Comprehensive Clinical Tests Of Vestibular Function To Track Vestibular Compensation And Meniere’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,625.00
Summary
This Project will apply new, fast, safe, comprehensive, balance tests we have developed to measure the function of the balance receptors of the inner ear. We will track changes in balance function during disease and recovery in the many, and increasing, number of Australian patients with balance disorders. These tests will give us insight into changes in the inner ear associated with severe attacks of vertigo and why some patients recover so poorly after damage to inner ear balance receptors.
Acute Vertigo In Emergency Departments: Distinguishing Between Central And Peripheral Causes By Objective Measure Of Oculomotor Examination (HINTS)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$181,065.00
Summary
The goal of this work is to provide a quantitative objective measure of HINTS for developing an automatic diagnostic decision tool to differentiate vestibular neuritis (peripheral) and stroke (central) in patients presenting in emergency department for acute vestibular syndrome. Video oculography makes interpretation of the results more reliable. Video oculography goggles will be used as part of a systematic training program to enhance frontline clinician skills in eye movement examination.
Investigating Caloric Vestibular Stimulation As A Novel Therapeutic Intervention For Chronic Pain, Mania And Depression.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,963.00
Summary
Chronic pain, mania and depression are common health problems worldwide and represent an enormous burden of illness. Current treatments may be costly, invasive and have serious side-effects. In the proposed project, demonstration of therapeutic benefit with a novel, simple method of brain stimulation without such limitations could change how these disorders are managed. Moreover, the findings would be of substantial significance in developing countries where treatments are often non-existent.
BRAIN-MEND: Biological Resource Analysis To Identify New Mechanisms And Phenotypes In Neurodegenerative Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$861,866.00
Summary
Current classification of neurodegenerative diseases (ND) based on clinical phenotypes does not take into account underlying disease heterogeneity, or overlapping disease mechanisms, thus hindering therapy development. Segregation and re-classification of ND phenotypes is urgently needed. BRAIN-MEND will reclassify existing phenotypic classifications using using pathway and network analyses within and across complex NDs.
Nodal Function In Peripheral Neuroinflammatory Disorders: Target Antigens, Functional Significance And Treatment Response
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,172.00
Summary
Inflammatory neuropathies are autoimmune disorders which produce severe disability and represent a costly burden to the healthcare system, but the causes remain unknown. Recent evidence from our team suggests that antibodies against parts of the peripheral nerve at the node of Ranvier are involved. The project aims to identify these specific targets and monitor treatment responsiveness, stabilise nerve function and prevent persistent disability.
AusDiab 3: Emerging Risk Factors For And Long-term Incidence Of Cardio-metabolic Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,616,397.00
Summary
This study will track 11,000 Australian adults over 12 years to determine how many develop diabetes, obesity, kidney and heart disease. The study will develop ways to best predict those who are going to develop these conditions before they have arisen, and will explore a range of novel risk factors to better understand these conditions.
Optimising Large-scale Public Health Interventions To Control Neglected Tropical Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) are a group of health conditions that affect the poorest of the poor, particularly in remote and rural areas. They affect the most vulnerable communities and cause substantial, chronic health harms impairing personal and social development. Several debilitating NTD are common in remote indigenous communities and Pacific islands. I propose a series of studies to investigate new strategies to control NTD in large populations where these diseases are endemic.
Optimising Heart Disease Prevention And Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,647,175.00
Summary
As we become older and risk factors such as obesity become more common, our biggest contributor to death and disability, cardiovascular disease (including heart disease), will continue to exert an enormous burden on our health care system and society. We will extend our ground-breaking research on multidisciplinary teams to create new and innovative health care programs to optimise the prevention and management of new heart disease and chronic forms of heart disease.
Axon Degeneration And Axon Protection In CNS Disease And Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,120.00
Summary
One of the major reasons for the clinical symptoms of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Motor Neuron Disease is the loss of connections between the nerve cells. Nerve cells are connected by specialized processes called axons. In disease these processes can breakdown. This project specifically looks at how axons break down in disease and tests therapeutic strategies to protect them.
The Role Of Capsid Protein Nucleolar Localisation In Chikungunya Virus: Implications For Vaccine Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,520.00
Summary
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a globally widespread mosquito-borne alphavirus capable of causing considerable human morbidity and mortality. With no CHIKV vaccine or antiviral available this proposal aims to develop a live attenuated CHIKV vaccine, rationally designed by investigating the host cell nucleolar trafficking of CHIKV capsid protein. This vaccine has the potential to provide cross-protection against additional arthritogenic alphaviruses endemic to Australia such as Ross River virus.