Towards Better Management Of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea In Chronic Tetraplegia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$71,636.00
Summary
Approximately 50% of people with tetraplegia have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA); a condition where their throat closes during sleep. OSA is known to make living with tetraplegia much more difficult. This project aims to develop a way to screen for OSA in tetraplegia without a full sleep study (an expensive and often inaccessible test) and to understand the issues faced by clinicians in managing OSA in this group of patients so that strategies can be designed to improve diagnosis and treatment.
The Impact Of Circadian Disturbances On Sleep Quality, Cognition And Psychiatric Symptoms In Neurodegenerative Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,340.00
Summary
There is an increasing awareness that neurodegenerative diseases are associated with disturbances in sleep. Our group have recognised that patterns of sleep disturbance in these patients are also related to problems with memory and mood. The proposed study will be the first of its kind to explore whether disruptions in the circadian system represent a common mechanism underlying these comorbid disease features. Understanding this pathology will hopefully lead to the development of new therapies.
Molecular Mediators, Epigenetic Modulators And Therapeutic Targets For Cognitive Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
Brain disorders constitute an enormous, and growing, burden. My research investigates how genes and environment combine to cause disorders of cognition, including dementia, schizophrenia and autism. The research will provide new insights into these disorders, at the level of molecules, cells and behaviour. I will explore how genetic and environmental factors interact, with a focus on mental activity, physical exercise and stress, which affect a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Epigenetic Impacts Of Paternal Experience On Offspring Anxiety And Cognition: Molecular Mediators And Therapeutic Targets
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$681,162.00
Summary
Stress and physical activity are two of the major lifestyle factors impacting on human health, including brain disorders. We have recently discovered that stress and exercise in male mice can impact the phenotype of offspring. We will study molecules in the sperm of these fathers, and in the brains of offspring to understand the mechanisms involved. There is evidence that lifestyle factors in men prior to conception impact on their children and this research has major public health implications.
Tackling The Complex Pathogenesis Of Non-Alzheimer Dementias And Motor Neurodegenerative Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$948,684.00
Summary
I research dementia and motor syndromes as there are no mechanistic treatments for these disorders, and for many there are no treatments at all. Without being able to identify the same diseases and differentiate them from other diseases, no treatments will be successful. To develop more reliably detection methods for these diseases, I perform longitudinally studies where the participants agree to donate serial biological samples and their brain tissue at death.
Gene-environment Interactions, Experience-dependent Plasticity And Pathogenic Mechanisms In Mouse Models Of Cognitive And Affective Disorders. Mental And Physical Activity As Modulators Of Brain And Behaviour In Healthy And Diseased States.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,805.00
Summary
Our aim is to understand how genes and environment combine to affect susceptibility to various brain disorders. We are using specific models involving human gene mutations associated with diseases, and manipulating environmental factors such as mental and physical activity. We are focused on neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Huntington’s disease, depression and schizophrenia. These efforts to understand brain diseases will facilitate development of therapeutic approaches.
I am a physiologist investigating how the brain controls balance and movement. Many neurological disorders cause unsteady balance and problems with movement, and consequently a poor quality of life. I study people with disorders of the sensory and movement processing areas of the brain to discover how the brain combines different sensory information to control balance. This work will improve understanding of human balance and movement, and lead to new clinical techniques for assessment and treat ....I am a physiologist investigating how the brain controls balance and movement. Many neurological disorders cause unsteady balance and problems with movement, and consequently a poor quality of life. I study people with disorders of the sensory and movement processing areas of the brain to discover how the brain combines different sensory information to control balance. This work will improve understanding of human balance and movement, and lead to new clinical techniques for assessment and treatment.Read moreRead less
SRY: A Risk Factor For Parkinson’s Disease In Men?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$514,015.00
Summary
Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating neurological disorder that affects over 70,000 Australians. This project will test the novel concept that the male sex-determination gene SRY is a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease in men. A potential implication of the work is that it will help explain why men are more susceptible to Parkinson’s disease than women, and may also provide avenues for the development of novel therapeutics for this condition.
New tools to activate and silence neural circuits. Many neurological disorders occur as a result of neuron cell death that is initiated by excessive levels of excitatory activity in central nervous system neurons. This project will develop and validate a new treatment for these disorders that involves silencing excessive neuronal activity using a safe, commonly prescribed drug.
Investigating the neuroprotective actions of metallo-complexes. Metal-based drugs offer an exciting new approach to treatment of neurodegeneration. However, little is known about how cells metabolise these drugs: information that is critical for further drug development. This project will determine how metal-based drugs are metabolized by neuronal cells and how this may result in therapeutic benefit.