Most eye diseases have a genetic contribution, whether rare disorders affecting children such as retinoblastoma or congenital cataracts through to common disorders of older people such as myopia, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. We will continue our successful research to find genes that cause these diseases and use this to improve patient care and prevent blindness. We will work out how families can use this genetic information to participate in trials to develop new treatments.
Postviral Wheezing In Childhood: Disregulation Of Airway Tone?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,040.00
Summary
Asthma is a very common childhood condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Wheezing is common in infants and young children following viral infections and is often thought of as the first manifestation of asthma. However, many children and infants who wheeze with viral infections appear to grow out of asthma in their teenage years. Asthma that persists into adult life is usually associated with allergies to common environmental allergens, such as house dust mite and grass pollens. Ho ....Asthma is a very common childhood condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Wheezing is common in infants and young children following viral infections and is often thought of as the first manifestation of asthma. However, many children and infants who wheeze with viral infections appear to grow out of asthma in their teenage years. Asthma that persists into adult life is usually associated with allergies to common environmental allergens, such as house dust mite and grass pollens. However, many infants who wheeze with viral infections, especially in the first year of life, do not develop allergies in later life, raising the possibility that they did not have the same type of asthma as those whose symptoms persist. This project will study the effects of viral infections on lung function to determine whether particular types of virus can have detrimental effects of lung function lasting for years. We will also examine whether the age at which the infection occurs and the severity of the infection influence the long-term outcome. The project involves studying infants during the recovery phase of respiratory viral infections, older children years after documented infections and experimental animal models that have been infected under controlled conditions. By determining whether respiratory viral infections can have long-term effects on lung function that can mimic asthma, we will advance our understanding of how asthma develops. In addition, specific treatment and preventative strategies could then be developed to prevent these long-term abnormalities, instead of relying on asthma medication (especially inhaled corticosteroids) as is the current practice. Preventative strategies could include encouraging the development of specific vaccines.Read moreRead less
The Long-term Consequences Of Assisted Reproduction On The Growth, Metabolic, Respiratory, Psychological, Immunological And Reproductive Development Of The Offspring.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,552,096.00
Summary
1 in 25 children are born from IVF treatment - incredibly- to our shame; no data exists as to the long-term health of these children. Presented is a unique opportunity, which would be exceedingly difficult to replicate elsewhere in the world, to determine the long-term consequences of IVF upon the development of the offspring, by comparing their growth, metabolic, respiratory, psychological, immunological and reproductive development to a representative sample of WA children- the Raine cohort.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101043
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$404,956.00
Summary
Tackling facial prejudice. This project aims to investigate individual differences in facial prejudice, a powerful psychological bias whereby people rely on inaccurate first impressions to guide key decisions, such as whom to trust. Utilising recent advances in electrophysiology, the project will develop a new neural marker of individual differences in facial impressions that lead to prejudice. The project expects to lead to insights into the link between visual perception and social behaviour, ....Tackling facial prejudice. This project aims to investigate individual differences in facial prejudice, a powerful psychological bias whereby people rely on inaccurate first impressions to guide key decisions, such as whom to trust. Utilising recent advances in electrophysiology, the project will develop a new neural marker of individual differences in facial impressions that lead to prejudice. The project expects to lead to insights into the link between visual perception and social behaviour, and to develop strategies to reduce facial prejudice given the pervasive influence it has on everyday life.Read moreRead less
Who may judge a book by its cover? This project aims to build a model of how and why people vary in their impressions of others and in the accuracy of these impressions. People readily form impressions of others from their faces and these impressions influence crucial decisions: election results, court case outcomes and partner choices. To build this model, the project will apply twin data and construct a psychometric test to measure variation in facial impressions. The research is expected to l ....Who may judge a book by its cover? This project aims to build a model of how and why people vary in their impressions of others and in the accuracy of these impressions. People readily form impressions of others from their faces and these impressions influence crucial decisions: election results, court case outcomes and partner choices. To build this model, the project will apply twin data and construct a psychometric test to measure variation in facial impressions. The research is expected to lead to insights into this aspect of social perception, and to identify the sources of atypical or inaccurate facial judgements. This has applications in health contexts (to identify social impairment) and in security contexts (for personnel selection).Read moreRead less
