The impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in sewage contaminated waters on aquatic biota and identification of the causative compounds. The project's aims are to determine a) the impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as contraceptive pills and detergents in sewage effluent on aquatic biota; and b) which EDCs contribute to the impact. This project will provide the first comprehensive assessment of whether EDCs are causing effects in rivers downstream of sewage treatment p ....The impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in sewage contaminated waters on aquatic biota and identification of the causative compounds. The project's aims are to determine a) the impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as contraceptive pills and detergents in sewage effluent on aquatic biota; and b) which EDCs contribute to the impact. This project will provide the first comprehensive assessment of whether EDCs are causing effects in rivers downstream of sewage treatment plants and will identify the chemicals responsible. New biological tests for detecting endocrine disruption will also be developed for research and commercial use. The findings will assist regulatory bodies and water service providers to develop appropriate legislative, management and technological strategies to minimise EDC impacts on ecosystem health.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100110
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,021,288.00
Summary
New Approaches to Understand How Form and Function Shape Complex Systems. As biology and medicine transform into quantitative sciences, existing mathematical methods are often inadequate to explain the data they generate. This project aims to unlock the potential of such biomedical data through the development of new mathematical approaches that combine concepts from pure and applied mathematics, statistics and data science, and then to investigate their ability to generate mechanistic insight i ....New Approaches to Understand How Form and Function Shape Complex Systems. As biology and medicine transform into quantitative sciences, existing mathematical methods are often inadequate to explain the data they generate. This project aims to unlock the potential of such biomedical data through the development of new mathematical approaches that combine concepts from pure and applied mathematics, statistics and data science, and then to investigate their ability to generate mechanistic insight into fundamental biomedical processes. In this way, the project expects to affect a paradigm shift in mathematical biology while strengthening Australia’s reputation as a world-leader in mathematical biology. An outcome from this project could be new mathematical models that guide decision making in the clinic.Read moreRead less
Mathematical measurement and modelling of neuronal degeneration. Currently about 150,000 Australian's suffer from cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease or dementia and this number is expected to double over the next few decades. By combining newly developed mathematical methods in complex systems with sophisticated neural imaging we will develop new techniques to advance the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive decline in normal ageing and neurodegenerative disease.
This project will ....Mathematical measurement and modelling of neuronal degeneration. Currently about 150,000 Australian's suffer from cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease or dementia and this number is expected to double over the next few decades. By combining newly developed mathematical methods in complex systems with sophisticated neural imaging we will develop new techniques to advance the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive decline in normal ageing and neurodegenerative disease.
This project will also maintain the collaborative link between researchers in Biomathematics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York and researchers in Applied Mathematics at UNSW that enables training of Australian scientists in the vital area of mathematical bio-complexity.Read moreRead less
Can an anti-HIV gene in blood stem cells protect from immune depletion by HIV? Approximately 15,000 individuals in Australia are currently HIV infected. Gene therapy has the capacity to remove antiretroviral treatment related issues, dramatically decrease treatment costs and simplify treatment of HIV.
In this study we will model a new approach to treat HIV in which the patient's own cells are used as the therapy by incorporating an anti-HIV gene. These cells are then re-introduced into the p ....Can an anti-HIV gene in blood stem cells protect from immune depletion by HIV? Approximately 15,000 individuals in Australia are currently HIV infected. Gene therapy has the capacity to remove antiretroviral treatment related issues, dramatically decrease treatment costs and simplify treatment of HIV.
In this study we will model a new approach to treat HIV in which the patient's own cells are used as the therapy by incorporating an anti-HIV gene. These cells are then re-introduced into the patient.
The strong mathematical focus of this project, and its application to a promising approach against HIV, will place Australia at the forefront of the mathematics of gene research and contribute to the National Priority Area of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and the Priority Goal of Preventative Healthcare.
Read moreRead less
Mathematical models and bioinformatic analyses of bacterial genome evolution. Bacteria are vital agents in earth's biosphere, breaking down and synthesising a wide variety of compounds. Some bacteria cause disease; others are exploited for a range of biotechnological applications. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to survive and thrive in changing conditions. For example, pathogenic bacteria confronted by antibiotics easily evolve resistance to them. With the reality of climate change, we expec ....Mathematical models and bioinformatic analyses of bacterial genome evolution. Bacteria are vital agents in earth's biosphere, breaking down and synthesising a wide variety of compounds. Some bacteria cause disease; others are exploited for a range of biotechnological applications. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to survive and thrive in changing conditions. For example, pathogenic bacteria confronted by antibiotics easily evolve resistance to them. With the reality of climate change, we expect more rapid shifts in the structure of bacterial communities, possibly leading to the emergence of new pathogens. The benefits of this project are to discover how the genetic structure of bacteria confer this flexibility, and to help keep Australia at the forefront of research in bioinformatics and mathematical biology.
