Our centre combines clinical and laboratory expertise to tackle autoimmune, inflammatory, and immune deficiency diseases. Starting from a genetic discovery platform, we aim to understand precisely how the immune system goes wrong in each individual patient to cause disease. This approach will make diagnoses more accurate and tailor treatment to each patient. The centre's approach should provide a template for the implementation of genomics and personalized medicine into routine clinical practice
Centre Of Research Excellence For The Study Of Naevi
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,496,835.00
Summary
Most melanomas grow adjacent to or within pre-existing benign neoplasms of the skin called naevi. Many studies have shown that the number of nevi on an individual predicts their risk of developing melanoma. New naevi form and existing ones change regularly in children and also adults. While previous work aimed to reduce the burden of melanoma has focussed on malignant tumours, much can be learned from increasing our understanding of tumorigenesis by studying benign tumours such as naevi.
Centre For Research Excellence In Speech And Language Neurobiology (CRE-SLANG)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,491,340.00
Summary
Half a million Australian children have a speech/language disorder, tripling their changes of poor academic outcomes, limited employment options and social isolation. Current speech therapy is limited, focusing on symptoms and ignoring evidence on underlying aetiologies. By identifying and translating findings on new genes and brain pathways leading to speech and language disorders, we will transform detection, diagnosis, prognosis and genetic counselling of affected children and their families.
Transforming The Diagnosis And Management Of Severe Neurocognitive Disorders Through Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,499,330.00
Summary
Neurocognitive disorders (NCD) are one of the most common genetic conditions in our society and it results with a need for ongoing permanent care for many affected people. Until recently, only 30% of people with NCD could be diagnosed but this has changed with the availability of genomic testing where all genes can be tested at once. The use of genomics in the CRE will lead to new NCD genes being identified and this information being translated into a clinical setting.
Bowel cancer, the second most diagnosed and cause of cancer death is preventable. Low risk people need no screening or just inexpensive fecal occult blood tests. Increased risk people need the more expensive and invasive colonoscopies. There is overuse of colonoscopy by those at low risk and underuse by those at high risk. Our Centre brings together scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians to develop a personalised risk tool and methods to implement the tool to increase appropriate screening.
Centre Of Research Excellence In Pulmonary And Environmental Medicine.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,007,200.00
Summary
This Centre will study inhalational lung diseases, ie diseases caused by substances such as asbestos, cigarette smoke, air pollutants and allergens. Australia has of the highest incidences in the world of at least 2 of the diseases to be studied, asbestos- and allergen-induced lung diseases. These two alone are estimated to cost the Australian economy over $100 million -yr and $1 billion respectively in direct health costs plus loss of productivity and compensation. Furthermore COPD on of our ot ....This Centre will study inhalational lung diseases, ie diseases caused by substances such as asbestos, cigarette smoke, air pollutants and allergens. Australia has of the highest incidences in the world of at least 2 of the diseases to be studied, asbestos- and allergen-induced lung diseases. These two alone are estimated to cost the Australian economy over $100 million -yr and $1 billion respectively in direct health costs plus loss of productivity and compensation. Furthermore COPD on of our other major areas of interest is the 4th leading cause of death in males and conservatively costs the economy over one billion dollars per year as well as being the leading cause of disability in the elderly. It is predicted that COPD will be the 4th most common disease worldwide by 2020. As such this area of study is important for Australia and internationally and any advances will deliver major economic and health benefits. We will study the role of blood and sputum tests in the diagnosis, monitoring, screening and management of lung diseases caused by asbestos, cigarette smoke, air pollutants and allergens ie. mesothelioma, asthma, COPD and lung cancer. We will apply modern DNA 'gene chip' methods to study the pathogenesis of these diseases and help us to identify new treatment targets. This will also be used to guide genetic searches for polymorphism's, spliced variants and DNA modification(epigentics) in COPD and lung cancer. Genetic studies of sensitivity to air pollution will be used to define at risk patients We will also evaluate how the method of cell death that occurs during some therapies eg. in cancer and allergy-asthma, might alter how the body responds and thus help us develop novel therapeutic strategies for these diseases. This research program should lead to new tests and treatments and at the same time promote the training of a new generation of young researchers in this field and so ensure that the work continues long termRead moreRead less
The Australian Centre For Translational Breast Cancer Research: From Discovery To Better Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,619,075.00
Summary
TransBCR will implement a collaborative multidisciplinary research program to help fast track the clinical translation of promising laboratory discoveries in breast cancer. To overcome existing roadblocks, we will carry out early phase clinical trials of novel anti-breast cancer drugs linked to suitable diagnostic tests that help select the right therapy for individual cancer patients. Our goal is to help inform the swift delivery of cost-effective personalised medicine in breast cancer.
Centre For Research Excellence In Critical Infectious Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,623,406.00
Summary
Severe infection kills millions of people every year, but clinicians and policy makers rarely get the information they need in time to make potentially life-saving decisions about infection. We will apply modern genomics and information systems to better understand infection threats in critical care environments and explore the ethical and medicolegal aspects that may either facilitate or present barriers to important research and time-critical decision making.