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Using Genomics To Understand Psychiatric Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$772,490.00
Summary
The last five years have seen unprecedented discovery of DNA risk factors for psychiatric disorders. In my Fellowship I will combine analyses of genomic data with development of new statistical methodologies to contribute to my vision that application of genomics methods in psychiatry will continue to catalyze more discoveries of the causes of these complex genetic disorders.
Craig Anderson is a clinician-scientist, with specialist training in neurology and geriatrics, and an internationally-recognised epidemiologist and clinical trialist researcher. His work is dedicated to generating the highest quality evidence to improve the prevention and treatment of stroke and other neurological diseases related to ageing.
Development Of Ultrahigh Resolution Brain Imaging For Investigating Neurological And Neurodegenerative Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$880,454.00
Summary
Understanding the structural and functional organisation of the human brain is the focus of enormous research effort. Neuroimaging is an extraordinarily important basic and clinical neuroscience discipline, and is unique in being able to provide direct in vivo measurements of the human brain, and crucially in individuals with brain and mind diseases. This research project will develop and utilise ultra-high resolution brain scanning to understand the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.
Gene-environment Interactions, Experience-dependent Plasticity And Pathogenic Mechanisms In Mouse Models Of Cognitive And Affective Disorders. Mental And Physical Activity As Modulators Of Brain And Behaviour In Healthy And Diseased States.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,805.00
Summary
Our aim is to understand how genes and environment combine to affect susceptibility to various brain disorders. We are using specific models involving human gene mutations associated with diseases, and manipulating environmental factors such as mental and physical activity. We are focused on neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Huntington’s disease, depression and schizophrenia. These efforts to understand brain diseases will facilitate development of therapeutic approaches.
Variation in our genetic makeup can cause serious brain disorders such as epilepsy. The goal of this research is to determine how variation in an epilepsy patients genes produce fundamental changes in brain function that lead to epilepsy. This is a multidisciplinary program that combines clinical, genetic, electrophysiological, morphological and computational approaches to create a fundamental understanding of the genesis of this important disease.
Developmental Genetics And Stem Cell Biology Of Birth Defects And Cell Based Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$823,008.00
Summary
Professor Tam is a mammalian embryologist studying the genetic and cellular mechanisms that form and shape the embryo and its organs during development. His work will help us to understand the causes of birth defects, how to prevent them and to correct the disorders by stem cell-based therapy.
Nigel G Laing, NH&MRC Principal Research Fellowship: Neurogenetics – Gene Discovery, Pathobiology, Novel Therapeutics, Novel Diagnostics And Translation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$880,454.00
Summary
My Fellowship will expand my work identifying diseases genes for genetic muscle and nerve diseases by using new technologies that allow discovery of human disease genes which could not be found before. In addition, since we now have proof from mouse studies that heart actin is a target for therapy for the group of diseases that we discovered caused by mutations in the muscle actin protein, we shall take further steps towards making this therapy a reality for patients.
Molecular Mediators, Epigenetic Modulators And Therapeutic Targets For Cognitive Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
Brain disorders constitute an enormous, and growing, burden. My research investigates how genes and environment combine to cause disorders of cognition, including dementia, schizophrenia and autism. The research will provide new insights into these disorders, at the level of molecules, cells and behaviour. I will explore how genetic and environmental factors interact, with a focus on mental activity, physical exercise and stress, which affect a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Tackling The Complex Pathogenesis Of Non-Alzheimer Dementias And Motor Neurodegenerative Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$948,684.00
Summary
I research dementia and motor syndromes as there are no mechanistic treatments for these disorders, and for many there are no treatments at all. Without being able to identify the same diseases and differentiate them from other diseases, no treatments will be successful. To develop more reliably detection methods for these diseases, I perform longitudinally studies where the participants agree to donate serial biological samples and their brain tissue at death.
Neurobiological ‘risk’ And ‘resilience’ Biomarkers Of Severe Mental Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$926,980.00
Summary
Mental disorders of childhood (schizotypal disorder, autism spectrum disorders) and adolescence (psychoses, schizophrenia) represent a major burden of disease. We will use sophisticated neuroimaging to examine trajectories of brain growth from childhood to adulthood and identify factors (stress, drugs, inflammation, genes) relevant to risk and resilience to developing these disorders. This will lead to novel early interventions to reduce or ameliorate these conditions.