This Senior Principal Research Fellowship will support a program of translational research and leadership for the Therapeutics Research Centre that is based at the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane and The Basil Hetzel Institute in Adelaide and for future researchers/research leaders in clinical medicine. A key research focus will be in improving the safety and efficacy of products and nanosystems, especially after application to the skin and/or absorption into the body.
Cancer remains a significant clinical problem and causes considerable morbidity and mortality in society. Prof Maria Kavallaris is an international leader in cancer biology, therapy and the development of less toxic therapies for cancer using nanotechnology. Her vision is to build a leading program of applied research to develop treatments for aggressive disease that will reduce the impact and improve the outcomes for cancer patients.
Advancing Nanomedicine Through Particle Technology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,005.00
Summary
This proposal will support the development of advanced particle systems to improve the delivery of medicines in neurological diseases, HIV, diabetes and cancer. It will provide important insights for particle-based therapeutic delivery that are expected to underpin progress on nanotechnology in the areas of biology and medicine. These developments in nanotechnology-enabled medicines towards commercialisation will ultimately improve the health and quality of life of Australians.
Cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed & developing world. Underpinning the causes of cancer are genetic and cellular changes in key structural proteins that control cell growth and movement. My research aims to discover key links in the regulation of these proteins that lead to tumour formation, metastasis and drug resistance. My goal is to use this knowledge to develop effective and less toxic treatment strategies to target difficult-to-treat cancers.
Improving Therapeutic Outcomes Through Pharmaceutical Sciences Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$823,008.00
Summary
This Fellowship seeks to improve patient outcomes by better understanding of how drugs and nanotechnology systems interact with the body under normal and diseased conditions, and to translate these findings into improved therapeutic and chemical safety practice. Aspects include how medicines are absorbed through skin; are handled in normal and diseased patients; are best administered, including to intensive care patients; and the development of new clinical pharmacy practitioner - researchers.
Iron is essential in the diet but it is also toxic when present in excess, so both iron deficiency and iron overload can have significant clinical consequences. I will investigate the basic mechanisms by which the body acquires iron and how iron can lead to toxicity. The goal of these studies is to provide more effective iron supplements and to improve diagnosis and treatment of iron-related diseases. Iron metabolism in pregnancy, infants and respiratory diseases will be a particular focus.
Immune Imprinting By Nanoparticles And Vaccines: New Principles And Translation Into The Clinic
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,010.00
Summary
Vaccines require adjuvants to be effective. Despite decades of research there is only one adjuvant approved for broad use in humans. Based on our prior findings I will engage new principles in nanotechnology, and deepen understanding of immune imprinting in various organs of the body including the lung, to develop 2nd generation broadly useful nanoadjuvants able to effectively treat cancer and malaria.