Neural plasticity in older adult human vision. This project aims to expand our understanding of age related changes in brain function, specifically plasticity. The project will increase knowledge of the role of an inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in visual plasticity. Expected outcomes include new knowledge regarding the regulation of brain function in adulthood, enabling future research and planning for societal benefit to older Australia.
ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research. This Centre intends to generate crucial knowledge to inform social and economic responses to population ageing, one of the most important issues of the 21st century. Population ageing exerts unprecedented pressures on social norms and policy institutions, both in Australia and around the world. Leading researchers from a range of disciplines will undertake multidisciplinary research to help governments, businesses, and consumers prepare for ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research. This Centre intends to generate crucial knowledge to inform social and economic responses to population ageing, one of the most important issues of the 21st century. Population ageing exerts unprecedented pressures on social norms and policy institutions, both in Australia and around the world. Leading researchers from a range of disciplines will undertake multidisciplinary research to help governments, businesses, and consumers prepare for and make better decisions for an ageing world, with consequent social and economic benefits for families and communities expected to flow to Australia, the Asian region and the world.Read moreRead less
Amplifying Voices from the Royal Commission into Aged Care. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is a singular opportunity to reform Australian aged care and redress the marginalisation of aged care residents—a vulnerable demographic whose voices too often go unheard. Using innovative arts-based forms of storytelling, this project explores how non-traditional approaches can provide older Australians with more visibility in aged care policy debates. Combining media analysis with ....Amplifying Voices from the Royal Commission into Aged Care. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is a singular opportunity to reform Australian aged care and redress the marginalisation of aged care residents—a vulnerable demographic whose voices too often go unheard. Using innovative arts-based forms of storytelling, this project explores how non-traditional approaches can provide older Australians with more visibility in aged care policy debates. Combining media analysis with poetic inquiry, participatory photography, citizen storytelling, and interactive art, this project amplifies the voices of residents and engages policy makers, providers, and the public in a reflexive, inclusive conversation about the past, present and future of aged care. Read moreRead less
Vulnerability and resilience in Indonesian women suffering from cancer. This project aims to investigate the social processes shaping middle-aged women’s vulnerability and resilience to cervical cancer in Indonesia. This project will generate a new interdisciplinary approach to investigating how different factors such as age, socioeconomic status and gender intersect to influence women’s vulnerability across their life course. The project will provide significant research training for Australian ....Vulnerability and resilience in Indonesian women suffering from cancer. This project aims to investigate the social processes shaping middle-aged women’s vulnerability and resilience to cervical cancer in Indonesia. This project will generate a new interdisciplinary approach to investigating how different factors such as age, socioeconomic status and gender intersect to influence women’s vulnerability across their life course. The project will provide significant research training for Australians and Indonesians, extensive international collaboration, and a better understanding of how to reduce health disparities among vulnerable groups.Read moreRead less
Designing liveable neighbourhoods to support healthy ageing. This project aims to identify whether neighbourhood liveability influences healthy ageing, and the extent to which this association is modified by individual preferences and socioeconomic disadvantage using longitudinal analyses. The research expects to generate new knowledge on urban design that supports healthy ageing, which is mostly derived from cross-sectional studies. Expected outcomes include evidence-based recommendations for i ....Designing liveable neighbourhoods to support healthy ageing. This project aims to identify whether neighbourhood liveability influences healthy ageing, and the extent to which this association is modified by individual preferences and socioeconomic disadvantage using longitudinal analyses. The research expects to generate new knowledge on urban design that supports healthy ageing, which is mostly derived from cross-sectional studies. Expected outcomes include evidence-based recommendations for informing urban design and health policies to support healthy ageing and ageing in place, which is a key government agenda in Australia. This should provide benefits such as the delivery of high quality liveable environments that support healthy ageing and reduced aged care expenditure.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100185
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,712.00
Summary
