Determining how calcium regulates mitochondrial function in models of cardiomyopathy. Heart failure is the leading cause of death in Australia. This project will determine the mechanisms by which the failing heart is associated with disorganisation of the cell and poor energy supply so that interventions aimed at reducing the development of heart failure can be developed.
Impact of shear stress on vascular adaptations in humans. Large arteries are important for the delivery of blood and oxygen to organs such as the heart and brain. A primary physiological stimulus which controls the size and function of these crucial arteries is the magnitude of flow or, more accurately, shear force that the inner wall of the artery is exposed to. We have developed novel software which enables non-invasive assessment of arterial wall velocity, diameter and blood flow. We will ass ....Impact of shear stress on vascular adaptations in humans. Large arteries are important for the delivery of blood and oxygen to organs such as the heart and brain. A primary physiological stimulus which controls the size and function of these crucial arteries is the magnitude of flow or, more accurately, shear force that the inner wall of the artery is exposed to. We have developed novel software which enables non-invasive assessment of arterial wall velocity, diameter and blood flow. We will assess the impact of acute and chronic changes in wall flow and shear on arterial size and function. We will also develop new software which measures other aspects of artery wall behaviour. These basic human physiology studies have direct implications for assessment of artery health in humans.Read moreRead less
Structure-activity relationships in the development of new bioactive isoflavonoids. This project aims to develop new chemical substances based on the structure of a group of naturally occuring compounds called isoflavones. Biological activity related to chronic inflammatory (eg arthritis) and heart disease will be examined in cells and animal models. This information will be used to design compounds with enhanced activity. The eventual aim is to develop potential therapeutic agents to treat chr ....Structure-activity relationships in the development of new bioactive isoflavonoids. This project aims to develop new chemical substances based on the structure of a group of naturally occuring compounds called isoflavones. Biological activity related to chronic inflammatory (eg arthritis) and heart disease will be examined in cells and animal models. This information will be used to design compounds with enhanced activity. The eventual aim is to develop potential therapeutic agents to treat chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular disease.Read moreRead less
Hybrid radiofrequency/optical catheter for effective atrial fibrillation ablation. This research project aims to advance engineering knowledge by applying an innovative, fibre-optics-based discrete optical coherence tomography to technology used for atrial fibrillation catheter ablation. RadioFrequency catheter-based ablation is far superior to cardiac drug therapy for atrial fibrillation patients. RadioFrequency catheters are not equipped with real-time lesion formation monitoring means, which ....Hybrid radiofrequency/optical catheter for effective atrial fibrillation ablation. This research project aims to advance engineering knowledge by applying an innovative, fibre-optics-based discrete optical coherence tomography to technology used for atrial fibrillation catheter ablation. RadioFrequency catheter-based ablation is far superior to cardiac drug therapy for atrial fibrillation patients. RadioFrequency catheters are not equipped with real-time lesion formation monitoring means, which enable the assessment of continuity-transmurality and prevent extra-cardiac complications, such as steam pops. Optical Coherece Tomography enables non-invasive, microscopic lesion formation assessment in real time during atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. The expected outcomes of this project are to develop a new hybrid fibre-optic/RadioFrequency catheter system and user-friendly driving software that will enable cardiac electrophysiologists to perform three key tasks not previously available.Read moreRead less
Visualising vascular adaptation at the micro-scale in humans. The project aims to investigate fundamental issues in the mechanisms underlying vascular remodelling. It plans to develop novel optical scanning techniques to acquire high-resolution images of the cutaneous microvasculature, alongside absolute blood flow quantification. These novel tools would allow us to visualise and quantify functional and structural adaptations in the microvasculature in response to physiological stimuli such as h ....Visualising vascular adaptation at the micro-scale in humans. The project aims to investigate fundamental issues in the mechanisms underlying vascular remodelling. It plans to develop novel optical scanning techniques to acquire high-resolution images of the cutaneous microvasculature, alongside absolute blood flow quantification. These novel tools would allow us to visualise and quantify functional and structural adaptations in the microvasculature in response to physiological stimuli such as heat exposure and exercise. The non-invasive tool aims to enable us to assess adaptations in microvasculature health, improving our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes and potentially reducing the impact of costly and debilitating morbidities such as nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, impotence and skin ulceration.Read moreRead less
Defining the direct effects of exercise on arterial adaptation. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of exercise is fundamental to optimising the design of preventative programs aimed at healthy ageing. These experiments will contribute to our understanding of the direct effects of changes in blood flow and pressure during exercise on vascular adaptations in humans.
Identification of Australian-bred apple and plum varieties with enhanced health attributes. Improved prevention could save Australia $4 billion annually in health care costs, mainly in the area of cardiovascular disease. A higher flavonoid intake has been estimated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 20%. Apples are important sources of flavonoids in the diet. The proposed project involves collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia and the U ....Identification of Australian-bred apple and plum varieties with enhanced health attributes. Improved prevention could save Australia $4 billion annually in health care costs, mainly in the area of cardiovascular disease. A higher flavonoid intake has been estimated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 20%. Apples are important sources of flavonoids in the diet. The proposed project involves collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia and the University of Western Australia. The aim is to identify progeny of both the apple and plum breeding programs that have elite levels of flavonoids and to demonstrate health benefits of a high-flavonoid apple. This could lead to significant benefits to Australian horticulture and to population health.Read moreRead less
The origins of electroreception and nocturnality in the earliest known jawed vertebrates and their bearing on vertebrate diversification. This project aims to discover primary new data to pinpoint the timing, anatomical origins and phylogenetic significance when two key sensory systems first appeared in modern vertebrates: electroreception and specialised nocturnal vision. Such abilities today allow high diversity of vertebrates to co-exist within the same geographical range, for example on trop ....The origins of electroreception and nocturnality in the earliest known jawed vertebrates and their bearing on vertebrate diversification. This project aims to discover primary new data to pinpoint the timing, anatomical origins and phylogenetic significance when two key sensory systems first appeared in modern vertebrates: electroreception and specialised nocturnal vision. Such abilities today allow high diversity of vertebrates to co-exist within the same geographical range, for example on tropical reefs or rainforest communities, through careful temporal niche partitioning where reliance on other sensory systems takes over from vision and olfaction as the principal method of prey detection. This project aims to elucidate how the modern fish diversity was shaped by such significant early evolutionary events.Read moreRead less
Is restoration working? An ecological genetic assessment. This project aims to assess the success of restoration in terms of ecological and genetic viability for plant species in the Fitzgerald River–Stirling Range region of Western Australia, where significant investment is being made in restoring connectivity at a landscape scale. The project intends to compare reproductive output, pollinator behaviour, mating, genetic diversity and pollen dispersal in restored sites with those of undisturbed ....Is restoration working? An ecological genetic assessment. This project aims to assess the success of restoration in terms of ecological and genetic viability for plant species in the Fitzgerald River–Stirling Range region of Western Australia, where significant investment is being made in restoring connectivity at a landscape scale. The project intends to compare reproductive output, pollinator behaviour, mating, genetic diversity and pollen dispersal in restored sites with those of undisturbed natural vegetation. The project moves measures of restoration success beyond that of population establishment and survival to incorporate the evolutionary processes that provide long-term resilience, persistence and functional integration of restored populations into broader landscapes.Read moreRead less
Functional links between estuaries and their catchments: How does land use change affect estuarine ecological and bio-geochemical function? Estuaries are iconic recreational areas of high ecological and socio-economic value. Estuarine health is strongly linked to the catchments that feed them, yet we have no detailed understanding of these links. This project will use a number of state of the art approaches to better understand how land use affects estuarine health.