Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying migraine and endometriosis via genetic dissection. The research aims to identify genetic variants underlying migraine and endometriosis susceptibility. Advances in the genetics of these common and painful disorders, including identification of genetic biomarkers (genetic variations that can predict disease susceptibility, disease outcome, or treatment response), will offer better rationales for scientific enquiry, helping the discovery of new treat ....Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying migraine and endometriosis via genetic dissection. The research aims to identify genetic variants underlying migraine and endometriosis susceptibility. Advances in the genetics of these common and painful disorders, including identification of genetic biomarkers (genetic variations that can predict disease susceptibility, disease outcome, or treatment response), will offer better rationales for scientific enquiry, helping the discovery of new treatment pathways and improve predictions of drug efficacy and safety. Thus providing improved treatment strategies for the individual sufferer and reduce the direct medical and indirect economic costs to individual sufferers as well as to the general community.Read moreRead less
Mental health, job quality and workforce participation: evidence from population health research to address complex problems and conflicting policies. Mental disorders such as depression are a major cause of disability. Improving mental health can increase productivity and workforce participation. However, the psychosocial quality of work is a factor that overlays the relationship between work and health. Poor quality work (for example, unreasonable time pressure, insecurity) increases the risk ....Mental health, job quality and workforce participation: evidence from population health research to address complex problems and conflicting policies. Mental disorders such as depression are a major cause of disability. Improving mental health can increase productivity and workforce participation. However, the psychosocial quality of work is a factor that overlays the relationship between work and health. Poor quality work (for example, unreasonable time pressure, insecurity) increases the risk of poor mental health, absenteeism, and exit from the workforce. This project will analyse data following people over time to investigate the long-term health and employment consequences of poor psychosocial job quality, and consider the special case of mature age workers. It will identify those individuals at greatest risk, and factors that can buffer against the adverse effects of poor quality work.Read moreRead less
Heavy atoms and ions and precision tests of fundamental physics. This project aims to further the understanding of the structure of heavy atoms through development and application of state-of-the-art many-electron methods. Atomic physics is undergoing a period of rapid growth with a new generation of experiments underway across different areas in fundamental physics. This includes testing particle physics at low energies, opening a new realm of discovery with the synthesis and interrogation of s ....Heavy atoms and ions and precision tests of fundamental physics. This project aims to further the understanding of the structure of heavy atoms through development and application of state-of-the-art many-electron methods. Atomic physics is undergoing a period of rapid growth with a new generation of experiments underway across different areas in fundamental physics. This includes testing particle physics at low energies, opening a new realm of discovery with the synthesis and interrogation of superheavy elements, and the development of atomic clocks of ever-increasing precision. The expected benefit will be to increase capability in fundamental physics tests and in the development of precision atomic instruments.Read moreRead less
Urban spaces and active ageing: understanding person-environment interactions to inform activity-friendly community design. The proportion of older adults in urban areas is rapidly growing, leading to increases in health-care costs that are associated with chronic diseases. This can be offset by creating urban environments that support an active lifestyle across mid-to-late adulthood. How urban community designs shape the physical activity of this understudied age group is unclear. Using a suite ....Urban spaces and active ageing: understanding person-environment interactions to inform activity-friendly community design. The proportion of older adults in urban areas is rapidly growing, leading to increases in health-care costs that are associated with chronic diseases. This can be offset by creating urban environments that support an active lifestyle across mid-to-late adulthood. How urban community designs shape the physical activity of this understudied age group is unclear. Using a suite of national and international epidemiological studies, This project aims to identify the optimal mix and spatial distribution of destinations (facilities and places to visit) for active ageing, while taking into account factors that define one’s ability and willingness to visit these destinations. This will inform public policy and activity-friendly community design.Read moreRead less
Trapped Ion Imaging for Biomolecular Dynamics. The functionality of large biological molecules is driven by their chemical composition and the folded shape of their active form. The higher-order structure and dynamics of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids drives the chemistry of life. Combining single molecule microscopy and trapped ion mass spectroscopy will develop a new tool for precision measurements of higher-order folding dynamics in large biomolecules. Optical techniques i ....Trapped Ion Imaging for Biomolecular Dynamics. The functionality of large biological molecules is driven by their chemical composition and the folded shape of their active form. The higher-order structure and dynamics of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids drives the chemistry of life. Combining single molecule microscopy and trapped ion mass spectroscopy will develop a new tool for precision measurements of higher-order folding dynamics in large biomolecules. Optical techniques including Förster resonance energy transfer and super-resolution imaging can register changes in shape down to the nanometer scale. The uniquely adaptable ion trap environment enables manipulation of the surrounding solvent cage, temperature, and net charge down to the single quantum level. Read moreRead less
