Building child health through maternal wellbeing. Chronic diseases partly originate in the health & social circumstances of previous generations, during pregnancy, and in conditions during infancy and childhood. This project will draw from three community studies the researcher established to investigate how aspects of women's health affect their children's health and identify new opportunities for disease prevention.
Inflammatory Cytokines As Causal Agents In Peri-conception Programming Of Offspring Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,046.00
Summary
Events at conception set the trajectory of fetal developmental that will determine health of children after birth and in later life. Susceptibility to obesity and metabolic conditions is established at this very early time. This project will define the molecular signals affecting the embryo in the event of maternal or paternal infection, diet and stress. The results will help us devise health advice for intending parents to improve child health and help prevent onset of metabolic disorders.
Improving the efficiency of bovine oocyte maturation in vitro. For the dairy and beef industries, the hundreds of eggs (oocytes) in a high value cow's ovary that fail to produce a pregnancy are a wasted genetic resource. A key technology to unlocking this resource is in vitro maturation of oocytes, but the process is inefficient. One possible cause is that the current approaches to maturing oocytes in vitro do not adequately mimic the natural process in vivo. We will design new systems to matu ....Improving the efficiency of bovine oocyte maturation in vitro. For the dairy and beef industries, the hundreds of eggs (oocytes) in a high value cow's ovary that fail to produce a pregnancy are a wasted genetic resource. A key technology to unlocking this resource is in vitro maturation of oocytes, but the process is inefficient. One possible cause is that the current approaches to maturing oocytes in vitro do not adequately mimic the natural process in vivo. We will design new systems to mature cow oocytes in vitro by altering the chemical composition of maturation medium, thus improving the efficiency of laboratory embryo production and related technologies.Read moreRead less
Dissecting the impact of stress on reproduction: Novel peptide mediates inhibitory effects of stress on female reproduction. This research proposal offers a pioneering opportunity to develop treatments that overcome the negative impact of stress on reproduction. Specifically, knowledge generated in this project will be vital in the development of strategic defences against the impact of stress on reproduction. This project fundamentally addresses Research Priority 2: Promoting and maintaining go ....Dissecting the impact of stress on reproduction: Novel peptide mediates inhibitory effects of stress on female reproduction. This research proposal offers a pioneering opportunity to develop treatments that overcome the negative impact of stress on reproduction. Specifically, knowledge generated in this project will be vital in the development of strategic defences against the impact of stress on reproduction. This project fundamentally addresses Research Priority 2: Promoting and maintaining good health. Given that suppression of reproduction by stress occurs in all mammalian species including humans, domestic animals and wildlife, being able to prevent or overcome stress-induced reproductive dysfunction will generate significant health, social, economic and ecological benefits. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100304
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Biomimetic systems for species preservation and fertility restoration. Using a novel 3-D culture system the project will examine the biomechanics of ovary follicle and egg development in vitro, generating new knowledge with directly translatable research outcomes. In vitro egg production has implications for human fertility and threatened species preservation, significantly benefitting health and biodiversity in Australia.
EGF Peptide Signalling Improves Oocyte Maturation And Quality
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,891.00
Summary
Infertility is common and although IVF is widely accepted, the procedure is expensive and is associated with health risks. Using laboratory animals, we have developed significant new insights into mechanisms regulating egg quality. These insights have allowed us to develop a new approach to infertility treatment - crucially, one that eliminates the need for ovarian hormone therapy used in IVF. This project will investigate the basic mechanisms underlying our new approach to enable safe clinical ....Infertility is common and although IVF is widely accepted, the procedure is expensive and is associated with health risks. Using laboratory animals, we have developed significant new insights into mechanisms regulating egg quality. These insights have allowed us to develop a new approach to infertility treatment - crucially, one that eliminates the need for ovarian hormone therapy used in IVF. This project will investigate the basic mechanisms underlying our new approach to enable safe clinical implementation.Read moreRead less
Infertility is common and although IVF is widely accepted, the procedure is expensive and is associated with health risks. Using laboratory animals, we have made significant advances towards developing new technologies that can mature eggs and produce embryos in vitro, but without women receiving hormone injections. This project will seek means to combine the benefits of two of our existing technologies into one integrated system, to provide hormone-free infertility treatment.
Molecular mechanisms for seminal fluid signalling in reproduction. Male seminal fluid regulation of the female reproductive process influences fertility and fecundity in humans and animal species. Infertility and impaired reproductive function is a major economic constraint in livestock industries, and carries a substantial social and public health cost in humans. This research will identify the active signalling molecules in seminal fluid and quantify their importance in reproductive success ....Molecular mechanisms for seminal fluid signalling in reproduction. Male seminal fluid regulation of the female reproductive process influences fertility and fecundity in humans and animal species. Infertility and impaired reproductive function is a major economic constraint in livestock industries, and carries a substantial social and public health cost in humans. This research will identify the active signalling molecules in seminal fluid and quantify their importance in reproductive success and health of offspring. The outcomes will inform development of new diagnostic assays for male fertility, and underpin strategic design of novel fertility treatments and products with applications in the human health and animal breeding industries. Read moreRead less
Evolution and function of sex chromosomes and genes in mammalian reproduction. This project will ensure Australian leadership in research of reproductive biology and genomics in platypus and echidna. As our most distant relatives, these iconic species provide an understanding of human genes contributing to medical conditions involved in sexual development, infertility and ovarian cancer.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101449
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,399.00
Summary
How mammalian males indirectly control transmission of paternal traits. This project aims to address how environmental insults in males prior to conception are able to modify phenotype of subsequent offspring. This project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in a key biological pathway on how non-genetic factors delivered by sperm at conception are able to program the growth of the developing embryo.The knowledge generated from this project will provide understanding and biological options ....How mammalian males indirectly control transmission of paternal traits. This project aims to address how environmental insults in males prior to conception are able to modify phenotype of subsequent offspring. This project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in a key biological pathway on how non-genetic factors delivered by sperm at conception are able to program the growth of the developing embryo.The knowledge generated from this project will provide understanding and biological options for responding to, and potentially mitigating the impacts of environmental change on the mammalian reproductive system.Read moreRead less