factor phosphorylation upon the myelinating process. The project will investigate the novel molecular events that control the myelinating process, which is essential for normal nervous system function. Outcomes of this project may aid the development of novel interventions to improve control of demyelinating diseases, which represent a substantial socio-economic burden.
Wiring the gut's nervous system: formation and maturation of synapses. This project aims to determine how nerve circuits controlling intestinal functions develop; specifically how communication between specific nerve cells is established once they appear in the embryonic gut. It will fill a major hole in existing knowledge of mechanisms regulating the development of normal digestive behaviours.
New tools to activate and silence neural circuits. Many neurological disorders occur as a result of neuron cell death that is initiated by excessive levels of excitatory activity in central nervous system neurons. This project will develop and validate a new treatment for these disorders that involves silencing excessive neuronal activity using a safe, commonly prescribed drug.
The role of actin in driving bulk endocytosis in neurons and neurosecretory cells. Synaptic release of neurotransmitter is essential for neuronal communication. Following fusion, synaptic vesicle membrane is incorporated into the plasma membrane and retrieved by endocytosis to recover both lipids and essential vesicular proteins. The project will characterise how the actin cytoskeleton perform this function.