Enhancing Control Of Enteric Bacteria Through Pathogen Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Bacteria part of the Enterobacteriaceae family are responsible for causing significant enteric disease in Australia and internationally. Compounding the public health threat posed by these enteric bacteria is the rise in antimicrobial resistance, which limits treatment options. This project has three complementary research objectives; 1) to investigate new control strategies; 2) to better understand outbreak dynamics and; 3) to explore how bacteria are causing new disease in humans.
Biology Of Speech Disorders: Advancing Diagnosis, Prognosis & Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,515,005.00
Summary
For 100 years, my field has focused on assessing and managing patients based on speech disorder symptomatology. We have ignored aetiology, preventing targeted care. My work will pioneer gene discovery to advance knowledge of the aetiology of human communication disorders, enabling targeted care to reduce disability. Proposed work will be directly translated to improve care and optimise outcomes in speech disorder via advancing detection, diagnosis and prognostic counselling of patients.
Deciphering Mechanisms Underlying Breast Cancer To Improve Patient Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,314,215.00
Summary
Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Patients are often treated in a ‘one size fits all’ approach, but response to therapy remains disparate. To more effectively personalise therapy, there is a pressing need to define the precise cell types and initiating genetic events that give rise to breast cancer. This application is centred on understanding mechanisms of breast cancer initiation and progression, with the potential of identifying new prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.
Improving Outcome For People With Heart Diseases Using Digital Health Technologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$606,009.00
Summary
Digital technologies such as smart phones, wearable devices, sensors and artificial intelligence have shown promise to improve human health. However, evidence that these technologies can improve health outcomes in people with heart disease is lacking. My program of research in digital health will address this need and develop new model-of-care for people with heart disease to better monitor their health, take action before their health deteriorates and provide much needed support at home.
Novel Nanotechnology Strategies For Drug Co-delivery And Combined Therapies In The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,512,250.00
Summary
Key challenges for treating brain diseases include effective delivery of drugs into the brain and targeted delivery to pathogenic areas. I have developed two world-first drug delivery systems that address these challenges. This project will expand their loading and brain delivery capability to deliver a broad range of novel multiple therapeutics to target sites in the brain. Human brain disease models will be used for systematic preclinical evaluation of novel delivery systems and therapeutics.
A Long-Lasting Oral Drug Delivery System Using Spiky Silica Nanoparticles
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
This project aims to develop a novel silica nanoparticle-based delivery system for long-lasting oral drug delivery. The particles will be engineered with a spiky morphology that will increase adhesion to the gastrointestinal tract enabling sustained drug release for days or even weeks. Longer lasting oral drug formulations would make it much easier for patients to adhere to the treatment schedules required in chronic diseases like HIV and increase the effectiveness of therapy.
Tipping The Balance - Improving Response Rates To Cancer Immunotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,562,250.00
Summary
Survival rates for some types of cancer remain low. It was previously thought that chemotherapy could not be combined with drugs that affect the immune system (immunotherapy) to treat cancer. My research disproved this. I develop models to study cancer in the lab. I also research ways to measure how people’s bodies respond to chemotherapy and immunotherapy (biomarkers). I use this information to discover new drug combinations to reduce deaths from cancer.
Investigating Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation In Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
In this program, I will enhance our understanding of cancer gene regulation and provide novel avenues for the treatment of aggressive tumours. Using own data and that from collaborators, I will determine patterns of gene regulation in blood cancers and identify markers that predict disease outcome. I aim to understand how gene regulation can transform healthy cells into tumour cells and whether personalised treatment can kill tumour cells more effectively and prevent relapse and metastasis.
Novel Approaches To Nanomedicines For Future Therapies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,414,215.00
Summary
Nanomedicines have the potential to transform healthcare by targeting significant health issues such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and Parkinson’s diseases that have mainly eluded successful therapeutic solutions. In addition, nanotechnology has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of chronic pain by repurposing analgesic medications for improved effectiveness without significant side effects. I will target these two areas of research during the next five years.
Advancing Health Economic Evaluation Measurement And Design To Support Priority Setting For Vulnerable Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
I bring well developed and unique research skills in child health economics, which is concerned with making sure the health system runs fairly and without waste. This research will make significant advancements in economic evaluation methods to ensure we can fairly evaluate health interventions for children. It will assess equity in how health care is funded for children and provide new information to support a fairer health system for children.