Dissecting The Central Organisation Of Cough Neural Networks
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$880,928.00
Summary
Cough is the most prevalent symptom of lung disease and the most common reason for people to seek medical advice. However, cough neural processes are poorly defined and as a result current cough therapies are largely ineffective making cough a significant unmet clinical problem. This project will novel viral strategies to dissect and manipulate cough neural pathways in the brain, providing insights into the neural processing of airway sensations and coughing.
Innate Threat Detection Circuits In The Superior Colliculus Co-ordinate Respiratory And Cardiovascular Responses To Visual Stimuli
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$517,958.00
Summary
Our surroundings affect our bodies: light pollution, traffic, and aircraft noise all significantly affect cardiovascular health. This project will investigate interactions between brain systems that subconsciously scan our surroundings for interesting or threatening features, and those that co-ordinate the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. We will generate new knowledge that describes how the brain detects danger and translates this into signals that contribute to cardiovascular risk.
The Role Of Central Neural Pathways In The Determination Of Body Fat Mass
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$73,361.00
Summary
Obesity and its associated health risks are a developing world problem. Fat is not distributed uniformly in an individual; females have more subcutaneous, and males more abdominal, fat. Abdominal fat is associated with the health risks of obesity. The aims of the current project are to examine the neuronal pathways from the brain to fat and the chemicals involved in order to better understand the way in which fat distribution is determined in the body and develop appropriate therapies.
Mapping The Neural Circuits Involved In Appetite And Feeding Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$404,892.00
Summary
My research project involves deconstructing the neural circuitry underlying feeding behaviour using innovative genetically-based methods. I aim to identify and characterise the major projections of the oxytocin-expressing neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, which have recently been identified as critical in the feeding neurocircuitry. This emerging field of research is predicted to transform our understanding and treatment of disorders such as obesity and anorexia nervosa.