Targeted Disruption Of Lipoxygenase Enzymes To Prevent Oxidative Stress-mediated Pathologies In The Male Germline
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
An estimated 80 million individuals suffer from infertility globally with at least 50% of these cases due to defects in sperm function. Unfortunately, due to a severe lack of knowledge surrounding sperm biology and dysfunction, no successful curative or preventative measures have been established. My project will study why sperm cells die and investigate new ways to limit cellular stress so we can develop new therapeutic strategies to mitigate the growing problems in male reproductive health.
Information Encoding By Temporal Structure Of Afferent Spike Trains
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$231,175.00
Summary
Our ability to sense, discriminate and interpret touch stimuli underpins some of the most crucial functions of the human hand that relate to object exploration and manipulation. The fundamental mechanism of how nerve impulses generated by tactile receptors are interpreted by the nervous system is not understood. Only by discovering the underlying neural encoding mechanisms can we appreciate the functional impairments in patients and learn to identify them before they become widespread and irreve ....Our ability to sense, discriminate and interpret touch stimuli underpins some of the most crucial functions of the human hand that relate to object exploration and manipulation. The fundamental mechanism of how nerve impulses generated by tactile receptors are interpreted by the nervous system is not understood. Only by discovering the underlying neural encoding mechanisms can we appreciate the functional impairments in patients and learn to identify them before they become widespread and irreversible.Read moreRead less
Postviral Wheezing In Childhood: Disregulation Of Airway Tone?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,040.00
Summary
Asthma is a very common childhood condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Wheezing is common in infants and young children following viral infections and is often thought of as the first manifestation of asthma. However, many children and infants who wheeze with viral infections appear to grow out of asthma in their teenage years. Asthma that persists into adult life is usually associated with allergies to common environmental allergens, such as house dust mite and grass pollens. Ho ....Asthma is a very common childhood condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Wheezing is common in infants and young children following viral infections and is often thought of as the first manifestation of asthma. However, many children and infants who wheeze with viral infections appear to grow out of asthma in their teenage years. Asthma that persists into adult life is usually associated with allergies to common environmental allergens, such as house dust mite and grass pollens. However, many infants who wheeze with viral infections, especially in the first year of life, do not develop allergies in later life, raising the possibility that they did not have the same type of asthma as those whose symptoms persist. This project will study the effects of viral infections on lung function to determine whether particular types of virus can have detrimental effects of lung function lasting for years. We will also examine whether the age at which the infection occurs and the severity of the infection influence the long-term outcome. The project involves studying infants during the recovery phase of respiratory viral infections, older children years after documented infections and experimental animal models that have been infected under controlled conditions. By determining whether respiratory viral infections can have long-term effects on lung function that can mimic asthma, we will advance our understanding of how asthma develops. In addition, specific treatment and preventative strategies could then be developed to prevent these long-term abnormalities, instead of relying on asthma medication (especially inhaled corticosteroids) as is the current practice. Preventative strategies could include encouraging the development of specific vaccines.Read moreRead less
Male-female Sperm Signalling - A Novel Pathway For Peri-conceptual Health?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,920.00
Summary
This project will investigate a new biological process in reproduction, whereby sperm delivered to the cervix at coitus transmit signalling molecules called microRNAs that influence the female immune response, to increase the chances of conception and pregnancy. We will define the molecular details of this signalling pathway in mouse models, and then determine whether human sperm have a comparable function in ‘priming’ the female body to conceive.
Most eye diseases have a genetic contribution, whether rare disorders affecting children such as retinoblastoma or congenital cataracts through to common disorders of older people such as myopia, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. We will continue our successful research to find genes that cause these diseases and use this to improve patient care and prevent blindness. We will work out how families can use this genetic information to participate in trials to develop new treatments.
A Multi-national Trial To Predict Treatment Response In Subtypes Of Depression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Treatment of MDD using trial and error can have serious consequences. It can prolong the patient’s suffering (depression is associated with substantial morbidity, and mortality), prolong their absence from work and other productive activity and increase the burden on their family-carers. This multi-national study will collect genetics, brain function and behavioural data from a large number of participants, allowing for sensitive predictors of response to be determined.
Developing And Evaluating A Multimodal Antibiotic Allergy Strategy To Improve Antimicrobial Stewardship In High-risk Antibiotic Usage Populations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$303,014.00
Summary
Antibiotic allergies lead to the use of inferior antibiotics and generation of “superbugs”. Antibiotic allergy testing removes up to 90% of allergies, although remains unavailable to many and unreliable in some severe antibiotic reactions. We aim to validate antibiotic allergy bedside tools and programs, and develop laboratory tests that can diagnose and prevent severe antibiotic allergies, to improve appropriate antibiotic prescribing and patient outcomes.
An Exploration Of Functional Decline And The Potential For Rehab In Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$50,000.00
Summary
Lung cancer is one of the commonest human cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths. People with advanced cancer experience significant decline in functional capacity as their disease advances and they approach death. This decline is likely to have significant impact on quality of life. In lung cancer this decline can be exacerbated by chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While significant clinical benefits have been demonstrated in COPD patients with the ....Lung cancer is one of the commonest human cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths. People with advanced cancer experience significant decline in functional capacity as their disease advances and they approach death. This decline is likely to have significant impact on quality of life. In lung cancer this decline can be exacerbated by chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While significant clinical benefits have been demonstrated in COPD patients with the introduction of pulmonary rehabilitation, little research has been conducted to either map the functional status of lung cancer patients or to explore the application of pulmonary rehabilitation in this setting. This study seeks to begin a program of work in this area through first exploring the characteristics of functional decline in this group and then assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a rehabilitation program specifically addressing the functional status needs identified.Read moreRead less
A Population-based Longitudinal Assessment Of Early Life Vitamin D And Risk Of Food Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,086.00
Summary
There has been a dramatic and unexplained increase in food allergy over recent decades. The increase in food allergy may relate to a concordant increase in early vitamin D insufficiency, however this hypothesis has never been directly tested. This project will use existing/funded samples from two NHMRC funded studies to conduct a detailed investigation of (i) the determinant and predictors of early life vitamin D insufficiency; and (ii) the association of vitamin D insufficiency and food allergy ....There has been a dramatic and unexplained increase in food allergy over recent decades. The increase in food allergy may relate to a concordant increase in early vitamin D insufficiency, however this hypothesis has never been directly tested. This project will use existing/funded samples from two NHMRC funded studies to conduct a detailed investigation of (i) the determinant and predictors of early life vitamin D insufficiency; and (ii) the association of vitamin D insufficiency and food allergy.Read moreRead less
Radiation and Ablation in Rapidly Expanding Flows. The aim of the project is to record the spectra of radiation from a region of rapidly expanding flow representative of the passage of the shock layer on a re-entry capsule from the windward to the leeward surfaces. The significance of this work is that it addresses a critical area of spacecraft where the uncertainties of our design techniques are of the order of 300 per cent in terms of surface heat transfer, and current vehicles have to use lar ....Radiation and Ablation in Rapidly Expanding Flows. The aim of the project is to record the spectra of radiation from a region of rapidly expanding flow representative of the passage of the shock layer on a re-entry capsule from the windward to the leeward surfaces. The significance of this work is that it addresses a critical area of spacecraft where the uncertainties of our design techniques are of the order of 300 per cent in terms of surface heat transfer, and current vehicles have to use large safety factors to ensure survivability. The outputs from the project will be a data base of radiative parameters which should enable accurate models of the flow to be developed, which is expected to facilitate the design of advanced spacecraft with greater safety and reliability, and with lower structural mass.Read moreRead less