Novel Pathomechanisms And Treatment Approaches In Alzheimer’s Disease And Related Forms Of Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$774,540.00
Summary
This fellowship will provide new insight into the molecular processes underlying onset and progression of common brain conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia and Motor Neuron Disease. Furthermore, new therapeutic targets for these diseases will be developed and tested in model systems, to facilitate future translation into clinical application, and to overcome the lack of treatments.
Defining The Mechanisms By Which ABCA7 And ApoE Control Alzheimer's Disease Risk. Functional Characterisation Of New Therapeutic Targets For Dementia Prevention And Treatment.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,975.00
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the major cause of dementia and is currently without a curative treatment. An understanding of the pathways that lead to AD is urgently required to develop approaches for treatments. We have discovered new pathways by which proteins called ApoE and ABCA7 control AD. We now aim to define precisely how these proteins work in the brain and use this information to develop therapeutic approaches to treat AD in humans.
Trace Element Regulation In Neurological Disease: From Molecular Pathogenesis To Translational Impact.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,370.00
Summary
Neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and motor neuron disease are a major health burden for Australia and new approaches to treatment are urgently required. Essential trace elements such as copper, zinc and iron show major changes in neurodegneration, however, we do not understand how this drives disease processes. This proposal will develop an innovative 3D ‘brain on a chip’ cell model to probe the role of trace elements in brain pathology and identify exciting new treatments options.
Vesicular Trafficking Pathways Underpinning Neuronal Secretion And Survival
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,209.00
Summary
Plethora of diseases of the nervous system are caused by defects in vesicular trafficking including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. I will explore the mechanisms underpinning synaptic vesicular trafficking using novel super resolution techniques and reveal the how secretory vesicles traffic to the plasma membrane, undergo exocytosis, and recycle. I will also explain how in the crowded environment of the presynaptic terminals, retrograde cargoes are transported back to the ....Plethora of diseases of the nervous system are caused by defects in vesicular trafficking including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. I will explore the mechanisms underpinning synaptic vesicular trafficking using novel super resolution techniques and reveal the how secretory vesicles traffic to the plasma membrane, undergo exocytosis, and recycle. I will also explain how in the crowded environment of the presynaptic terminals, retrograde cargoes are transported back to the cell body thereby carrying survival signals.Read moreRead less
Axonal Regeneration And Degeneration: Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$622,655.00
Summary
Understanding how to repair of nerve damage following a traumatic injury, a vascular accident, or a degenerative condition, is essential to develop novel effective treatments. We have identified, in a simple genetic model system, the molecular mechanisms that allow a transected nerve to be repaired by reattachment of its two separated fragments. This 'axonal fusion' process is a highly promising innovative approach that can be exploited to restore the original neuronal circuit.
Molecular Mechanisms And Pharmacology Of The Dynamins
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$883,375.00
Summary
His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission in the nervous system to: a) understand the basic science of nerve communication and b) develop drugs to control diseases of nerve terminals like epilepsy. The main focus is on proteins called the dynamins, which are self-assembling molecular machines acting in many intracellular functions. There are three dynamin genes: dynI, II and III with diverse functions in the different parts of the body.
Cracking The Epigenetic Code: Understanding The Mechanisms Of Memory Associated With Anxiety-related Disorders And Their Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$640,210.00
Summary
The primary goal of my research programme is to elucidate how the epigenome coordinates experience-dependent gene expression underlying associative learning and memory using paradigms relevant for understanding fear-related anxiety disorders. My research on DNA modifications and newly emerging findings in the realm of RNA biology is changing the way we think about gene-environment interactions, the broader impact of which will most certainly continue to be felt for years to come.
Molecular Mechanisms Of Protein Function And Pharmacology In Neuroscience And Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,005.00
Summary
I have been a Fellow 19 years. It allows me to think strategically on a broader canvass. I am a world authority in endocytosis (how cells interact with the outside world), drug discovery, and protein function, in disciplines of neuroscience and cancer. The outcome will be the first human trials of endocytosis modulators in cancer and epilepsy. Secondly, we will use our new International ProCan Centre to produce a transformational rapid cancer diagnostic and provide new cancer treatment options.