Neural Circuits For Residual Vision After Damage To Striate Cortex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$662,220.00
Summary
Brain cells have the ability to rearrange their connections to create alternate pathways, which compensate for loss of function following brain damage. To understand why some people become blind after damage to the visual cortex, and some don't, we will determine how neural connections change following lesions in different stages of life. The project will provide important information that may allow future development of treatments for blindness due to stroke or traumatic brain injury.
The Orexin System: A Link Between Addiction And Depression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$378,426.00
Summary
Relapse represents the most significant barrier to the successful treatment of addiction Interestingly, relapse rates are significantly higher amongst addicts with a concurrent mood disorder such as depression. This fellowship will use a number of cutting-edge techniques to explore the role of a hypothalamic peptide called 'orexin' in both relapse and depression and will thereby guide translational research aimed at developing pharmacotherapies designed to treat these disorders.
Neural Circuits For Active Vision In The Primate Cerebral Cortex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$632,938.00
Summary
This project will try to understand how we use visual information to identify objects by their shape and motion, in natural situations in which the eyes are moving all the time. This will be accomplished by recording the electrical activity of brain cells while a trained animal is performing different types of tasks, such as tracking a moving object or exploring a scene with its eyes.
Down syndrome (DS) individuals have 3 copies of chromosome 21. I am proposing to do my PhD to investigate the role of a gene existing on chromosome 21 called Intersectin 1. This gene, when over-expressed might be responsible for manifestation of intellectual impairment in Down syndrome. I will be examining the consequence of altered/over-expression of this gene in receptor trafficking, cell signalling and histology of the brain to identify the differences between affected individuals and the nor ....Down syndrome (DS) individuals have 3 copies of chromosome 21. I am proposing to do my PhD to investigate the role of a gene existing on chromosome 21 called Intersectin 1. This gene, when over-expressed might be responsible for manifestation of intellectual impairment in Down syndrome. I will be examining the consequence of altered/over-expression of this gene in receptor trafficking, cell signalling and histology of the brain to identify the differences between affected individuals and the normal population.Read moreRead less
How The Lateral Habenula Integrates Behavioral And Autonomic Functions: The VTA Dopamine Connection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$819,904.00
Summary
When adverse events occur, the lateral habenula, an old brain nucleus, helps calculate the wisest corrective action by contributing to the “brake” that controls the brain’s dopamine reward system. Our research will show how the lateral habenula links corrective changes in behavior with coordinated changes in temperature. Understanding this link will greatly contribute to understanding the brain mechanisms that regulate our physiology during stressful situations and as part of mental illness.
Pain has a detrimental impact on ones quality of life and a significant financial impact on the community. Although some of the pathways that code pain in the brain have been defined, it was recently proposed that there also exists a pain-specific pathway in humans. Using human brain imaging, we aim to determine if such a pathway exists and if it is altered in subjects with chronic pain. The existence of such a pathway would significantly aid in the development of better treatment regimes.
The mammalian cerebral cortex is an area of the brain responsible for all higher order cognitive processes. I investigate how connections from between the two cerebral hemispheres during embryonic and foetal development, thus enabling the brain to coordinate information from the two sides of the body. Malformations of these connections cause mental retardation and sensory and motor deficits. I want to understand how these brain defects occur and how best to treat them.
Activity In Central Cough Networks In Patients With Cough Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,499.00
Summary
Excessive cough associated with an airways disease represents the most common reason for doctor consultations. However, the current therapeutic options for relieving excessive cough are limited. This proposal will provide unprecedented insights into the brain mechanisms that contribute to the development of cough disorders in airways disease.
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.
Imaging Atlases Of The Brain Of Humans And Experimental Animals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$808,375.00
Summary
This project uses imaging techniques and molecular genetics to produce the next generation of brain maps. It will advance our understanding of the organisation and structure of the brain and spinal cord of humans and experimental animals – paving the way for the development of psychotherapeutic drugs and more accurate interventions on the human brain. The new maps will help those who study the brain of patients with diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or animal models of these diseases.