Rhombomeric Topography of Structures in the Adult Mouse: Evidence from Avian Homologies and Transgenic Mice. The brainstem of birds has been shown to be formed by a line of segments, like carriages of a train. The same arrangement exists in the embryos of mammals, but is hidden in the adult mammalian brain. We will transfer our detailed knowledge of bird brains to make a maps of the brainstem segments in adult mice. We will then test this map with special gene markers which will reveal the occul ....Rhombomeric Topography of Structures in the Adult Mouse: Evidence from Avian Homologies and Transgenic Mice. The brainstem of birds has been shown to be formed by a line of segments, like carriages of a train. The same arrangement exists in the embryos of mammals, but is hidden in the adult mammalian brain. We will transfer our detailed knowledge of bird brains to make a maps of the brainstem segments in adult mice. We will then test this map with special gene markers which will reveal the occult segmental pattern in adult mice. This work will give us a new way of understanding the organisation of brainstem centres that control breathing, cardiovascular functions and emotional states.Read moreRead less
Exploring the brain mechanisms underlying hyperactivity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common psychiatric disorder affecting children, resulting in substantial costs (both human and financial) to the child, their family and Australian society. The outcomes of this project will provide a better foundation for understanding dysfunctional brain mechanisms in AD/HD, which is expected to lead to better diagnosis, treatment, an ....Exploring the brain mechanisms underlying hyperactivity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common psychiatric disorder affecting children, resulting in substantial costs (both human and financial) to the child, their family and Australian society. The outcomes of this project will provide a better foundation for understanding dysfunctional brain mechanisms in AD/HD, which is expected to lead to better diagnosis, treatment, and community support. Ultimately this will contribute to a healthy start to life for these children. This project will also demonstrate how an integrated Australian approach can lead the research agenda in both basic neuroscience, at the interface of psychology and physiology, and its applications in health.Read moreRead less
Development of an electrode for stimulation of a transplanted neosphincter. This project aims to develop a novel electrode as an integral component of a new treatment for severe stress urinary incontinence. Treatments for severe stress urinary incontinence are associated with complications and are not completely effective. The new electrode is designed to be activated by an implanted stimulator to control an innervated smooth muscle graft (the neosphincter) to regulate the flow of urine from the ....Development of an electrode for stimulation of a transplanted neosphincter. This project aims to develop a novel electrode as an integral component of a new treatment for severe stress urinary incontinence. Treatments for severe stress urinary incontinence are associated with complications and are not completely effective. The new electrode is designed to be activated by an implanted stimulator to control an innervated smooth muscle graft (the neosphincter) to regulate the flow of urine from the bladder. Project research into the design of the electrode will focus on providing safe, effective and efficient stimulation of the neosphincter, while ensuring minimal damage to the surrounding tissues and affording straightforward implantation at surgery.Read moreRead less
Development of an electrode assembly for the stimulation of a transplanted innervated smooth muscle sphincter. This project will design and assess a number of different electrode designs for use in a medical device being developed for the treatment of severe stress urinary incontinence. The project will identify an optimal electrode design, which will be used in future clinical trials of the device.
Blood pressure control by neural activation: underlying mechanisms of electric field stimulation and photostimulation of genetically targeted neurones. This project aims to understand how nerve stimulation can be used to treat drug-resistant high blood pressure. The project will lead to new benchmarks for interfacing novel technology with the nervous system and to development and enhancement of commercial devices similar to a cardiac pacemaker for patients with limited treatment options and poor ....Blood pressure control by neural activation: underlying mechanisms of electric field stimulation and photostimulation of genetically targeted neurones. This project aims to understand how nerve stimulation can be used to treat drug-resistant high blood pressure. The project will lead to new benchmarks for interfacing novel technology with the nervous system and to development and enhancement of commercial devices similar to a cardiac pacemaker for patients with limited treatment options and poor prognosis.Read moreRead less