Foot Complications Associated With End-stage Renal Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$99,002.00
Summary
People with renal failure and diabetes have been found to be at a high risk for serious foot complications including; foot ulceration and amputation. Currently, there is limited research regarding the risk of developing these foot complications in people with renal failure, without the influence of diabetes. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate whether people with renal failure, without diabetes, are at risk for developing foot complications.
Sharpening The Epidemiological Sword Against Ocular Trauma To Help Improve Management And Predict The Visual Outcomes, Contributing To The Development Of Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$59,168.00
Summary
Eye injury is the leading cause of monocular blindness internationally. Vision loss has devastating consequences, both financial and social. My research aims to develop a comprehensive international register for eye injury. Working with key international partners we will conduct a large-scale retrospective review to validate our data collection tool. Our aim is to revise outdated methods of scoring eye injury to better predict outcomes and improve management and treatment of eye injury.
Individualizing Cytomegalovirus Preventative Strategies Following Solid Organ Transplantation: A Precision Medicine Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$128,224.00
Summary
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a significant contributor to poor outcomes following solid organ transplantation. Current preventative strategies are somewhat effective but treat groups of patients similarly rather than targeting the individual, so many patients are treated unnecessarily & breakthrough disease still occurs. We propose a program of research directed towards individualizing CMV prevention strategies in solid organ transplant recipients, incorporating new diagnostic tests.
Collagen II Mutations And The Unfolded Protein Response In Inherited Cartilage Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,314.00
Summary
In genetic diseases, gene mutations commonly cause proteins to fold abnormally. This can cause cell stress resulting in cell death. My studies will determine the role of cell stress in a clinically important group of diseases, caused by cartilage collagen mutations, that result in abnormal development of the skeleton. These studies will define the mechanisms of how cell stress causes these disorders; knowledge that will underpin the development of new therapeutic strategies
Identification Of Early Predictors Of Non-healing Venous Leg Ulcers And Development Of A Risk Assessment Tool
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$43,271.00
Summary
Venous leg ulcers make up about 70% of all chronic leg ulcers and are often debilitating. This project aims to examine the relationships between physiological and psychosocial variables in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers in relation to healing at 24 weeks thereby guiding the development of a risk assessment tool that will then be tested. Identification of risk factors for non-healing at 24 weeks would offer an opportunity for clinicians to be able to determine realistic outcomes.
BDNF Genotype And Emotional Memory In Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$108,902.00
Summary
This project addresses the question of why some people develop PTSD following trauma and others don’t. It will assess the influence of genetics (specifically a genotype that influences Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) on emotional memory processes as distressing emotional memories are a core symptom of PTSD. If we find that people with a particular genetic profile have a greater risk of developing intrusive memories after trauma, this will help us better target treatment for those individuals.
Investigating The Function Of Natural Killer Cells During Immunological Responses Following Human Lung Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$71,766.00
Summary
The immune system is critical in controlling common viral infections in healthy individuals. When transplanting foreign solid organs into patients with end-stage lung disease the immune systemÍs activity is decreased via the immunosuppressive drugs to enable graft acceptance. In some patients the immune response can detect similarities between previously encountered viruses and the foreign organ, leading to life-threatening health problems through either rejection episodes and/or graft loss.
Neurobiology Of Relaxin-3/RXFP3 Systems: Anatomical And Functional Studies In Transgenic Mice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$94,242.00
Summary
Mental illness is an economic and health burden worldwide, with huge costs in medical spending, lost productivity, poor quality of life for sufferers and mortality. Relaxin-3 is a peptide that acts widely within neural circuits to modulate brain activity that is altered in conditions such as anxiety and mood/sleep disorders. Our research assessing the effect of genetic removal of relaxin-3 signaling on behaviour will add to our knowledge of brain function and improve mental health outcomes.
Investigating The Role Of TGF-beta In Resident Memory T Cell Induction And Maintenance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,495.00
Summary
I am a research scientist interested in the immune system. Specifically, I intend to investigate immunological memory, which is the basis of vaccination. This refers to the ability of certain immune cells such as T and B cells to ‘remember’ a pathogen, so that a rapid and enhanced response can be generated upon re-infection with the same pathogen. This can be investigated by experimental techniques such as flow cytometry, histology and confocal microscopy on cells from infected mouse tissue.