A Mathematical Model of the Roles of Contraction and Oxygen in Human Wound Healing. Slow or impaired wound healing and excessive scarring associated with burns are both painful and costly. Moreover, the debilitating effect of chronic wounds can be expected to increase with the continuing aging of the population and the current rise in incidence of Type 2 diabetes. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team to develop a mathematical model of human wound healing and to drive the modelli ....A Mathematical Model of the Roles of Contraction and Oxygen in Human Wound Healing. Slow or impaired wound healing and excessive scarring associated with burns are both painful and costly. Moreover, the debilitating effect of chronic wounds can be expected to increase with the continuing aging of the population and the current rise in incidence of Type 2 diabetes. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team to develop a mathematical model of human wound healing and to drive the modelling to generate important breakthroughs at the level of basic science with implications for both experimentalists and clinicians.Read moreRead less
Innovation in police gender equity management: Looking back, moving forward. This project aims to investigate gender equity recruitment and career support policies in all nine Australian and New Zealand policing agencies. A wide range of equity initiatives that have been implemented across police agencies will be examined, along with affirmative action measures including recent 50/50 male/female recruitment targets. The project expects to generate an advanced best practice model that can be used ....Innovation in police gender equity management: Looking back, moving forward. This project aims to investigate gender equity recruitment and career support policies in all nine Australian and New Zealand policing agencies. A wide range of equity initiatives that have been implemented across police agencies will be examined, along with affirmative action measures including recent 50/50 male/female recruitment targets. The project expects to generate an advanced best practice model that can be used by domestic and international police agencies. This will allow police organisations to better manage equity issues and support a more inclusive and representative workforce. The benefits of this project are significant, they range from stronger police-community relations through to better service delivery by police.Read moreRead less
A New Master Adaptor Protein For Toll-like Receptor Signalling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$869,288.00
Summary
Certain proteins on the surface of cells are able to sense danger and infection. These receptors use adaptor proteins to enable cells to respond appropriately. We have discovered a new adaptor that controls receptor signalling in inflammation. This new master adaptor likely has widespread roles in infection and inflammation. We aim to understand how this adaptor works, and to identify ways of blocking its actions. These studies may help us to control inflammation underpinning many diseases.
Innate Immune Signalling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,857.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat that causes 1.5 million deaths every year. This study will characterise a new molecular control mechanism that optimises the immune response to the bacteria that cause TB and determine how it contributes to controlling the infection. Such knowledge is essential to help improve patient management and develop better treatments for this devastating disease.
Arbovirus Activation And Modulation Of NLRP3 Inflammasome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$779,720.00
Summary
This project aims to establish how mosquito borne viruses such as Ross River and dengue viruses interacts with the human host to cause disease, including how the virus evades the host’s immune response to persist and cause disease for prolonged periods. Knowing how differences in the virus and the host’s immune system interplay to cause asymptomatic to severely disabling disease will assist in devising new treatments and prevention programs to lessen the impact of these diseases in Australia.
New Insights Into Viral Inflammatory Disease Mechanisms And Approaches To Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,010.00
Summary
This fellowship aims to establish how viruses cause disease, including how they evade the immune response to persist and cause disease for prolonged periods. My vision is that knowing how the virus and the immune system interact to determine disease severity will assist in devising new treatments and prevention programs to lessen the impact of viral diseases in Australia and worldwide.
Mosquito-borne alphaviruses such as Ross River and chikungunya viruses cause widespread epidemics and exert extreme pressure on the public health systems of affected regions. Alphaviruses spreads to joints and triggers a severe disease in those affected. There are no effective treatments or vaccines. The project will investigate virus-host interaction at the bite site. The outcome will be new knowledge to treat infection at the mosquito bite site to prevent joint disease.
Novel Insights Into The Pathobiology Of Alphavirus Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$827,660.00
Summary
Infections with mosquito-borne viruses are increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Ross River virus is endemic in parts of Australia, PNG and Pacific islands, while chikungunya virus is distributed globally and causes recurrent pandemics that involve millions of people. These viruses cause severe musculoskeletal disease for several months after infection. This project aims to establish how these viruses interact with the human host to cause disease and may provide a basis for new treatments.
Glycotherapeutics; A New Class Of Treatment For Alphavirus-induced Musculoskeletal Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$449,868.00
Summary
The hallmark of alphavirus disease is crippling pain and joint arthritis, which often has an extended duration. Currently there is no licenced specific treatment for alphavirus disease and the increasing spread of infection highlights an urgent need for therapeutic intervention strategies. This grant looks at the potential of pentosan polysulfate as a promising drug-repurposing candidate for the treatment of alphavirus-induced arthritis.
The Role Of Innate Inflammatory Responses In Viral Arthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$782,514.00
Summary
Viruses are known to cause arthritis (HIV, hepatitis viruses, mosquito borne viruses). Symptoms of viral arthritis include joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. The mechanism of disease is poorly understood. We have developed a novel animal model of disease and human cell culture models by which to study disease caused by viral infections. This models provide an excellent opportunity to explore the mechanisms of rheumatic disease in a functioning animal and to explore new treatment regimes.