Title: ‘Indigenous Counselling And Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT In Pregnancy’ - A Cluster Randomised Trial To Implement Culturally Competent Evidence-based Smoking Cessation For Pregnant Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Smokers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,259,016.00
Summary
‘ICAN QUIT in Pregnancy’ tackles smoking through training health providers caring for expectant mothers of Indigenous babies in real-world primary care settings. The intervention was co-developed with Aboriginal communities. We will assess how many Indigenous women, cared for by the trained services, quit smoking, compared to the women that receive usual care. We anticipate that babies born to mothers in the intervention group will have less respiratory illness in their first six months.
Translating Evidence Based Smoking Cessation Care For Pregnant Indigenous Smokers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$181,065.00
Summary
Smoking is a major cause of poor health in mothers and babies, yet smoking rates remain high in Indigenous pregnant women. This fellowship supports a trial of a culturally competent targeted intervention for Indigenous pregnant women who smoke. The intervention provides webinar training of health providers in participating Aboriginal Medical Services. A control group will use their standard care practices. Smoking rates of the women cared for by health providers in each group will be compared.
The critical role of the class III histone deacetylase SIRT2 in stabilizing N-Myc oncoprotein. Cancer is the commonest cause of death from disease in children. Neuroblastoma is the commonest solid tumor in early childhood. This project will investigate the critical roles of SIRT2 protein in increasing the expression of N-Myc oncoprotein and consequently inducing neuroblastoma, and SIRT2 inhibitors as anticancer agents.
Mitochondrially targeted anti-cancer drugs modulate the mitochondrial genome. Successful cancer management requires novel therapeutical approaches. This project will test the effect of a new class of compounds that target mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells, where they suppress expression of mitochondrial genes. By this mechanism, cancers that are resistant to apoptosis induction can be inhibited.
An Examination Of Motor Functioning In Autism And Asperger's Disorder: An Analysis Of Gait & Cortical Brain Activity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,220.00
Summary
Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by a triad of deficits: delayed and atypical language development, impaired development of social skills, and ritualistic and stereotypic behaviour. Although not part of the standard diagnosis, movement disorders and gait abnormalities have been clinically observed in autism similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. In addition, individuals with Asperger's disorder may appear more clumsy, have a stiff or awkward way of walking, and exhibit poo ....Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by a triad of deficits: delayed and atypical language development, impaired development of social skills, and ritualistic and stereotypic behaviour. Although not part of the standard diagnosis, movement disorders and gait abnormalities have been clinically observed in autism similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. In addition, individuals with Asperger's disorder may appear more clumsy, have a stiff or awkward way of walking, and exhibit poor coordination in posture and gesture. It has been suggested that there is disruption within the basal-ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry (the region connecting the frontal and sub-cortical structures), which may cause the motor dysfunction seen in autism and Asperger's disorder. Few studies have attempted to isolate particular stages of motor functioning which may account for the coordination and motor delay observed clinically in autism and Asperger's disorder. A recent study of ours found evidence to suggest that motor planning deficiencies may account for the 'clumsy' movement patterns frequently reported in the autism - Asperger's disorder literature. Therefore, the aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive neurobehavioural and neurophysiological analysis of motor functioning in young people with autism and Asperger's disorder to further examine the exact stages of motor processing which are deficient in these disorder groups. Recent retrospective studies have shown that even as infants children with autism exhibit clear features of motor disturbance, which, if detected and clearly defined, could advance early diagnosis. In addition to advancing the clinical definition of autism and Asperger's disorder, a careful examination of motor disturbance may also illuminate the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders.Read moreRead less
Dynamics and assembly of BRCA1-associated DNA repair complexes. This research project will study how cells respond to breakages in DNA by directing a team of repair proteins to the damaged DNA. BRCA1 is one of several repair proteins, and BRCA1 gene mutations impair its DNA repair function and predispose patients to breast/ovarian cancer. Improved insight into BRCA1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are >13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with mor ....Dynamics and assembly of BRCA1-associated DNA repair complexes. This research project will study how cells respond to breakages in DNA by directing a team of repair proteins to the damaged DNA. BRCA1 is one of several repair proteins, and BRCA1 gene mutations impair its DNA repair function and predispose patients to breast/ovarian cancer. Improved insight into BRCA1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are >13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with more than 3,300 deaths, making it a serious healthcare issue in Australia, and placing this project within Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. If successful this project will yield insights into the role of BRCA1 in fixing DNA aberrations which could help in anti-cancer agent development. Read moreRead less
Mitochondrial targeting of the DNA repair protein BARD1. This is a fundamental research project to address a novel localisation pattern of the nuclear DNA repair protein, BARD1. BARD1 gene mutations occur in a subset of breast/ovarian cancer patients, and improved insight into BARD1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are over 13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with more than 3,300 deaths, making it a serious healthcare issue in Australia, and placi ....Mitochondrial targeting of the DNA repair protein BARD1. This is a fundamental research project to address a novel localisation pattern of the nuclear DNA repair protein, BARD1. BARD1 gene mutations occur in a subset of breast/ovarian cancer patients, and improved insight into BARD1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are over 13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with more than 3,300 deaths, making it a serious healthcare issue in Australia, and placing this project within Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. If successful this project will characterise the cellular transport route of BARD1 which could help in anti-cancer agent development. Read moreRead less
Constructing an embryo. This project investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying temporal and spatial organisation in the eutherian preimplantation embryo. It will examine: the relative roles of cell cycle and circadian clocks in developmental timing; the molecular mechanism by which intercellular adhesion patterns influence spatial organisation; the extent to which marsupials use similar timing and spatial localisation mechanisms to eutherians; the impact of in-vitro manipulat ....Constructing an embryo. This project investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying temporal and spatial organisation in the eutherian preimplantation embryo. It will examine: the relative roles of cell cycle and circadian clocks in developmental timing; the molecular mechanism by which intercellular adhesion patterns influence spatial organisation; the extent to which marsupials use similar timing and spatial localisation mechanisms to eutherians; the impact of in-vitro manipulations over the first 5 days of mouse pregnancy on embryonic temporal and spatial organisation.Read moreRead less
A novel DNA damage repair protein as a regulator of DNA double strand break repair and genome integrity. This project aims to define the function of a novel DNA damage repair protein. These data will provide a better understanding of DNA repair biology and may reveal novel diagnostic and treatment options for many diseases associated with DNA repair defects, including cancer.
Tracking The Impact Of Drug Regulatory Actions: Consumer Health Outcomes, Risk-benefit Issues And Policy Framework.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,324.00
Summary
This study will explore what happens in the community when a medicine is withdrawn from the market or discredited due to safety concerns. It will examine the impacts of two recent cases of medicine withdrawal or serious long-term safety concern, on a large cohort of women with high utilisation rates who were monitored during the time the medicines were discredited. The study will be an important guide to future regulatory, media and provider responses when medicines are discredited.