Cracking the code of snails to elucidate parasite disease transmission. In Australia, a disease caused by liver flukes causes major economic losses to livestock production. The role of Australian pond snails as intermediate hosts for this parasite is poorly understood. This project aims to explore the phylogeography, biology and genomics of these snails. It expects to create novel molecular resources for important snail species and verify their roles as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The cur ....Cracking the code of snails to elucidate parasite disease transmission. In Australia, a disease caused by liver flukes causes major economic losses to livestock production. The role of Australian pond snails as intermediate hosts for this parasite is poorly understood. This project aims to explore the phylogeography, biology and genomics of these snails. It expects to create novel molecular resources for important snail species and verify their roles as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The curation of genomic and transcriptomic data sets, and elucidation of snail–parasite interactions will underpin the development of environmental diagnostic tests and deliver a new generation of intervention strategies to reduce the burden of liver fluke disease through the control of their snail intermediate hosts.Read moreRead less
I am a cancer cell biologist investigating molecular mechanisms of leukaemia cell resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, and novel strategies for the management of high risk or relapsed disease. For these purposes I have developed orthotopic xenograft mode
THE EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (TMS) ON RAT MODELS OF DEPRESSION
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$204,274.00
Summary
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is the direct stimulation of the brain by using high field magnetic pulses. It is a new technique that has been demonstrated to have some potential as a treatment of depressive illness and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders. At this early stage of its investigation, the parameters of stimulation that are most likely to be therapeutic, and its mechanisms of action, are not known. Published studies vary in the frequency, duration and exten ....Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is the direct stimulation of the brain by using high field magnetic pulses. It is a new technique that has been demonstrated to have some potential as a treatment of depressive illness and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders. At this early stage of its investigation, the parameters of stimulation that are most likely to be therapeutic, and its mechanisms of action, are not known. Published studies vary in the frequency, duration and extent of stimulation, with no firm guidelines about optimal parameters. Empirical study of the relative effects of stimulation at different frequencies, at different numbers of stimuli and for different durations is therefore important for the future development of this treatment. Such an investigation is best carried out in an animal model of depression for both ethical and practical reasons, as such studies in patients would possibly take many years and be extremely difficult to conduct. We propose such a study in rat models of depression which have demonstrated validity and utility in drug research. Rat models have a long track record in developing psychiatric treatments and are cost-effective and of proven value. We also plan to investigate the neuroanatomy of the immediate-early genes induced by TMS and compare it with electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and a tricyclic antidepressant, two established treatments of depression. The results will have implications for future human studies in guiding us toward the optimal parameters for therapeutic effects. They will also enhance our understanding of the mechanism of action of TMS in depression.Read moreRead less
The Functional Significance of Motor Laterality. Just as humans are left- or right-handed, dogs are left-and right-pawed and, most importantly, left-pawed individuals tend towards innate fearfulness. Using dogs as a model, this project will explore lateralisation in general.
Guide dogs and police dogs are required to work only on one side of their handlers. This convention is likely to affect the work of individual dogs. This project will examine the extent to which pawedness predicts success ....The Functional Significance of Motor Laterality. Just as humans are left- or right-handed, dogs are left-and right-pawed and, most importantly, left-pawed individuals tend towards innate fearfulness. Using dogs as a model, this project will explore lateralisation in general.
Guide dogs and police dogs are required to work only on one side of their handlers. This convention is likely to affect the work of individual dogs. This project will examine the extent to which pawedness predicts success in working dog training. It has the potential to reduce wastage that comes from recruitment of unsuitable dogs and will also improve our understanding of family pets.