Old Atrocities, New Media: Terror Images and the Visual-Military Complex. This research centres on the relations between twenty-first century visual technologies and the age-old practice of the massacre-atrocity. It takes as its major case study the atrocities at the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009. The most graphic form of knowledge about these mass deaths and rapes was produced through digitally transmitted visual images. The research asks how new forms of recording and circulating images ....Old Atrocities, New Media: Terror Images and the Visual-Military Complex. This research centres on the relations between twenty-first century visual technologies and the age-old practice of the massacre-atrocity. It takes as its major case study the atrocities at the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009. The most graphic form of knowledge about these mass deaths and rapes was produced through digitally transmitted visual images. The research asks how new forms of recording and circulating images of atrocity, whether in the form of trophy photographs or other digital documents, shape the reception of, and responses to, atrocity. These questions are contextualised against a broader examination of the historical and evolving relations between visual media and atrocity images from the Holocaust to Abu Ghraib.Read moreRead less
Ethics and aesthetics as criteria for innovation: A design research study of biological art and digital architecture. The project will contribute to the goal of promoting innovation in three areas. First, the project will amplify Australia's individual strengths in biological art and digital architecture by creating a network of artists and designers in which each discipline is stimulated by the concerns and practices of the other. Second, the project will explain innovation in such networks, by ....Ethics and aesthetics as criteria for innovation: A design research study of biological art and digital architecture. The project will contribute to the goal of promoting innovation in three areas. First, the project will amplify Australia's individual strengths in biological art and digital architecture by creating a network of artists and designers in which each discipline is stimulated by the concerns and practices of the other. Second, the project will explain innovation in such networks, by identifying activities that lead to innovation. Such an explanation will improve the nation's capacity to promote innovation in targeted fields. Third, the project will test and develop collaboration tools designed to support the activities identified as leading to innovation, as information technology is a primary enabler for operating across such networks.
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Biomimetic Ultra-Thin Compound-Eye Vision Sensor. With the recent advances in microelectronic fabrication technology, it becomes possible today to fabricate paper-thin imaging systems. The proposed research will target the development of such systems to enable the concept of 'stick-on cameras'. Examples of potential applications for this new imaging technology include head-mounted camera patches for rescue workers, smart credit card capable of identifying its user by fingerprint technology, disc ....Biomimetic Ultra-Thin Compound-Eye Vision Sensor. With the recent advances in microelectronic fabrication technology, it becomes possible today to fabricate paper-thin imaging systems. The proposed research will target the development of such systems to enable the concept of 'stick-on cameras'. Examples of potential applications for this new imaging technology include head-mounted camera patches for rescue workers, smart credit card capable of identifying its user by fingerprint technology, discrete monitoring of venues, preventing driver's drowsiness inside a car but also assisting in medical diagnosis and minimally invasive surgery. This leading edge research will enhance the reputation of Australia as a leader in frontier technologies.Read moreRead less
Representations of the Backs of Paintings: Analysis and History. Australia's regional status within the Western tradition of painting makes it a highly significant test case within the geographical criteria of the study. The paradoxical effects of closeness and distance in representations of the backs of paintings made its use here surprisingly frequent and strikingly ambivalent. Some painters obsessively repeat the motif as if to overcome remoteness from the tradition of Velásquez. Others emplo ....Representations of the Backs of Paintings: Analysis and History. Australia's regional status within the Western tradition of painting makes it a highly significant test case within the geographical criteria of the study. The paradoxical effects of closeness and distance in representations of the backs of paintings made its use here surprisingly frequent and strikingly ambivalent. Some painters obsessively repeat the motif as if to overcome remoteness from the tradition of Velásquez. Others employ it in fundamental questioning the institution of Western painting. Study of this dichotomy will improve understanding of Australian concepts of remoteness in space and time relative to other cultures. Interpretations will also enhance visual and verbal communication between art communities here and overseas. Read moreRead less
Detecting, Locating and Tracking Human Faces using Skin Colour. With growing concerns for national security and public safety, government agencies in Australia and around the world are taking strong measures to introduce biometric-enhanced official identification documents such as passports, visas, and ID cards. The proposed face detection and tracking system will play a key role in personal identification and human activity monitoring. The developed system will have a huge potential in surveill ....Detecting, Locating and Tracking Human Faces using Skin Colour. With growing concerns for national security and public safety, government agencies in Australia and around the world are taking strong measures to introduce biometric-enhanced official identification documents such as passports, visas, and ID cards. The proposed face detection and tracking system will play a key role in personal identification and human activity monitoring. The developed system will have a huge potential in surveillance, security, law enforcement, and ICT. This project will contribute to building a knowledge economy in Australia and help safeguard and protect Australia from terrorism and crime. Furthermore, its outcomes will enhance the reputation of Australia as a leader in frontier technologies and smart information use.Read moreRead less