The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
My research focuses on understanding pathobiological mechanisms in acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease which have large burdens on the community through health care costs and on families because of the lack of effective treatments. An improved understanding of how brain cells die and of how the most abundant brain cell, the astrocyte, can be engineered to be a resource for regenerative medicine offer promise for improved clinical management.
The amygdala is a part of the brain that processes and lays down emotional memories. Dysfunction in the amygdala is responsible for anxiety related disorders such post-traumatic stress disorder. I will study the neural circuits in the amygdala using innovative recordings and stimulation techniques. These studies will provide insight into the circuits that underpin anxiety related neurological disorders and provide targets for development of novel anxiolytic agents.
Developmental Neurobiology Of Schizophrenia And Translation Into New Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$611,574.00
Summary
Our ultimate goal is to expand effective treatment options for people with schizophrenia particularly ones that can prevent schizophrenia from developing. The successful completion of this project will identify novel biological pathways by which schizophrenia develops and, importantly, will yield new molecular tools to personalise treatment of schizophrenia.
Development of normal brain function requires information transfer and integration from outside and within the brain. Normal brain wiring is guided by genetic and environmental cues, whose relative contributions remain controversial. This project investigates the physiological and behavioural consequences of abnormal brain wiring, and the potential for controlled environments and targeted interventions to overcome the deficits. Relevance includes neurotrauma as well as mental illnesses.
Genetic Basis For Skeletal Muscle Formation In Development And Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$751,854.00
Summary
Inherited skeletal dystrophies and myopathies are devastating and debilitating disease for which there are no cures and general muscle wasting is major health problem for a significant number of older Australians. Understanding how muscles form, grow and are maintained in model system, the Zebrafish, will provide avenues for treatment of these diseases. We will create models of human muscle diseases in zebrafish and test the usefulness of different therapeutic approaches we develop.
Age-related Macular Degeneration: A Cause And A Cure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$828,300.00
Summary
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss and there is urgent need for an intervention to slow disease progression. AMD is characterised by debris accumulation in the retina and I will investigate if loss of function in cells that should clear this debris is a critical step in the development of AMD. I will trial a novel laser intervention to slow progression of disease and use basic science techniques to investigate the mechanisms of action of the laser.
Professor Paul Baird specialises in identifying and understanding how genetic changes associated with common eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration and keratoconus lead to vision loss and blindness. This fellowship will allow him to uncover novel genetic contributors in these diseases using next-generation molecular techniques. He will assess functionality of these variants, allowing him to translate these findings back to the clinic allowing personalised treatment options.
Genetic Basis For Skeletal Muscle Formation And Regeneration In Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,005.00
Summary
How does muscle grow and repair after injury or disease? This basic question in the focus of the research in this fellowship. Specific cells are put aside during development to generate the growth and provide stem cells required for regeneration. Using the advantages of the zebrafish system I will record the action of different stem cell populations during growth and disease. I will define the genes required for stem cell action and utilize this knowledge to create new therapeutic pathways.
I am an epidemiologist investigating: 1) the frequency, pathogenesis, risk factors and impacts of common age-related eye disease, particularly focused on the four leading causes of blindness: age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy; 2) the potential for screening and clinical diagnostic value of retinal imaging and retinal vascular signs as predictors of major systemic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Translation Of Genetic Findings Into Improved Health Outcomes For Common Eye Diseases In Our Society
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$675,736.00
Summary
Associate Professor Paul Baird of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne specialises in identifying and understanding how genetic changes are involved in causing the commonest causes of vision loss and blindness in our society including age related macular degeneration, short-sightedness and glaucoma. His Fellowship will be used to better understand how genes and environment cause these diseases, allowing translation of findings intto new and improved treatments for patie ....Associate Professor Paul Baird of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne specialises in identifying and understanding how genetic changes are involved in causing the commonest causes of vision loss and blindness in our society including age related macular degeneration, short-sightedness and glaucoma. His Fellowship will be used to better understand how genes and environment cause these diseases, allowing translation of findings intto new and improved treatments for patients.Read moreRead less