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Early stress experiences and stress resilience in pigs. Animal stress has substantial implications on animal productivity, health and welfare of farm animals and thus farm profitability. This project aims to examine the stress resilience in pigs. Modern pig farming is a major source of food, providing substantial nutritional, social and economic benefits in Australia and worldwide. Animal welfare is of increasing concern to the public, consumers and pork producers, and stress vulnerability is an ....Early stress experiences and stress resilience in pigs. Animal stress has substantial implications on animal productivity, health and welfare of farm animals and thus farm profitability. This project aims to examine the stress resilience in pigs. Modern pig farming is a major source of food, providing substantial nutritional, social and economic benefits in Australia and worldwide. Animal welfare is of increasing concern to the public, consumers and pork producers, and stress vulnerability is an animal health and production problem in the life of the commercial pig. This project will generate new knowledge on early life management to endow stress resilience in pigs, with expected benefits for animal welfare, farm productivity and profitability.Read moreRead less
Sustaining chicken-meat production with alternative protein sources. This project aims to secure sustainable chicken-meat production by the radical reduction or even elimination of imported soybean meal as the primary protein source in Australian broiler diets by its replacement with feed-grade amino acids and local feedstuffs. This project will expand our comprehension of starch/glucose and protein/amino acid digestive dynamics in poultry diets based on wheat, the primary feed grain in Australi ....Sustaining chicken-meat production with alternative protein sources. This project aims to secure sustainable chicken-meat production by the radical reduction or even elimination of imported soybean meal as the primary protein source in Australian broiler diets by its replacement with feed-grade amino acids and local feedstuffs. This project will expand our comprehension of starch/glucose and protein/amino acid digestive dynamics in poultry diets based on wheat, the primary feed grain in Australia; however, wheat does inherently possess nutritional disadvantages. Expected outcomes include soybean meal-free feed formulations for the Australian chicken-meat industry to enhance the affordable and environmentally viable production of chicken-meat coupled with improved bird welfare and flock health. Read moreRead less
New Approaches to the Control of Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets. In Australia, post?weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is a major constraint to efficient and profitable production. Increasing levels of resistance to dietary antibiotics by gut pathogens such as Escherichia coli, the bacterium implicated in PWD, is a major reason for this problem. This research will identify nutritional means of controlling PWD and increasing production after weaning. This will be achieved by strategic nutritio ....New Approaches to the Control of Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets. In Australia, post?weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is a major constraint to efficient and profitable production. Increasing levels of resistance to dietary antibiotics by gut pathogens such as Escherichia coli, the bacterium implicated in PWD, is a major reason for this problem. This research will identify nutritional means of controlling PWD and increasing production after weaning. This will be achieved by strategic nutritional interventions in the pre-weaning and (or) post-weaning periods targeted at reducing bacterial pathogens in the gut. A reduction in PWD will increase the overall efficiency of pig production in Australia and reduce antibiotic use.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101364
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,460.00
Summary
Securing future supplies of chicken-meat protein. This project aims to generate advanced knowledge in amino acid metabolism in poultry in order to reduce soybean inclusion in broiler diets. Chicken-meat is the dominant animal protein source in human diets in Australia. However, Australia chicken-meat industry will need to increase production by more than 40 per cent to meet population growth by 2050. Soybean meal is the major protein source in poultry diets but the sustainability of increased so ....Securing future supplies of chicken-meat protein. This project aims to generate advanced knowledge in amino acid metabolism in poultry in order to reduce soybean inclusion in broiler diets. Chicken-meat is the dominant animal protein source in human diets in Australia. However, Australia chicken-meat industry will need to increase production by more than 40 per cent to meet population growth by 2050. Soybean meal is the major protein source in poultry diets but the sustainability of increased soy production is problematic. The expected outcomes of this project will be an increase in our future capacity to produce affordable, healthy chicken-meat with humane animal welfare by novel dietary formulations. Chicken-meat production generates less greenhouse gases than its competitors but this project will contribute to the reduction of harmful environmental outputs and ensure food security for Australia.Read moreRead less
Negotiating caring and employment - the impact on carers' wellbeing. Work and caring compete for carers? time. Little is known about the difficulties of combining work with the care of adults or children with disabilities. Between 40 and 60 percent of Australian carers combine employment with caring responsibilities. The project proposes to adopt a life-course perspective to study the effect of caring on income security, social participation and the health of employed carers. It makes innovative ....Negotiating caring and employment - the impact on carers' wellbeing. Work and caring compete for carers? time. Little is known about the difficulties of combining work with the care of adults or children with disabilities. Between 40 and 60 percent of Australian carers combine employment with caring responsibilities. The project proposes to adopt a life-course perspective to study the effect of caring on income security, social participation and the health of employed carers. It makes innovative use of existing data sources, including new longitudinal survey data, supported by a specially designed program of qualitative research to study key transitions, possible workplace solutions and the effective provision of human services.Read moreRead less
Innovation in agricultural sector Green House Gas abatement in NSW. This project aims to develop a land sector greenhouse gas abatement, food production and environmental economics model for NSW. We expect to identify innovation in carbon payment policy and brokerage business models to achieve agricultural GHG abatement, while simultaneously improving sustainability. Expected outcomes include evaluation of the innovations of expert landholders, related businesses and governments to find ways to ....Innovation in agricultural sector Green House Gas abatement in NSW. This project aims to develop a land sector greenhouse gas abatement, food production and environmental economics model for NSW. We expect to identify innovation in carbon payment policy and brokerage business models to achieve agricultural GHG abatement, while simultaneously improving sustainability. Expected outcomes include evaluation of the innovations of expert landholders, related businesses and governments to find ways to influence land use decisions. This should provide significant benefits to landholders, governments involved in land management and the public through increased productivity, profitability, biodiversity and ecosystem health in the context of future climate, agricultural commodity and carbon market uncertainties.Read moreRead less