Male germ line transgenesis and siRNA technology for manipulating genes in domestic species. Professor Shemesh has successfully developed male germ line transgenesis in species such as bovine and chicken. This technology allows genes to be manipulated via sperm in a wide range of animals besides mice, avoiding the need for a female in vitro fertilization regimen. He is curently applying interference RNA (siRNA) transgenically to manipulate genes in vivo. Together these two technologies offer imm ....Male germ line transgenesis and siRNA technology for manipulating genes in domestic species. Professor Shemesh has successfully developed male germ line transgenesis in species such as bovine and chicken. This technology allows genes to be manipulated via sperm in a wide range of animals besides mice, avoiding the need for a female in vitro fertilization regimen. He is curently applying interference RNA (siRNA) transgenically to manipulate genes in vivo. Together these two technologies offer immense possibilities to manipulate a wide range of species for economic, biotechnological or medical research purposes. Professor Shemesh wishes to come to Adelaide to establish these technologies there as parts of ongoing research projects, related to the physiology of the ovarian hormone relaxin in aging research.Read moreRead less
Architecture and healthy ageing: an investigation into the relationship between aged care facility design, management and the well being of residents. Residential care for the future will need to meet expanding demands for aged care in a manner which responds to more discerning older people including those from non-English speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with expected increases in the number of services required. To do so design processes must incorporate the need ....Architecture and healthy ageing: an investigation into the relationship between aged care facility design, management and the well being of residents. Residential care for the future will need to meet expanding demands for aged care in a manner which responds to more discerning older people including those from non-English speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with expected increases in the number of services required. To do so design processes must incorporate the needs of those involved in residential care yet meet the requirements of statutory authorities standards for health care provision. This research will provide a comprehensive picture of the issues that impact on the design process and the effect on residential care facilities ability to provide residents and workers with the highest possible quality of life. It will inform accreditation and certification standards.Read moreRead less
Bio-MEMS eye sensor for continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure. Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness, particularly prevalent in the 60+ population, caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Current treatment to monitor and prevent glaucoma-related blindness is by lowering IOP with eye-drops, laser therapy or surgery. This project directly benefits our aging population by ensuring independence and quality of life, whilst reducing long-term medical and social costs. By ....Bio-MEMS eye sensor for continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure. Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness, particularly prevalent in the 60+ population, caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Current treatment to monitor and prevent glaucoma-related blindness is by lowering IOP with eye-drops, laser therapy or surgery. This project directly benefits our aging population by ensuring independence and quality of life, whilst reducing long-term medical and social costs. By incorporating nanotechnology with ophthalmology we will provide an economic solution to long-term, reliable, home-monitoring of IOP. An implantable IOP sensor, will identify patients requiring more invasive treatment compared with those with less aggressive disease, leading to better health resource utilisation.Read moreRead less
Enzymatic synthesis, microencapsulation and biological evaluation of a new class of omega-3 derived functional food ingredients. Inflammatory mediated diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's disease are major causes of death in Australia. Rates of these diseases are rising over time, partly due to poor diet including low consumption levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids from fish. This project aims to develop healthy food ingredients from natu ....Enzymatic synthesis, microencapsulation and biological evaluation of a new class of omega-3 derived functional food ingredients. Inflammatory mediated diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's disease are major causes of death in Australia. Rates of these diseases are rising over time, partly due to poor diet including low consumption levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids from fish. This project aims to develop healthy food ingredients from naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acid derivatives that are more stable to oxidation and more biologically active than fish derived omega-3 fatty acids. The development of these omega-3 derivatives as functional food ingredients could provide an additional strategy for helping to prevent the rapid increase in inflammatory mediated diseases in the Australian population.Read moreRead less
A prospective study of the mental health of grandparents providing part-time child care for their preschool age grandchildren. This project addresses national research priorities and will identify the characteristics of a high-risk subgroup of Australian grandparents for whom the childcare burden has a deleterious impact on health and well being. Results will enable development of improved approaches to education and awareness in health professionals and the lay community about this subgroup, fa ....A prospective study of the mental health of grandparents providing part-time child care for their preschool age grandchildren. This project addresses national research priorities and will identify the characteristics of a high-risk subgroup of Australian grandparents for whom the childcare burden has a deleterious impact on health and well being. Results will enable development of improved approaches to education and awareness in health professionals and the lay community about this subgroup, facilitating early identification and intervention. The study will provide evidence-based guidance to policy makers about the most appropriate support services for grandparents involved in high levels of childcare, reducing their level of stress and improving the quality of the childcare they provide.
