Novel Pathomechanisms And Therapeutic Approaches In Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$804,106.00
Summary
Currently, over 200,000 Australians are affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) or frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), causing a huge socio-economic damage. To overcome the lack of effective treatments, we need to understand the underlying causes and translate them into therapy. Using state-of-the-art cell culture and genetic mouse models, I will reveal fundamental processes in AD and related dementias, and develop tailored treatments to battle these devastating disorders.
Hypothalamic Oxexin-synthesizing Neurons Regulate The Ultradian Basic Rest-Activity Cycle (BRAC); Studies In Transgenic Rats And Mice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$588,418.00
Summary
In the hypothalamus region of the brain there is a group of neurons that synthesize a neuropeptide messenger called orexin. In humans, malfunction of orexin neurons results in narcolepsy (abnormal sleepiness) and in disordered metabolism resulting in obesity. Our experiments, conducted in genetically-modified rats and mice, will elucidate the manner in which the orexin neurons integrate our behaviour (eg eating) with our physiological state (eg body and brain temperature, arterial blood pressure ....In the hypothalamus region of the brain there is a group of neurons that synthesize a neuropeptide messenger called orexin. In humans, malfunction of orexin neurons results in narcolepsy (abnormal sleepiness) and in disordered metabolism resulting in obesity. Our experiments, conducted in genetically-modified rats and mice, will elucidate the manner in which the orexin neurons integrate our behaviour (eg eating) with our physiological state (eg body and brain temperature, arterial blood pressure).Read moreRead less
We propose to establish the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium which is a national network of facilities allowing Australian researchers to better characterise mouse models of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and stroke. Just as accurate maps were key to the voyages of geographic discovery in the 17th and 18th century, improved methods of mapping structural and functional changes in the brain of mouse models of neurological disease will be key to discovery in the neurosci ....We propose to establish the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium which is a national network of facilities allowing Australian researchers to better characterise mouse models of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and stroke. Just as accurate maps were key to the voyages of geographic discovery in the 17th and 18th century, improved methods of mapping structural and functional changes in the brain of mouse models of neurological disease will be key to discovery in the neurosciences in the 21st century . For the Consortium the cartographic tools will be magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), microscopy and sophisticated computational methods of mapping brain structure and function. Participants in the Consortium are internationally recognised leaders in brain imaging based at Monash University, the Howard Florey Institute, the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute and the Centre for Magnetic Resonance and the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland.Read moreRead less