Single Shot X-ray Tomography For Real-Time Functional X-ray Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$322,641.00
Summary
Computed Tomography (CT) scanners produce three-dimensional images of vital organs that cannot be obtained by conventional two-dimensional (single projection) x-ray radiographs. However, the radiation exposure is hundreds of times higher than conventional radiography. We will develop the world’s first CT scanner that uses no more radiation than a single conventional x-ray image that will provide four-dimensional reconstructions of a patient’s moving internal organs.
Nanoparticle formulations for DNA-targeted radiotherapy and imaging: combinations with chromatin-modifying compounds. This project will develop a new approach for treating and imaging cancer using nanoparticles which target specific cells for cancer therapy and diagnostic imaging. The nanoparticles will be combined with compounds that alter the architecture of DNA to make therapy more effective and to improve the safety of imaging.
Developing Interpretable Machine Learning Models For Clinical Imaging And Single-cell Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,312,250.00
Summary
Machine learning methods will be vital to make best use of the deluge of data generated by high-throughput technologies in biomedical science. To get the most out of these models, however, we need to be able to unpack the 'black box'. I will use curated clinical and public research data to benchmark and develop interpretable deep learning models and software tools. These models will be used for breast cancer screening programs and for analysis of complex, large-scale single-cell genomics data.
Cancer And Low-dose Radiation - Possible Effects Of CT Scans In Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,650.00
Summary
Despite 100 years of research there is uncertainty about effects of low dose radiation from background and medical X-rays. We will measure the incidence of cancer in Australians exposed to CT scans (medical X-rays) as children between 1985 and 2005. Our results, from follow-up to 2009, will show whether there is a small but signicantly increased risk of cancer and guide further improvement in radiation safety standards if these prove to be necessary.
Microscale microRNA Detection and Delivery for Effective Point-of-Care Cancer Screening and Therapeutics. MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules that play a critical regulatory role in gene expression. Recently discovered in 1993, microRNA research has since received considerable attention and is regarded as an emerging revolutionary frontier in medicine given its therapeutic ability to ‘turn off’ certain genes that lead to various diseases. Additionally, microRNA expression signatures are a strong b ....Microscale microRNA Detection and Delivery for Effective Point-of-Care Cancer Screening and Therapeutics. MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules that play a critical regulatory role in gene expression. Recently discovered in 1993, microRNA research has since received considerable attention and is regarded as an emerging revolutionary frontier in medicine given its therapeutic ability to ‘turn off’ certain genes that lead to various diseases. Additionally, microRNA expression signatures are a strong biomarker for many diseases such as cancer. This project will advance the chip-scale acoustic microcentrifugation and nebulisation technology we recently pioneered to overcome the significant hurdles currently faced in microRNA detection and delivery with the aim of developing prototype portable microdevices for early stage cancer screening and therapy.Read moreRead less
Epilepsy: Molecular Basis And Mechanisms In The Era Of Functional Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$12,062,533.00
Summary
The team comprises of neurologists with a special interest in epilepsy (both adult and child) molecular geneticists, physiologists and brain imaging specialists. The team leads the world in the discovery of the genetic causes of epilepsy and epilepsy associated with intellectual disability. The team will continue to identify the genes underlying epilepsy, and study how genetic variations result in the development of seizures and will continue to develop advanced imaging techniques for these stud ....The team comprises of neurologists with a special interest in epilepsy (both adult and child) molecular geneticists, physiologists and brain imaging specialists. The team leads the world in the discovery of the genetic causes of epilepsy and epilepsy associated with intellectual disability. The team will continue to identify the genes underlying epilepsy, and study how genetic variations result in the development of seizures and will continue to develop advanced imaging techniques for these studies. This will include extensive laboratory studies, including the development of mice with the exact mutations that we find in the human condition. Stateof-the-art imaging techniques with magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography are used in human subjects to further understand the effects of the mutations on the structure and function of the brain. This will allow deep understanding of how seizures develop and may lead to new diagnostic methods and treatments. The laboratory and clinical aspects of the research are tightly integrated in this internationally leading collaborative program.Read moreRead less
From The Synchrotron To The Clinic: Translation Of A Novel Functional Lung Imaging Technology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$891,834.00
Summary
Our team has recently developed a synchrotron technology with a startling capacity for dynamic functional imaging that can act as a sensitive regional indicator of lung disease. We will demonstrate that this technology can be translated from the synchrotron to the lab and eventually the clinic. We will provide proof of this concept by the application of this technology to emphysema, asthma, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis lung disease and neonatal resuscitation.
Targeting NDM-producing ‘superbugs’: Optimising Novel Combinations With ‘old’ Polymyxins Using Pharmacological, Molecular Imaging And Systems Biology Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,732.00
Summary
Rapid global spread of so-called NDM-producing bacterial ‘superbugs’ is presenting a major medical challenge. Without new antibiotics under development, polymyxin is becoming the only effective antibiotic. Unfortunately we recently revealed that treatment with polymyxin alone can rapidly lead to resistance in NDM-producing ‘superbugs’. This project will employ new tools to optimise rational polymyxin combinations, thereby providing urgently needed information to clinicians for treating these ver ....Rapid global spread of so-called NDM-producing bacterial ‘superbugs’ is presenting a major medical challenge. Without new antibiotics under development, polymyxin is becoming the only effective antibiotic. Unfortunately we recently revealed that treatment with polymyxin alone can rapidly lead to resistance in NDM-producing ‘superbugs’. This project will employ new tools to optimise rational polymyxin combinations, thereby providing urgently needed information to clinicians for treating these very problematic infections.Read moreRead less
Molecular Characterisation Of Early Precursor Lesions Of A Novel Ñserrated Pathwayî Of Colorectal Cancer Using Gene Expression And Proteomics.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,338.00
Summary
In Australia, CRC is the second highest cause of all cancer-related deaths. If detected early, CRC has a high success rate of cure, but a percentage of precursor lesions escape detection and show aggressive clinical behaviour to progress to CRC. These are difficult to diagnosis with existing technologies. We aim to understand the biology behind sessile serrated adenoma pathways and hence enhance early detection, diagnosis and treatments strategies.
Tailoring Targeted Therapy To DNA Repair-defective High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$802,247.00
Summary
Ovarian cancer is a major cause of cancer death in women because current treatments are inadequate. Half of aggressive ovarian cancers have abnormalities in DNA repair and should be susceptible to new PARP inhibitor therapy, yet not all those respond. By developing a new model of studying human ovarian cancers in mice, we can discover markers to predict which ovarian cancers will respond best to these exciting new treatments.