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Three-dimensional Simulation of Trabecular Bone Remodelling. Nearly 2 million Australians currently suffer from osteoporosis. Statistics indicate that 25% of Australian women and 17% of men will develop an osteoporotic fracture. The cost of osteoporosis is $7.4 billion per annum; the numbers of affected individuals and costs are expected to continue increasing. Clearly, improvements to osteoporosis diagnosis, fracture risk assessment, and effective treatments are still urgently needed. The p ....Three-dimensional Simulation of Trabecular Bone Remodelling. Nearly 2 million Australians currently suffer from osteoporosis. Statistics indicate that 25% of Australian women and 17% of men will develop an osteoporotic fracture. The cost of osteoporosis is $7.4 billion per annum; the numbers of affected individuals and costs are expected to continue increasing. Clearly, improvements to osteoporosis diagnosis, fracture risk assessment, and effective treatments are still urgently needed. The proposed project aims to create a tool for understanding the mechanisms of bone loss and predicting the effects of osteoporosis therapies. It represents a solid contribution to the knowledge base necessary for advancing osteoporosis research and ultimately reducing the incidence of osteoporotic fracture.Read moreRead less
Cognitive and behavioural benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation across the lifespan. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently estimated that 7-19% of children have learning and behaviour problems associated with child ADHD. Concurrently, rates of dementia are rapidly increasing worldwide, currently costing the Australian government $6.6 billion pa, and it has been predicted that rates of dementia could double every 20 years. If omega-3 PUFA research can show benefits in cognition an ....Cognitive and behavioural benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation across the lifespan. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently estimated that 7-19% of children have learning and behaviour problems associated with child ADHD. Concurrently, rates of dementia are rapidly increasing worldwide, currently costing the Australian government $6.6 billion pa, and it has been predicted that rates of dementia could double every 20 years. If omega-3 PUFA research can show benefits in cognition and behaviour across the lifespan, this has potential benefit for fish oil products and their ability to enhance mental health and cognitive outcomes, thereby helping to lower the substantial social and health care costs associated with poor academic performance, mental illness and growing rates of dementia.Read moreRead less
Vision performance in relationship to spectacle lens design. Refractive errors such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness or presbyopia (age related decline in near vision) are the leading causes of visual impairment in the world. Of these, presbyopia affects almost 100% of the population above 45 years of age. This represents over 40% of all Australians. Although spectacles provide a safe and easy means of correcting refractive errors, they affect quality of life due to distorted vision, disco ....Vision performance in relationship to spectacle lens design. Refractive errors such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness or presbyopia (age related decline in near vision) are the leading causes of visual impairment in the world. Of these, presbyopia affects almost 100% of the population above 45 years of age. This represents over 40% of all Australians. Although spectacles provide a safe and easy means of correcting refractive errors, they affect quality of life due to distorted vision, discomfort such as head and neck ache and cosmetic effects. The goals of the project are to better understand the visual performance of young and old people who wear glasses and to develop improved spectacle lens designs to provide clear and comfortable vision over a range of distances.Read moreRead less
The dynamics of spousal relationships in very late life: transitions, psychological health and longevity. This research will provide a rare insight into the dynamics of very-long term successful marriages. It will also provide an understanding of the dyad in ageing well. In a society where a large percentage of marriages end in divorce, this work has the potential to identify individual differences factors that are conducive to sustaining the marital relationship. In addition, an examination o ....The dynamics of spousal relationships in very late life: transitions, psychological health and longevity. This research will provide a rare insight into the dynamics of very-long term successful marriages. It will also provide an understanding of the dyad in ageing well. In a society where a large percentage of marriages end in divorce, this work has the potential to identify individual differences factors that are conducive to sustaining the marital relationship. In addition, an examination of how couples from different socio-economic backgrounds navigate later life in their own homes or during key late life transitions will also be beneficial for those individuals or policy makers planning for these transitions.Read moreRead less
Declining mental efficiency, cognitive performance and individual differences in aged function. Ageing men's health is poorer than women's and men show lower uptake of public health messages. The project has potential to extend the productive involvement of older men in the community, thereby reducing dependence and health care expenditure. Future benefits could also include an effective, convenient, preliminary screening procedure for tracking abnormal cognitive ageing from an early stage amo ....Declining mental efficiency, cognitive performance and individual differences in aged function. Ageing men's health is poorer than women's and men show lower uptake of public health messages. The project has potential to extend the productive involvement of older men in the community, thereby reducing dependence and health care expenditure. Future benefits could also include an effective, convenient, preliminary screening procedure for tracking abnormal cognitive ageing from an early stage among elderly people. This could be also used to target and evaluate interventions designed to moderate morbidity in ageing, or enhance functional capacity with aging. The project will enhance cross-disciplinary expertise and provide doctoral and postdoctoral research training.Read moreRead less