Epilepsy And Stress: An Explanatory Electrophysiological Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,233.00
Summary
Epilepsy is one of the most common recurrent neurological disorders worldwide, affecting between 1 and 2% of the population. The cascade of events culminating in epilepsy, or the role of seizures in altering brain structures and circuits has been difficult to define. Previous work from our group has shown that stress markedly accelerates the process of epilepsy development. I am developing a model of brain functioning from observed brain cells to chart the changes associated with seizures, stres ....Epilepsy is one of the most common recurrent neurological disorders worldwide, affecting between 1 and 2% of the population. The cascade of events culminating in epilepsy, or the role of seizures in altering brain structures and circuits has been difficult to define. Previous work from our group has shown that stress markedly accelerates the process of epilepsy development. I am developing a model of brain functioning from observed brain cells to chart the changes associated with seizures, stress, and potential treatments.Read moreRead less
I am a practicing specialist Periodontist focused on growing bone around dental implants used to replace teeth. I will achieve this by comparing available materials to new materials and techniques. Dental implants are a very common treatment modality which results in improved outcomes compared to traditional methods of tooth replacement. This research will improve the outcome of dental implant placement and allow greater utilisation of this treatment modality.
Long-term Surgical And Socioeconomic Outcomes Following Aortopulmonary Septal Defect Repair In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$89,197.00
Summary
About 2% of heart defects are due to communication between the 2 main arteries exiting the heart (truncus arteriosus and aortopulmonary window). If untreated, up to 30% of children die in the first year of life. With surgery many patients are now surviving into adulthood. The long-term outcomes are unknown. This study will review all patients with this defect across Australian and New Zealand. Results from this study will allow us to best manage these patients in the short and long-term.
Improving Clinical Care In Patients With Cirrhosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$132,743.00
Summary
This PhD will evaluate the current state of cirrhosis care in Australia. Part one aims to determine the community prevalence of cirrhosis in a general practice cohort and assess the proportion of patients that have been already diagnosed. Part two will evaluate if patients with established compensated cirrhosis are receiving appropriate care and if not assess barriers to care. Part three will evaluate biomarkers to predict the risk of decompensation in patients with established cirrhosis.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious medical condition affecting 5% of pregnancies and resulting in significant mortality and morbidity for mothers and babies. As yet there is no acceptable test capable of detecting pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy and diagnosis is made when symptoms and signs are manifest and management options are limited to early delivery. This project is designed to assess the ability of a blood screening test to detect pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy to enable for early intervention ....Pre-eclampsia is a serious medical condition affecting 5% of pregnancies and resulting in significant mortality and morbidity for mothers and babies. As yet there is no acceptable test capable of detecting pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy and diagnosis is made when symptoms and signs are manifest and management options are limited to early delivery. This project is designed to assess the ability of a blood screening test to detect pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy to enable for early interventions and preventative management to be implemented.Read moreRead less
A Glint Or A Squint Should Make You Think! A Randomised, Controlled Study To Determine The Impact Of An Eye-health Awareness Program For New Parents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,348.00
Summary
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare, blinding and sometimes fatal, childhood eye cancer. The earliest diagnosis affords the child the best prognosis for retaining their sight, eye or their life. This project will examine parents’ current understanding of the symptoms and signs for RB, identify barriers to early diagnosis of RB, and to develop, implement and evaluate a sustainable public health awareness program to potentially improve the timing of diagnosis and subsequent outcomes for this disease.
Lung Cancer Screening With Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT); Exploring Opportunities To Optimise Disease Prevention Across A Range Of Health Outcomes In Australia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$132,743.00
Summary
Lung cancer is the largest cause of cancer related death in the world. Low dose computed tomography (LDCT) is a scan that reduces deaths from lung cancer by detecting early disease. Australia is investigating a national screening program with LDCT. This project evaluates opportunity provided by such a program to develop a personalised approach to screening using information provided by LDCT beyond cancer (e.g. heart and bone disease) and modify risk factors (e.g. physical activity and smoking).
The Indigenous Australian Malnutrition project aims to explore the burden and impact of malnutrition particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in hospital. The project includes the development and validation of the Australian Nutrition Tool (ANT) and validating the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) as an appropriate screening tool for Indigenous Australian patients. The project also aims to determine the prevalence of adult malnutrition and explore its burden and impact.
Automated Screening Measures Associated With Risk And Treatment (SMART) Of Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$98,244.00
Summary
Women with greater mammographic density (white area on a mammogram) are at greater risk of breast cancer. Prof Hopper (supervisor) has led international research in this area using a method called CUMULUS. Drs Makalic and Schmidt (co-supervisors) have created an automated measure, called CIRRUS. My aims are to: find out which factors influence CIRRUS, confirm that CIRRUS predicts breast cancer risk, and develop automated measures of a breast cancer risk based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Proof Of Principle For Minimally-Invasive Intravascular Brain-Computer Interface
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,068.00
Summary
Severe injury to limb or spinal cord leads to significant disability. Despite advances in many areas of modern medicine, prosthetic limbs have changed little over decades. A new field of medicine seeks to create a "brain-computer interface" that is capable of controlling a robotic limb, or any electronic device just by thinking. Brain-computer interfaces are currently implanted in an open brain operation. This project aims to demonstrate that a brain-computer interface can be be implanted in a m ....Severe injury to limb or spinal cord leads to significant disability. Despite advances in many areas of modern medicine, prosthetic limbs have changed little over decades. A new field of medicine seeks to create a "brain-computer interface" that is capable of controlling a robotic limb, or any electronic device just by thinking. Brain-computer interfaces are currently implanted in an open brain operation. This project aims to demonstrate that a brain-computer interface can be be implanted in a minimally invasive procedure.Read moreRead less