Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 50-70% of all cases. There is general agreement that current treatments for AD/dementia are inadequate so new treatment strategies are desperately needed. I am addressing these challenges by developing new technologies to generate next generation treatments for AD.
OptiMalVax: Optimizing A Deployable High Efficacy Malaria Vaccine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,618.00
Summary
In this proposal, a consortium comprising many of the leading malariologists, vaccine researchers and product developers in Europe, USA, Australia and Africa will collaborate in an exciting programme of antigen discovery science linked to rapid clinical development of new vaccine candidates against malaria.
Dementia is the third leading cause of death in Australia and the single greatest cause of disability in the elderly. Current therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, are inadequate and fundamentally new treatment approaches are required. The aim of this proposal is to develop novel drug candidates for the treatment and prevention of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders by targeting a class of cell-surface receptors called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral And Treatment For Common Mental Disorders In India - SMART Mental Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,957,608.00
Summary
An estimated 150 million Indians have mental health disorders and the vast majority receive no care whatsoever. We have developed a solution to strengthen India's primary healthcare system comprising village-based anti-stigma campaigns, and a workforce strategy that leverages the skills of doctors and non-physician frontline workers through use of mobile health technologies. It will be tested in North and South India in a large-scale trial involving 44,000 people and 20 primary health centres.
Systems Biology To Identify Molecular Targets For Vascular Disease Treatment (SysVasc), With A Focus On Atherosclerotic Plaque Instability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,721.00
Summary
Heart attacks are caused by rupture of atherosclerotic deposits (plaques) in vessel walls, which results in clot formation ultimately causing vessel occlusion. In collaboration with strong European collaborators, we will use modern high-throughput technologies in a large patient cohort as well as in a newly generated mouse model to discover the causative proteins, genes and their regulators. This will allow identifying individuals at risk and developing novel therapies to prevent heart attacks.
New Nanoparticle Strategies For Efficient Delivery And Controlled Release Into The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$571,633.00
Summary
A key challenge for treating neurodegenerative diseases is delivery of drugs across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). This project will develop advanced BBB “nanoshuttles” based upon systematic investigation of BBB penetration mechanisms and near-infrared drug controlled release strategy. These delivery systems may facilitate diagnosis of brain diseases and on-demand release of drug cargos to diseased cells in the brain, offering the potential of a brand new localised therapy for brain diseases.
Establishing The Physiological And Sleep Disruption Characteristics Of Wind Farm Versus Traffic Noise Disturbances In Sleep
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,357,652.00
Summary
Good sleep is essential for normal daytime functioning and health. Wind farm noise includes audible and unusually low frequency sound components, including infrasound, that could potentially disturb sleep through chronic sleep disruption and/or insomnia. This project will, for the first time, directly evaluate the sleep and physiological disturbance characteristics of wind farm noise compared to traffic noise reproduced in a specialised and carefully controlled laboratory environment.
Investigation Of Zinc Dyshomeostasis Associated With Aging And Dementia-related Disorders Using Novel Nanodiamond-based Markers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,644.00
Summary
This project will illuminate the fundamental brain changes that lead to age-related cognitive decline by means of newly developed biamarker based on fluorescent nanodiamonds. The expected outcome of this work will be a unique approach to elucidate the source of cognitive decline that will fill a significant unmet need within the community.
Novel Antivirals For The Treatment Of Hendravirus Infection.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$199,227.00
Summary
Hendravirus outbreaks have become frequent and 7 human cases have been reported, this has resulted in 4 deaths. Currently we have no treatment options. Researchers at Griffith University and the CSIRO have developed a new treatment that attacks the virus by turning off the viral genes at the site of infection. The plan is to treat patients soon after infection to slow or stop the virus and allow patients to recover naturally from this highly lethal disease.
Novel Targeted Degradable Multifunctional Poly(vinyl-co-ester) Nanoparticles For Alzheimer’s Disease Applications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,940.00
Summary
Novel biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles for efficient and targeted delivery of Alzheimer related agents to the brain will be developed. The nanocarriers will be fabricated from biocompatible multifunctional compounds and possess the capability to co-deliver diagnostic and therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier. These systems are expected to become a new efficient class of brain delivery systems.