Tackling Key Epidemiological And Basic Scientific Research Issues In Prion Diseases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,109.00
Summary
Proposed Practitioner Fellowship research will simultaneously include epidemiological and basic scientific projects, emphasising human prion disease. Epidemiological research will involve large-scale studies to clarify genetic factors that influence susceptibility to developing prion disease, as well as clarify whether Alzheimer disease is transmissible, while basic scientific research will include determining the characteristics of the misfolded prion proteins causing neuronal disease.
This Fellowship will enable research into the basis for life-threatening infection in the critically ill, including severe pneumonia, septic shock and the complexities of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, as well as the translation of this research into practice (including rapid diagnostics).
Neurobiology Of Childhood Speech And Language Disorders: Advancing Diagnosis, Prognosis And Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,961.00
Summary
Half a million Australian children have a speech/language disorder, tripling their changes of poor academic outcomes, limited employment options and social isolation. Current speech therapy is outdated, focusing on symptoms and ignoring important evidence on underlying aetiologies. I will transform detection, diagnosis and treatment of speech/language disorders to optimise patient outcomes, by identifying and translating findings on genes and brain pathways leading to these conditions.
Translational Research On Malignant Pleural Effusion And Pleural Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$487,891.00
Summary
I am a leading researcher in pleural effusions (fluid build-up in the chest) from cancer and infection. I run a multicentre clinical trial team to answer important questions directly relevant to patient care, as well as a lab research group with proven record of discovery new treatment targets. This fellowship will capitalize on platforms I have built and determine best approach to remove effusions, understand etiologic roles of the fluid ultimately to find ways to stop fluid from forming.
Critical Infection: Ecological Solutions To Antibiotic Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,362.00
Summary
The applicant will apply new types of microbial data and diagnostic tools to early interventions in the critically ill and directly test their impact on clinical outcomes. He will also introduce novel therapies to restore antibiotic susceptibility to enteric bacteria and examine the clinical and microbiological effects of antibiotic decontamination of the critically ill in newly funded project grants. Overlapping research themes all link directly to his clinical and professional roles.
Molecular Imaging As A Critical Tool In Discovery Of The Basis Of Tumour Heterogeneity And Developing Novel Therapies To Overcome Therapeutic Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,961.00
Summary
Determining treatment options for cancer currently relies on the size and extent of tumour deposits on imaging, combined with a biopsy. However, this approach fails to recognise the ability of tumours to evolve components that are, or become, resistant to treatment. My laboratory uses advanced molecular imaging, targeted biopsies, animal models and genetic analysis to detect and understand the basis of such resistance and thereby develop new, targeted treatments to improve patient outcomes.
Disease Registry Based Approaches To Determining Molecular Risk Factors For Glaucoma Blindness, And Applying Them In Clinical Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$406,355.00
Summary
The Practitioner-Fellow has drawn together very large cohorts of patients from Australia, New Zealand and now internationally who have lost vision from Glaucoma and complications of Diabetes to determine the contributing factors. He has successfully identified major clinical and genetic risk factors for these diseases, and is now applying the knowledge to patients in early stages of disease, so that earlier and more aggressive treatment high risk individuals can lead to improved outcomes.
I aim to understand the genetics of the epilepsies. Through detailed analysis of different types of epilepsy, and associated features such as intellectual disability and autism, I will describe new epilepsy syndromes, and together with gene discovery, implement novel targeted therapies. This translational program will transform clinical practice by informing diagnosis, prognostic and genetic counseling, and lead to targeted precision therapies to improve outcomes for each patient.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease often diagnosed in early adulthood. Outcomes very enormously, from mild to disabling. This fellowship supports research to improve outcome prediction using genetics and to examine different strategies to optimise treatment outcomes and safety. The main data source is MSBase, which tracks over 31000 people with MS globally and is based in the University of Melbourne's brain Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.