Olfactory signal transduction in Drosophila melanogaster. This project will strengthen Australia's research capabilities in the areas of molecular neurobiology and neurogenetics. The project will equip students with the intellectual and technical skills needed to work in priority areas such as genomics and biotechnology, as well as in medical and agricultural research, and education. The research has possible long term applications in modifying the behaviour of insects of agricultural or medical ....Olfactory signal transduction in Drosophila melanogaster. This project will strengthen Australia's research capabilities in the areas of molecular neurobiology and neurogenetics. The project will equip students with the intellectual and technical skills needed to work in priority areas such as genomics and biotechnology, as well as in medical and agricultural research, and education. The research has possible long term applications in modifying the behaviour of insects of agricultural or medical importance. For example, by inhibiting the ability of insects to perceive specific odours it may ultimately be possible to prevent insects that carry disease from identifying target animals, or plant pests from locating their host plants.Read moreRead less
Olfactory signalling and coding in Drosophila and other insects. Animals rely on olfactory cues to detect food, danger, and others of the same species. The olfactory systems of Drosophila and other insects are simpler than those of mammals, yet complex enough to offer fascinating systems for studying neural information processing. This project aims to investigate the role of the Drosophila odorant receptors in olfactory coding, and to use multiple approaches to isolate components of the poorly u ....Olfactory signalling and coding in Drosophila and other insects. Animals rely on olfactory cues to detect food, danger, and others of the same species. The olfactory systems of Drosophila and other insects are simpler than those of mammals, yet complex enough to offer fascinating systems for studying neural information processing. This project aims to investigate the role of the Drosophila odorant receptors in olfactory coding, and to use multiple approaches to isolate components of the poorly understood insect olfactory signal transduction pathway. In addition, the role of the NO/cGMP pathway in olfactory signalling will be studied using an olfactory mutant that has nitric oxide synthase defects.Read moreRead less
Cerebral plasticity or early vulnerability? Identifying critical periods for childhood development and recovery. The primary aim of the study is to identify critical time periods during brain development when an insult will have more deleterious consequences for recovery and outcome. The study will also examine the impact of other potential influences to recovery following early brain disease, and determine whether their impact varies across development. Finally, the study will investigate wh ....Cerebral plasticity or early vulnerability? Identifying critical periods for childhood development and recovery. The primary aim of the study is to identify critical time periods during brain development when an insult will have more deleterious consequences for recovery and outcome. The study will also examine the impact of other potential influences to recovery following early brain disease, and determine whether their impact varies across development. Finally, the study will investigate whether specific cognitive and behavioural domains are differentially effected, depending on their maturity at the time of brain insult. Findings from this study will inform the development of conceptual models of early brain insult and recovery of function, and contribute to clinical practice.Read moreRead less
Psychiatric disorders in epilepsy. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety and cognitive disorders, are frequently observed in patients with epilepsy. Although standard dogma suggests that psychiatric disorders are a consequence of living with epilepsy, recent evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between these disorders, such that depression and other psychiatric illnesses act as risk factors for epilepsy development. This project will utilise basic science approaches to und ....Psychiatric disorders in epilepsy. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety and cognitive disorders, are frequently observed in patients with epilepsy. Although standard dogma suggests that psychiatric disorders are a consequence of living with epilepsy, recent evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between these disorders, such that depression and other psychiatric illnesses act as risk factors for epilepsy development. This project will utilise basic science approaches to understand the causal relationships between epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, and determine how and why psychiatric disorders and epilepsy co-exist. It is hoped that research conducted in this project will develop novel avenues to treatment of both epilepsy and psychiatric disorders.Read moreRead less
UNDERSTANDING THE BASIS OF COMPLEX BEHAVIOUR. This project is anchored in the fundamental understanding of complex vertebrate behaviours, namely cognition. Little is known about the molecular and neural substrates underpinning complex higher order information processing. This project aims to dissect the functional role of synaptic genes that are essential for organising neuronal connections, in distinct cognitive processes and how these functions may be regulated by other genes, drugs or environ ....UNDERSTANDING THE BASIS OF COMPLEX BEHAVIOUR. This project is anchored in the fundamental understanding of complex vertebrate behaviours, namely cognition. Little is known about the molecular and neural substrates underpinning complex higher order information processing. This project aims to dissect the functional role of synaptic genes that are essential for organising neuronal connections, in distinct cognitive processes and how these functions may be regulated by other genes, drugs or environmental factors. This project aims to employ state-of-the-art technologies to address the evolutionary biology of complex cognitive behaviours, towards further understandings how brain function evolved and the mechanisms that have enabled humans to perform highly complex and intricate tasks.Read moreRead less
Neural migration: Which cells advance and which stay behind? This project aims to examine the neural crest cells that colonise the developing gut and to identify why some cells advance while others stay behind to populate a region. Directed cell migration is essential for normal development, including for the nervous system. In most of the migratory cell populations that have been analysed to date, all of the cells migrate as a collective from one location to another. However, there are also mi ....Neural migration: Which cells advance and which stay behind? This project aims to examine the neural crest cells that colonise the developing gut and to identify why some cells advance while others stay behind to populate a region. Directed cell migration is essential for normal development, including for the nervous system. In most of the migratory cell populations that have been analysed to date, all of the cells migrate as a collective from one location to another. However, there are also migratory cell populations that must populate the areas through which they migrate, and thus some cells get left behind while others advance. The planned data are likely to be relevant to other cell populations that also populate the areas through which they migrate, including neural crest-derived melanocytes and Schwann cell precursors.Read moreRead less
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.
The jugular vagal sensory connectome regulating visceral function. Internal body organs have a rich supply of sensory nerve fibres that serve important roles in monitoring the local environment for normal and abnormal sensory stimuli. These nerve fibres have different origins and wire into brain circuits that regulate widely diverse physiological responses. In this study we aim to study the neural circuits and responses mediated by a group of these sensory nerves which has not been investigated ....The jugular vagal sensory connectome regulating visceral function. Internal body organs have a rich supply of sensory nerve fibres that serve important roles in monitoring the local environment for normal and abnormal sensory stimuli. These nerve fibres have different origins and wire into brain circuits that regulate widely diverse physiological responses. In this study we aim to study the neural circuits and responses mediated by a group of these sensory nerves which has not been investigated appreciably in the past. We believe that these sensory neural circuits will reveal important new insights into how internal organs perform their diverse and essential functions to sustain life.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101079
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,528.00
Summary
New insights into how the brain interprets visceral and somatic sensations. Sensory nerve fibres monitor normal and abnormal stimuli in our body tissues, sending this information to the brain. I study the sensory pathways of the respiratory system which protect the lungs from harmful stimuli, such as inhaled pollutants or smoke. I discovered that respiratory sensory pathways interact with sensory circuits in the brain arising from other body tissues. The goal of this project is to investigate on ....New insights into how the brain interprets visceral and somatic sensations. Sensory nerve fibres monitor normal and abnormal stimuli in our body tissues, sending this information to the brain. I study the sensory pathways of the respiratory system which protect the lungs from harmful stimuli, such as inhaled pollutants or smoke. I discovered that respiratory sensory pathways interact with sensory circuits in the brain arising from other body tissues. The goal of this project is to investigate one example of this interaction; the convergence of visceral and somatic sensory pathways onto a brain circuit that regulates the intensity of the sensations that are experienced. This project addresses the fundamental question of how the brain processes two competing noxious sensations.Read moreRead less
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.