Decoding the evolution of killer T cell immunity across human lifetime. The immune system is a potent weapon for protection against pathogens. T cells have a central role as their receptors monitor the body for threats. The thymus (organ) educates receptors to discriminate between healthy and infected cells. Receptor diversity and T cell strength change throughout human life. This project aims to unravel how T cells gain and lose optimal receptors and strength. The aims are to understand 1) The ....Decoding the evolution of killer T cell immunity across human lifetime. The immune system is a potent weapon for protection against pathogens. T cells have a central role as their receptors monitor the body for threats. The thymus (organ) educates receptors to discriminate between healthy and infected cells. Receptor diversity and T cell strength change throughout human life. This project aims to unravel how T cells gain and lose optimal receptors and strength. The aims are to understand 1) The role of thymic education in diversifying receptors 2) Whether gradual loss of thymic education affects receptor diversity 3) The molecular mechanisms underlying T cell strength. The project is essential for understanding how optimal T cell immunity is formed, critical if we wish to harness this to improve healthy aging.Read moreRead less
Global dementias: Examining structural vulnerability and dementia outcomes. This project aims to examine the social and cultural dimensions of dementia by using a comparative ethnographic approach to examine the experiences of people living with dementia in Australia, Malaysia and India. The project expects to generate new anthropological knowledge about structural inequalities by examining how dementia is responded to in diverse geographic, cultural and social settings. Expected outcomes of thi ....Global dementias: Examining structural vulnerability and dementia outcomes. This project aims to examine the social and cultural dimensions of dementia by using a comparative ethnographic approach to examine the experiences of people living with dementia in Australia, Malaysia and India. The project expects to generate new anthropological knowledge about structural inequalities by examining how dementia is responded to in diverse geographic, cultural and social settings. Expected outcomes of this project include the creation of a new evidence-base on dementia and the production of briefing documents to guide global health frameworks. The project should provide significant benefits for people living with dementia by providing locally-relevant strategies to respond to dementia and resultant disability.Read moreRead less
Co-designing Innovations in Digital Storytelling with Older Adults. This project aims to investigate how emerging technologies can be leveraged to provide innovative ways for older adults to create and share their life stories to foster social wellbeing. Later life can be a time of considerable change, leaving people feeling disconnected from the people, places, and life events that are important to them. Autobiographical storytelling can help create links with one's past, but little is known ab ....Co-designing Innovations in Digital Storytelling with Older Adults. This project aims to investigate how emerging technologies can be leveraged to provide innovative ways for older adults to create and share their life stories to foster social wellbeing. Later life can be a time of considerable change, leaving people feeling disconnected from the people, places, and life events that are important to them. Autobiographical storytelling can help create links with one's past, but little is known about how technologies such as digital games and virtual reality can be used to enable older adults to share stories about their lives in a way that supports ongoing social interactions. This project is expected to co-design new forms of digital storytelling to improve social wellbeing of older adults. Read moreRead less
Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into impo ....Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into important and largely unanswered questions about the way social factors in the first half of life shape our later selves. This study will inform government and health policy targeting ageing populations.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101180
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,000.00
Summary
The neuroethics of cognitive ageing. As the workforce ages, Australian and international governments are prioritising brain health, seeking to increase economic productivity and reduce the costs of age-related cognitive decline. In addition to healthy lifestyle habits, certain neurotechnologies are being promoted as the means to protect cognitive performance. This project aims to explore the ethical issues and social pressures that ageing individuals experience as a result of cognitive ageing. U ....The neuroethics of cognitive ageing. As the workforce ages, Australian and international governments are prioritising brain health, seeking to increase economic productivity and reduce the costs of age-related cognitive decline. In addition to healthy lifestyle habits, certain neurotechnologies are being promoted as the means to protect cognitive performance. This project aims to explore the ethical issues and social pressures that ageing individuals experience as a result of cognitive ageing. Understanding later life from the perspective of ageing individuals may enable society to meet the ethical and policy challenges raised by emphasising cognitive wellbeing above other aspects in the ageing process.Read moreRead less