Negative Symptom Formation In Schizophrenia: An Electrophysiological, Neurophysiological And Computational Modelling Investigation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,508.00
Summary
The Negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia have been recognised as being just as disabling as the more widely recognised positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Recently it has been proposed that negative symptoms in schizophrenia might be caused by alterations in learning from rewards and punishments. This project will investigate brain activity in people with schizophrenia during reward and punishment based learning tasks while applying computational modelling.
Social Behaviour In Rats Developmentally Deficient In Vitamin D: Modelling The Negative Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,927.00
Summary
We are exploring low maternal vitamin D as a biological explanation for a 7-10% increase in the incidence of patients born with schizophrenia in the colder months of the year world wide. Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency in rats leads to long term changes in brain development and behaviour. The aim of this research is to examine social behaviour in DVD deficient rats as a model of negative symptoms of schizophrenia and establish the neurochemical basis for this altered behaviour
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Medication-resistant Psychosis: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$558,200.00
Summary
In spite of advances in medication, approximately one third of people with schizophrenia continue to experience distressing symptoms such as hearing voices and paranoia. Psychological 'talking treatments' are effective in helping people to cope with and be less distressed by these experiences. This study will be the first trial of a new psychological treatment, called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which may be more effective, briefer and more easily provided than existing approaches.
CD4+ T Cell-independent Immunity Against Salmonellae
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,226.00
Summary
Salmonella typhimurium is an important pathogen in both developed and developing countries where it causes significant HIV-linked morbidity. There is a pressing need to understand how immunity might be established against this organism that will function when the patient is immunocompromised either through age or through a comorbidity like HIV.
Pesonalised Risk Prediction For Severe Treatment-related Gastrointestinal Toxicity In Paediatric Cancer Patients Using Pre-treatment Gut Microbiome Analysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
The gut is home to trillions of good and bad bacteria, critical to human health. Each person has a different balance of bacteria, unique to their gut, which shapes their immune system and susceptibility to disease. I will investigate how the unique gut bacteria, in children with blood cancer, can be used to predict which children will develop severe gut side effects (diarrhoea) from their chemotherapy. This will identify high-risk children, enable personalised treatment and improve survival.