Compromised fertility in contemporary Indonesia. This project will benefit the community by informing service provision for infertility treatment, and by identifying the potential for prevention strategies. It will consolidate Australia's position at the forefront of research into assisted reproductive technologies, through the extension of this expertise to our near neighbours. It will contribute to the current gap in knowledge of infertility in Southeast Asia and in developing countries more b ....Compromised fertility in contemporary Indonesia. This project will benefit the community by informing service provision for infertility treatment, and by identifying the potential for prevention strategies. It will consolidate Australia's position at the forefront of research into assisted reproductive technologies, through the extension of this expertise to our near neighbours. It will contribute to the current gap in knowledge of infertility in Southeast Asia and in developing countries more broadly, and advance research on infertility conducted from human rights and anthropological perspectives. The project will reinforce the relevance of the United Nations definition of reproductive health, for all people regardless of whether they live in highly or lesser developed nations.Read moreRead less
Age at first birth, mode of conception and adjustment to parenthood. The trend to delayed childbearing is well-established, multiply determined and unlikely to change in the short term. This study will provide contemporary Australian evidence on the experience of becoming a parent at different ages, naturally and through assisted conception, for Australian men and women. Both risk and protective factors for older first-time parents will be identified, thus informing policy and services that can ....Age at first birth, mode of conception and adjustment to parenthood. The trend to delayed childbearing is well-established, multiply determined and unlikely to change in the short term. This study will provide contemporary Australian evidence on the experience of becoming a parent at different ages, naturally and through assisted conception, for Australian men and women. Both risk and protective factors for older first-time parents will be identified, thus informing policy and services that can better support Australian families with planning and rearing children. A key outcome will be a Parenting Decision-Aid to provide evidence-based reader-friendly information about the positives and negatives of first-time parenthood at different ages.Read moreRead less
Understanding an important aspect of current-day family dynamics: the institution of repartnering in Australia. Families are at the core of Australia's social fabric. Understanding their dynamics assists in developing good policies and mechanisms to support them. Repartnering is an important aspect of current-day family dynamics. Yet we know relatively little about how these partnerships operate. This project will illuminate the patterns and issues central to repartnering and provide a significa ....Understanding an important aspect of current-day family dynamics: the institution of repartnering in Australia. Families are at the core of Australia's social fabric. Understanding their dynamics assists in developing good policies and mechanisms to support them. Repartnering is an important aspect of current-day family dynamics. Yet we know relatively little about how these partnerships operate. This project will illuminate the patterns and issues central to repartnering and provide a significant contribution to social research. Results from this study will equip policy makers with appropriate knowledge to develop policies aimed at assisting families. The findings will contribute to growing international knowledge on family dynamics in repartnered relationships, as well as strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric through stronger families.Read moreRead less
Do Australian parents want both a son and a daughter? From the late 1990s, policy makers became more aware of the importance of fertility in influencing population age structure and growth rates in Australia. The proposed project will augment our understanding of fertility dynamics both current, and over high and low fertility regimes. It will also highlight an important factor in fertility decision-making. There is considerable speculation on the impact of shifting gender-role attitudes on sex ....Do Australian parents want both a son and a daughter? From the late 1990s, policy makers became more aware of the importance of fertility in influencing population age structure and growth rates in Australia. The proposed project will augment our understanding of fertility dynamics both current, and over high and low fertility regimes. It will also highlight an important factor in fertility decision-making. There is considerable speculation on the impact of shifting gender-role attitudes on sex preference, but evidence supporting this is mixed. By developing a deeper understanding of the factors influencing progression to having more children we will be better able to predict fertility trends and provide support to Australian parents. Read moreRead less
Deciphering genome function in animal development. The normal development of an embryo depends on complex and finely tuned gene regulatory mechanisms. In this Fellowship, I will use sophisticated new technologies to discover which of our 30,000 genes is important for embryonic development, reveal the roles of these genes, and identify the control mechanisms that can go awry to cause birth defects. Our research will suggest new ways to diagnose and deal with these conditions, and will be applicab ....Deciphering genome function in animal development. The normal development of an embryo depends on complex and finely tuned gene regulatory mechanisms. In this Fellowship, I will use sophisticated new technologies to discover which of our 30,000 genes is important for embryonic development, reveal the roles of these genes, and identify the control mechanisms that can go awry to cause birth defects. Our research will suggest new ways to diagnose and deal with these conditions, and will be applicable to stem cell technologies, tissue regeneration, cancer biology, conservation, pest management and livestock breeding, thus delivering significant economic and social benefits to Australia. Read moreRead less
Is Calcium part of the mechanism used in glucose signalling in embryogenesis. A vital stage in the development of the embryo is formation of the blastocyst about 4 days after conception. For this to happen the embryo must receive glucose from the mother. We believe that rather being used by the embryo to generate energy, this glucose acts as a signal to switch on the developmental pathway leading to blastocyst formation. Without this signal there is no blastocyst and the pregnancy fails. The pr ....Is Calcium part of the mechanism used in glucose signalling in embryogenesis. A vital stage in the development of the embryo is formation of the blastocyst about 4 days after conception. For this to happen the embryo must receive glucose from the mother. We believe that rather being used by the embryo to generate energy, this glucose acts as a signal to switch on the developmental pathway leading to blastocyst formation. Without this signal there is no blastocyst and the pregnancy fails. The project investigates this signal mechanism. The results will advance understanding of the mechanisms regulating development and in particular link the mother's nutritive status to her fertility during very early pregnancy.Read moreRead less
Family Formation and Fertility Decline in Nineteenth-Century Tasmania. The fertility decline which began across the industrialised world in the late nineteenth century greatly impacted the demographic, economic and social milieux of the twentieth century and beyond. Using family reconstitution techniques and a wide range of data, this project will explore the mechanisms by which fertility decline was achieved in nineteenth-century Tasmania and the broader societal influences that brought these m ....Family Formation and Fertility Decline in Nineteenth-Century Tasmania. The fertility decline which began across the industrialised world in the late nineteenth century greatly impacted the demographic, economic and social milieux of the twentieth century and beyond. Using family reconstitution techniques and a wide range of data, this project will explore the mechanisms by which fertility decline was achieved in nineteenth-century Tasmania and the broader societal influences that brought these mechanisms into play. The results will advance our understanding of Australia's evolution over the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. The research will result in three journal articles, a single-authored monograph and wide public dissemination.Read moreRead less
Childbearing within cohabiting unions in Australia: trends, explanations and comparison. This project will explore the trends and determinants of childbearing within cohabitation in Australia. The project will contribute to our understanding of modern family dynamics and change. By comparison with other countries we will learn more about the policy settings that assist and support couples to realise their family formation plans.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100304
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Biomimetic systems for species preservation and fertility restoration. Using a novel 3-D culture system the project will examine the biomechanics of ovary follicle and egg development in vitro, generating new knowledge with directly translatable research outcomes. In vitro egg production has implications for human fertility and threatened species preservation, significantly benefitting health and biodiversity in Australia.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100796
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Androgens and ovarian function. This innovative project aims to identify the role androgens play in the complex processes required for successful ovarian follicle development and ovulation. The project aims to identify androgen regulated pathways that orchestrate follicle development, which will have significance in the control of fertility and the advancement of reproductive technologies.