Read moreRead less
Diffusion driven pattern formation and signal propagation in spatially complex excitable media. A basic understanding of the mechanisms for pattern formation, from the spots on leopards to electrical signalling of neurons, has been achieved through reaction-diffusion equations. However to obtain a complete understanding, which is vital for many applications, it is necessary to modify this mathematical model to incorporate spatial complexities in the underlying media. This project will develop ....Diffusion driven pattern formation and signal propagation in spatially complex excitable media. A basic understanding of the mechanisms for pattern formation, from the spots on leopards to electrical signalling of neurons, has been achieved through reaction-diffusion equations. However to obtain a complete understanding, which is vital for many applications, it is necessary to modify this mathematical model to incorporate spatial complexities in the underlying media. This project will develop a fractional calculus framework for pattern formation, including signal propagation, in spatially complex and excitable media. In a particular application we will model the way in which the signalling properties of neurons depend critically on their spatial complexity.Read moreRead less
New mathematics of fractional diffusion for understanding cognitive impairment at the neuronal level. As Australia's population ages, cognitive impairment due to cortical ageing and neurodegeneration is looming as the nation's greatest health problem. The project will deliver new, more realistic, mathematical models for a mechanistic understanding of cognitive impairment at the neuronal level. This understanding is a vital first step in targeting drugs, e.g., to influence neuronal spine proper ....New mathematics of fractional diffusion for understanding cognitive impairment at the neuronal level. As Australia's population ages, cognitive impairment due to cortical ageing and neurodegeneration is looming as the nation's greatest health problem. The project will deliver new, more realistic, mathematical models for a mechanistic understanding of cognitive impairment at the neuronal level. This understanding is a vital first step in targeting drugs, e.g., to influence neuronal spine properties, for preventative health care. The project will maintain international collaborations, between applied mathematicians at UNSW, Sydney and biomathematicians and neuroscientists at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, providing ongoing training opportunities for Australian scientists in this cutting edge biomathematical research.Read moreRead less
Multiscale modelling: Applications to the Biomedical Sciences. 1) Significant reductions in the costs of developing pharmaceutical treatments, 2) Substantial reduction in hospitalisation costs, 3) Improved treatment of wounds, a significant cause of chronic ill-health which presently costs the Australian HealthCare System A$500,000,000/year.
Hypergraph models for complex discrete systems. This project aims to better understand the structure and properties of very large hypergraphs of various kinds. Hypergraphs are very general mathematical objects which can be used to model complex discrete systems. They arise naturally in many areas such as ecology, chemistry and computer science. Despite this, our theoretical understanding of very large, or random, hypergraphs lags far behind the intensely-studied special case of graphs. This proj ....Hypergraph models for complex discrete systems. This project aims to better understand the structure and properties of very large hypergraphs of various kinds. Hypergraphs are very general mathematical objects which can be used to model complex discrete systems. They arise naturally in many areas such as ecology, chemistry and computer science. Despite this, our theoretical understanding of very large, or random, hypergraphs lags far behind the intensely-studied special case of graphs. This project will answer many fundamental questions about large, random hypergraphs. The expected outcomes of the project also include new tools for working with hypergraphs, such as efficient algorithms for sampling hypergraphs. These outcomes will benefit researchers who use hypergraphs in their work and will enhance Australia's reputation for research in this area.Read moreRead less
A new model for random discrete structures: distributions, counting and sampling. Random discrete structures are used in countless applications across science for modelling complex systems. This project will study a new, very general model of random discrete structures which encapsulates both random networks and random matrices. This project will develop general tools for working with this model, thereby unlocking the model for use by practitioners in areas such as physics, biology, statistics a ....A new model for random discrete structures: distributions, counting and sampling. Random discrete structures are used in countless applications across science for modelling complex systems. This project will study a new, very general model of random discrete structures which encapsulates both random networks and random matrices. This project will develop general tools for working with this model, thereby unlocking the model for use by practitioners in areas such as physics, biology, statistics and cryptography. The questions that will be tackled are fundamental problems in probability, and include as special cases the analysis of subgraph distribution in models of random networks, and the joint distribution of entries of contingency tables, which are important in statistics.Read moreRead less