Whole Body Vibration For Osteoporosis: Shaking Up Our Treatment Options
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$961,017.00
Summary
Our aim is to examine the ability of vibration alone and in combination with osteoporosis drugs to reduce hip fracture in postmenopausal women. In Australia, 1 in 2 women >60yrs, will sustain an osteoporotic fracture. Only drugs notably decrease fracture; however none are entirely effective and some patients don’t respond. Whole body vibration has emerged as a potentially effective therapy. A combination of vibration and drugs may enhance the effects of both and revolutionise treatment.
The Get Healthy Coaching Service To Reduce The Burden Of Low Back Pain: Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, And Scalability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,108,389.00
Summary
Many improve after discharge from treatment for low back pain (LBP), however some experience worsening symptoms and seek costly additional health care. Get Healthy Service® is a free phone-based health coaching service that supports people to remain physically active, however there is no co-ordinated referral pathway to the service. We will test the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and scalability of a discharge support system linking chronic LBP patients to the Get Healthy Service®.
Although medical tests and procedures can save lives, sometimes too much medical intervention can be harmful. In low back pain, for example, high numbers of X-ray, CT and MRI scans are provided unnecessarily. There is good evidence that imaging scans for low back pain can cause more harm than good. At the same time, people can miss out on treatments that we know to be effective. This fellowship will enable me to discover ways to ensure people receive the right care for low back pain.
Eighty percent of adults will suffer back pain at some time during their life. More than one in three will develop chronic back pain and cost Australia about $9 billion per year. We can now identify those who will develop chronic back pain early. This project will test a new method of treating these people who are risk of chronic back pain. We predict that our short and targeted intervention will stop these people from developing of chronic back pain and this will lead to massive savings to the ....Eighty percent of adults will suffer back pain at some time during their life. More than one in three will develop chronic back pain and cost Australia about $9 billion per year. We can now identify those who will develop chronic back pain early. This project will test a new method of treating these people who are risk of chronic back pain. We predict that our short and targeted intervention will stop these people from developing of chronic back pain and this will lead to massive savings to the Australian communityRead moreRead less
Impact Of Extreme Prematurity Or Extreme Low Birthweight On Young Adult Health And Well-Being: The Victorian Infant Collaborative Study (VICS) 1991-92 Longitudinal Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$725,496.00
Summary
Significant advances in medical care have increased survival of the tiniest and most premature babies. Those who have benefited from modern medicine are now in their mid-20s. We know they have more problems in childhood and adolescence compared with those born full term. However, we know little about their health problems in adulthood. This study will inform us of adult health problems in this vulnerable group and provide vital information about the best care for this increasing group of adults.
Discovery And Mechanisms Of Host Cell Factors In HIV Uncoating
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$635,098.00
Summary
HIV entry into the host cell involves release of its capsid, a protein shell protecting the viral genome. The capsid hijacks host proteins to cloak itself from cellular defenses while the cell has evolved sensors that can block viral infection. This proposal aims to discover proteins involved in this arms race between host and virus and decipher how they control capsid disassembly. This insight will help design new drugs against HIV infection and new ways to deliver genes for gene therapies.
Structural And Functional Analysis Of A Cancer-linked Co-regulator Complex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$729,571.00
Summary
We seek to understand the mechanisms by which genes are switched on and off throughout our lifetime. A number of multi-component protein machines are involved in this process but their make-up and mechanism of action is not understood. We will investigate the structure and function of one of these machines that has been strongly linked to cancer.
Prion-like Behaviour In Immunity: Super-sized Signalling Platforms?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$611,995.00
Summary
Prions have been mostly associated with pathologies but recent discoveries show that prion-like behaviour may be beneficial, enhancing our immune response for example. To test this, we want to systematically explore all human proteins involved in the defence against pathogens, find new prion-like trends and probe their role in the innate immune response.
Structural And Functional Studies On RNA Nuclear Retention Mediated By Paraspeckles: A Novel Gene Regulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$290,978.00
Summary
Dynamic interactions between proteins and nucleic acids are essential process in gene regulation, where aberrant regulation leads to various diseases including cancers. The project aims to examine the interactions between paraspeckle proteins and nucleic acid molecules via determination of the structures of protein-nucleic acid complexes at the atomic level. The results will provide a better understanding of a recently discovered gene regulation mechanism and a basis for new gene therapy.
Many drugs modulate the function of proteins imbedded in cell membranes. Extensive research has been undertaken to better understand drug interactions with these proteins to improve drug therapies, but there has been relatively little progress in understanding the role of the cell membrane. This project will investigate how the cell membrane influences protein function and then use this information to develop novel drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders.