Optimising disease surveillance to support decision-making. COVID-19 has demonstrated the critical role of epidemic data and analytics in guiding government response to pandemic threats, reducing disease and saving lives. The demand for epidemic analytics for response to threats of national significance will only grow. The goals of this project are to 1) determine the combination(s) of surveillance methods that provide the most useful data for epidemic analysis and 2) translate these findings in ....Optimising disease surveillance to support decision-making. COVID-19 has demonstrated the critical role of epidemic data and analytics in guiding government response to pandemic threats, reducing disease and saving lives. The demand for epidemic analytics for response to threats of national significance will only grow. The goals of this project are to 1) determine the combination(s) of surveillance methods that provide the most useful data for epidemic analysis and 2) translate these findings into the blueprint for a next-generation infectious disease surveillance system for Australia. We will use a simulation-evaluation approach, coupling methods from infectious disease modelling with those from information theory optimal design. Outcomes will enable more tailored and effective pandemic response.Read moreRead less
Social, economic and health vulnerabilities in Indonesia. This project aims to study and provide ways to overcome vulnerability in Indonesia. Half the Indonesian population is still clustered around the poverty line, contributing to their vulnerability. This project will identify vulnerable groups and why they are vulnerable. Using a common framework of the life course in eight Indonesian field sites, this project will investigate whether social networks and welfare programs reduce vulnerability ....Social, economic and health vulnerabilities in Indonesia. This project aims to study and provide ways to overcome vulnerability in Indonesia. Half the Indonesian population is still clustered around the poverty line, contributing to their vulnerability. This project will identify vulnerable groups and why they are vulnerable. Using a common framework of the life course in eight Indonesian field sites, this project will investigate whether social networks and welfare programs reduce vulnerability, and pinpoint strategies for reducing vulnerabilities in the future. The project expects to show how vulnerable citizens in Indonesia can be made more secure, helping to build a more stable and prosperous region.Read moreRead less
Rhinovirus impairs physiological and immunological lung development and causes exacerbation of allergic airways disease. Rhinovirus (RV) infections account for around 90 per cent of asthma exacerbations, yet the mechanisms behind this are unknown. This project will use mouse models to study the effects of early life RV infection and allergic sensitisation on respiratory and immunological development, with the expectation that early life RV infection disrupts anitgen presenting cell function.
Evolution and the immune system: genetic differences in immune response between human populations due to adaptation to living in different geo-climatic locations. The project, which investigates the genetics of inter-population differences in immune response, will lead to advances in immunology and population genetics research, explain present population specific differences in disease incidence and possibly forecast future population trends of diseases such as asthma and allergy. The study will ....Evolution and the immune system: genetic differences in immune response between human populations due to adaptation to living in different geo-climatic locations. The project, which investigates the genetics of inter-population differences in immune response, will lead to advances in immunology and population genetics research, explain present population specific differences in disease incidence and possibly forecast future population trends of diseases such as asthma and allergy. The study will strengthen ties with collaborators around the world, thus promoting excellence in Australian research and gain Australia prestige in the international community as a country that produces research of global significance. Understanding the immune system's 'recent evolutionary roots' has implications for the health of Australians, especially in light of Australia's increasingly multi-ethnic background.Read moreRead less
A Structural Investigation Into Events Within The Immunological Synapse. The proposed research program, using laboratory-based and synchrotron-based radiation, will provide significant fundamental insight into the processes that control infection. Investigating processes central to immunity is important, as it will further our understanding of these critically-important events. Such knowledge will increase Australia's international research standing, as well as having the potential to generat ....A Structural Investigation Into Events Within The Immunological Synapse. The proposed research program, using laboratory-based and synchrotron-based radiation, will provide significant fundamental insight into the processes that control infection. Investigating processes central to immunity is important, as it will further our understanding of these critically-important events. Such knowledge will increase Australia's international research standing, as well as having the potential to generate novel therapies, such as immunosuppressants.Read moreRead less
An X-ray crystallographic investigation into co-receptors on T-lymphocytes. T lymphocytes are an indispensable cellular component of the immune system. The normal process of T cell selection in the thymus, and the ability of mature T cells to respond to foreign antigens are governed by receptor recognition and co-receptor mediated events. The co-receptors encompass a wide spectrum of structurally diverse proteins that are involved in adhesion, co-ligation and signal transduction. This proposa ....An X-ray crystallographic investigation into co-receptors on T-lymphocytes. T lymphocytes are an indispensable cellular component of the immune system. The normal process of T cell selection in the thymus, and the ability of mature T cells to respond to foreign antigens are governed by receptor recognition and co-receptor mediated events. The co-receptors encompass a wide spectrum of structurally diverse proteins that are involved in adhesion, co-ligation and signal transduction. This proposal aims to investigate, using X-ray crystallography as the primary research tool, co- receptors located on T-lymphocytes. This work will gain fundamental insights into co-receptor function.Read moreRead less
Multi-Country Study on Health Effects of Bushfire Air Pollution. Catastrophic bushfires are a major natural disaster, causing serious air pollution. However, aligning bushfire air pollution and public health policies becomes a significant challenge, because limited studies are available on relationships between bushfire air pollution and human health, particularly for the prolonged exposure. We will characterize the nature of the relationships between bushfire air pollution and mortality/morbidi ....Multi-Country Study on Health Effects of Bushfire Air Pollution. Catastrophic bushfires are a major natural disaster, causing serious air pollution. However, aligning bushfire air pollution and public health policies becomes a significant challenge, because limited studies are available on relationships between bushfire air pollution and human health, particularly for the prolonged exposure. We will characterize the nature of the relationships between bushfire air pollution and mortality/morbidity by developing a multi-country study; and estimate the burden of diseases attributed to bushfire air pollution. This project will provide essential scientific evidence to policy-makers and stakeholders in the development, prioritization and implementation of health protection strategies and policies.
Read moreRead less
Public health approach to child abuse and neglect: antecedents, outcomes and international comparisons of trends. Child maltreatment is a significant public health issue. Findings will identify characteristics of at-risk children, families and communities; mental health and juvenile justice outcomes. Findings will be used to develop policy recommendations for intervention and prevention strategies to reduce vulnerability and improve monitoring of maltreatment.
Quantifying complexity and measuring structure within complex systems. Most interesting systems are complex. The complex systems of interest in this project are characterised by a simple dynamical behaviour on each individual part; and a complicated web of interaction between the many distinct parts. The project will focus on the massive system of interacting neurones in the brain, and transmission of influenza via interpersonal contacts. This project will provide a better model of that web of i ....Quantifying complexity and measuring structure within complex systems. Most interesting systems are complex. The complex systems of interest in this project are characterised by a simple dynamical behaviour on each individual part; and a complicated web of interaction between the many distinct parts. The project will focus on the massive system of interacting neurones in the brain, and transmission of influenza via interpersonal contacts. This project will provide a better model of that web of interactions; and new methods for statistically validating this model against data. Existing models of complex networks are statistically biased so, by employing robust statistical methodologies, this problem will be rectified and provide a method for randomly choosing representative complex systems. Read moreRead less
Investigating the molecular basis of T-cell receptor cross-reactivity. This project will explore the basis of unexpected immune reactions whereby the immune system mistakes one molecular structure for another, a phenomenon known as cross-reactivity. This project will examine how often this is due to molecular mimicry, potentially explaining why immune T cells sometimes react inappropriately to different agents.