Studies in cancer control. As life expectancy in Australia (and throughout the world) continues to rise, so will the burden of cancer escalate. Treating cancer after diagnosis is costly, and in many instances, unsuccessful. Preventive strategies promise to reduce the future cancer burden, yet our knowledge in this arena is limited by the lack of credible research as to what works and what does not. This application addresses this gap directly by conducting research into the control of two cancer ....Studies in cancer control. As life expectancy in Australia (and throughout the world) continues to rise, so will the burden of cancer escalate. Treating cancer after diagnosis is costly, and in many instances, unsuccessful. Preventive strategies promise to reduce the future cancer burden, yet our knowledge in this arena is limited by the lack of credible research as to what works and what does not. This application addresses this gap directly by conducting research into the control of two cancers which exact a growing toll in Australia and elsewhere. The work seeks to identify and understand the causal pathways to cancer, and then use this information to devise evidence-based strategies for cancer control.Read moreRead less
Adaptive evolution of coleoid (cuttlefish, octopus, squid) venoms. This project represents an opportunity for biodiscovery from the venoms of cuttlefish, octopuses and squids. The independent adaptation for venom active at the subzero Arctic and Antarctic polar waters is of particular evolutionary interest. However, their divergent, bioactive compounds are also a rich drug design resource.
Converging on new particles and fundamental symmetries. The goal of this project is to test theories for new particles and fundamental symmetries. By using advanced computational and statistical methods to combine all relevant data from many different experiments with a large number of different theoretical predictions, it expects to reveal just how well different theories actually describe reality. This will help us to understand what new particles and fundamental symmetries exist beyond thos ....Converging on new particles and fundamental symmetries. The goal of this project is to test theories for new particles and fundamental symmetries. By using advanced computational and statistical methods to combine all relevant data from many different experiments with a large number of different theoretical predictions, it expects to reveal just how well different theories actually describe reality. This will help us to understand what new particles and fundamental symmetries exist beyond those we already know. It will lead to new algorithms and computational methods in machine learning and statistical sampling, and will train a cohort of graduates highly skilled in statistical data science and research computing.Read moreRead less
Bioactive Peptides as Pharmacological Tools and Novel Drug Leads. Bioactive peptides are produced by all organisms and play numerous critical physiological roles, including in cellular communication, host defence and capture of prey. Peptides have huge potential as tools for studying roles of signalling pathways and as novel drugs due to their high affinity and selectivity for various therapeutically relevant targets. However their use has been limited by poor in vivo stability. This project is ....Bioactive Peptides as Pharmacological Tools and Novel Drug Leads. Bioactive peptides are produced by all organisms and play numerous critical physiological roles, including in cellular communication, host defence and capture of prey. Peptides have huge potential as tools for studying roles of signalling pathways and as novel drugs due to their high affinity and selectivity for various therapeutically relevant targets. However their use has been limited by poor in vivo stability. This project is focused on studying structural features of a range of peptides and their contributions to both activity and to resistance against degradation, with the aim to develop stabilised bioactive peptide sequences for in vivo applications, allowing the full potential of peptides as drugs to be realised.Read moreRead less
Novel devices for spatial light transformation. The aim of this project is to develop new optical instrumentation for spatially transforming light. This research expects to find solutions to problems that have thus far been out of reach by replacing what would traditionally be a human optical systems designer with computer algorithms. The expected outcomes include the development of three new devices as well as a set of design, fabrication and characterisation procedures that offer higher perfor ....Novel devices for spatial light transformation. The aim of this project is to develop new optical instrumentation for spatially transforming light. This research expects to find solutions to problems that have thus far been out of reach by replacing what would traditionally be a human optical systems designer with computer algorithms. The expected outcomes include the development of three new devices as well as a set of design, fabrication and characterisation procedures that offer higher performance, increased robustness and scalability. This should improve accessibility of this technology and provide benefits to a wide range of applications, including astronomical and biomedical imaging, telecommunications, as well as quantum and classical optical signal processing.Read moreRead less