Projection Of The Impact Of Climate Change On The Transmission Of Ross River Virus Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$267,645.00
Summary
There is no doubt that mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) are sensitive to climatic conditions. However, it remains unclear how climate change will influence the distribution and incidence of MBDs. This study aims to use an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to project the impact of future climate change on the transmission of Ross River virus disease - the most common and widespread MBD in Australia, and to provide scientific evidence for developing pulbic health adaptation policies.
Assessment Of The Impact Of Climate Variability On The Transmission Of Ross River Virus Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$168,125.00
Summary
It is a significant scientific and public health issue to assess the potential impact of climate change on population health. As human-induced global climate change continues, questions about its possible consequences command increasing attention. Australia has a great level of climate variability. Climate zones extend from temperate areas into the tropics and the climate fluctuates over time. Also, it is predicted that Australia lies in the region where the climate pattern will be affected most ....It is a significant scientific and public health issue to assess the potential impact of climate change on population health. As human-induced global climate change continues, questions about its possible consequences command increasing attention. Australia has a great level of climate variability. Climate zones extend from temperate areas into the tropics and the climate fluctuates over time. Also, it is predicted that Australia lies in the region where the climate pattern will be affected most in the 21th century. However, little research has to date been conducted on the potential public health impact of climate variability and change in Australia. This project aims to assess the effect of climate variability on the transmission of Ross River virus infection and other vector-borne diseases which may yield important insights into the potential public health consequences of climate change.Read moreRead less
Assessing The Impact Of Solar Ultraviolet Radiation On The Immune Response To Primary Vaccination: The AusUVI Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$337,236.00
Summary
The Australian Ultraviolet Radiation and Immunity Study (AusUVI) is an innovative epidemiological study assessing the impact of naturally acquired ultraviolet radiation on the immune response to vaccination with implications for response to infection, vaccination effectiveness and rates of autoimmune disease. Human exposure to ultraviolet radiation may alter in many regions due to climate change related effects on behaviour and clothing patterns, cloud cover and other atmospheric conditions.
Climate Change And Rural Communities: Integrated Study Of Physical And Social Impacts, Health Risks And Adaptive Options
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$611,599.00
Summary
Rural Australia has begun to experience climate change impacts - which will increase in future. Losses in farm yields, water supplies, property, community morale and family incomes have diverse health effects. We will study the separate and joint effects of climate change and associated extreme events (e.g., bushfires) on selected health outcomes. Using integrative methods, we will clarify the main influences on health risks, their future projections, and how best to intervene to lessen risks.
The Genetic Control Of Platelet Production And Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$558,920.00
Summary
Platelets are the tiny cells that circulate in the body and make blood clot. The human body has more than a trillion of them at any one time, and they are replaced every week by the blood producing cells that reside in the bone marrow. Keeping the normal number of platelets steady is incredibly important any significant drop can result in a life-threatening hemorrhage. The clinical name given to a low platelet count is thrombocytopenia, and it is a very common problem. It can be caused by geneti ....Platelets are the tiny cells that circulate in the body and make blood clot. The human body has more than a trillion of them at any one time, and they are replaced every week by the blood producing cells that reside in the bone marrow. Keeping the normal number of platelets steady is incredibly important any significant drop can result in a life-threatening hemorrhage. The clinical name given to a low platelet count is thrombocytopenia, and it is a very common problem. It can be caused by genetic mutations, viral infections, or by cancer treatments like chemotherapy. The only way to raise platelet numbers in a person with thrombocytopenia is a blood transfusion, which carries with it risks and potential side effects. While we understand quite a lot about how the body produces platelets, we don t know anywhere enough to be able to develop new treatments. Our work is focused on the identification of the genes that control the process, beginning with mouse models of thrombocytopenia, genome mapping, gene isolation, and finally, making the links between the newly identified genes and patients with thrombocytopenia. It will give us a much better understanding of how platelets are produced, how things go wrong in human disease, and how new therapies might be developed to treat them.Read moreRead less
Antitumour Efficacy Of TRAIL: An Immunotherapeutic Approach For The Treatment Of Skeletal Malignancies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,034.00
Summary
The most serious clinical problem with patients with solid tumours is metastasis to bone, which leads to complications that can cause erosion of the patient's quality of life, and eventually death. TRAIL is a new cancer therapeutic that selectively kills cancer cells while sparing normal cells. The use of TRAIL agonistic antibodies that do not bind OPG and have increased serum half life offers an exciting approach for the treatment of skeletal malignancies that is non toxic and safe.
Inherited Muscle Disorders - Gene Discovery, Pathobiology And Therapy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,750,277.00
Summary
The project proposed by Professors Nigel Laing and Kathryn North and Dr Kristen Nowak is based upon the results of their successful identification of disease genes for genetic muscle diseases. The project is divided into three parts. In the first part of the project, the research team will identify further novel disease genes, some of which they are already close to finding. In the second part of the project the team will determine how the mutations they have identified in the disease genes actu ....The project proposed by Professors Nigel Laing and Kathryn North and Dr Kristen Nowak is based upon the results of their successful identification of disease genes for genetic muscle diseases. The project is divided into three parts. In the first part of the project, the research team will identify further novel disease genes, some of which they are already close to finding. In the second part of the project the team will determine how the mutations they have identified in the disease genes actually cause the diseases. The aim of this work is to discover targets that may ultimately lead to new therapies for these muscle diseases. In the third and final part of the project, the team will pursue one possible therapeutic approach, which is based upon the understanding of the diseases the researchers have gained from their previous studies. There are currently no cures for these muscle diseases, though symptoms can be treated. The team will determine whether heart actin can replace muscle actin in skeletal muscle and thus might treat the muscle disease.Read moreRead less
Role Of The Ets Family Transcription Factor Erg In Stem Cell Function And Hematopoiesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$413,775.00
Summary
The cells responsible for producing blood are called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Our research is focused on the genes that control HSC growth and development. We have discovered that a gene known to cause cancer, Erg, plays a critical role in regulating this process. This Project will tease apart the mechanism by which it does so, provide insights into how Erg can trigger cancer, and help us understand the molecular network of regulators that control blood cell production.